Ever since 2001, car enthusiasts have had a symbol to look up to in pop culture, The Fast and The Furious. These films not only revolutionized summer blockbusters as we know it, but also car enthusiasm, automotive trends, and 'car culture' as a whole.
Given the tremendous success of the first film, as well as the rest of the saga, the actors and the cars they drive have been cemented into the minds of car lovers around the world. Notably, there's the front running vehicle: Brian O'Connor's (Paul Walker) Mark IV Toyota Supra
Of all of the cars in the fast and furious franchise, including Vin Diesels Dodge Charger, Paul Walker's Supra is easily one of the most recognizable and beloved cars of the lot. If you didn't know already, this same car (featured in F&F) has actually been put up for sale many times before, which has us thinking: "how much is that legendary orange Supra really worth?"
To find out exactly that, we did some research to determine the Supra's true value, both intrinsic and instrumental...
"Hey, Pop The Hood!"
"So, what's in that bad boy, huh? I bet it's crazy powerful!" You may be inclined to think that, but you'd be sadly mistaken. In reality, the Supra we saw on-screen, the one that dazzled all of us as children/young adults, is barely better than the stock version...
Now, that's not saying they're identical, of course. From just the outside alone, you can tell that this MKIV is very far from normal. First off, there's the wild body-kit, plus the gigantic spoiler and flamboyant livery. However, that's as far as it really goes. The engine is near bare bones, with minimal upgrades for certain stunts.
We can hardly blame 'em, though. When you've got eight cars to deal with (all of which are expendable), it's difficult to justify any extra mods.
Life After Hollywood
Unlike a few exemplary movie cars, O'Conner's Supra in the first Fast and Furious didn't get as lavish of a retirement. From what we can tell, the remaining Toyota A80 Supra's were treated as they were intended; nothing more than used movie props. It's more than likely they sat in storage for a while (not including Walker's personal Toyotas).
Though, that's not necessarily important at the end of the day. What is important, however, is that they're still here today! Because of their time in storage, they've been preserved like an artifact; able to be experienced by later generations. Although there are less than eight left (lower than half of the remaining General Lees), that's still a blessing, especially for the lucky owners.
More Than Price Tag
Now, finally, to the M.S.R.P. of the car itself. Shortly before the famous 2015 Mecum auction was held, enthusiasts speculated the possibility of reaching beyond $100,000. "Perhaps" they thought, "it could even be a couple hundred-thousand!" When the time came, a few were proven right...
When the auction was said and done, the new owner had pledged $185,000 for the on-screen Toyota. Sure, almost 200-large is a lot for a Supra, but not as much as a handful imagined. Nevertheless, the price isn't what concerns us. What we want to know is the Supra's intrinsic value; "what's it worth to enthusiasts globally?"
This part almost goes without saying. As we alluded to in the introduction, both the F&F series and the cars in them revolutionized the world of cars. After the films, we got the "rice" trends (underglow, body-kits, etc.), which eventually lead us to where we are now. Without The Fast and The Furious, along with Walker's Supra, the world we know today wouldn't exist.
Thus, with that in mind, $185,000 doesn't seem like too much to own, drive, and show-off a piece of automotive history!