Five infamous car moments in movies

What are five of the best car moments in movie history?

From record-breaking barrel rolls to physics-bending feats, the big screen has delivered some truly iconic automotive moments.

The perfect car scene requires more than just an impressive vehicle – it needs visionary directors, skilled stunt coordinators, and courageous stunt drivers who push the boundaries of their craft.

These automotive sequences revolutionized filmmaking in their time and continue to inspire modern action scenes to this day.

From high-speed car chases to mind-blowing jumps, this list will run through five of the most famous car stunts in movie history

Casino Royale - Barrel roll (2006) 

Starting off with no other than a Guinness World Record. We have the infamous barrel roll scene in Casino Royale where James Bond flips his Aston Martin DBS a whopping seven times.

It turned out to be a rather expensive stunt as well, with claims that in one afternoon of filming they wrecked three custom-made Aston Martin DBS’. That’s around £350,000 per car…

Not only that, but in order to perform the stunt they used a nitrogen cannon that blew the car into the air. This made for quite the thrilling watch.

The Blues Brothers - Cops car chase (1980)

Time for a blast from the past with The Blues Brothers and their famous cop car chase. The 1980s classic was filmed in Harvey, Illinois and demolished a total of 104 cars, including 60 police vehicles.

At the time, this destruction set a record in the movie industry.

In that particular scene, Jake and his brother Elwood are evading the police before causing quite a picturesque pile-up of patrol cars as they finally escape. The stunts were performed with real cars and real crashes - no CGI in sight.

The cost of the 60 police cars alone was reportedly $24,000, which in today's money would be around $85,000. Madness.

The Man with the Golden Gun - Corkscrew bridge jump (1974) 

Blasting back even further, we look at the spectacular bridge jump scene in yet another James Bond film.

The car used for this scene was an AMC Hornet X that had been modified with central steering, a roll cage and, most importantly, a fifth wheel positioned between the two rear wheels. This innovative modification was essential for executing the perfect spiral.

In the 70s, CGI and special effects were virtually nonexistent, making practical stunts the only option for filmmakers. Their ability to pull off this move was truly revolutionary.

The corkscrew jump over the river, performed by stunt driver Loren "Bumps" Willert in just one attempt, will go down in history.

It redefined the limits of what could be achieved with cars in movies and was so mathematically precise that it was one of the first stunts ever to be computer-modeled before filming.

Check out the behind the scenes of this stunt.

French Connection - Car/train chase (1971)

Renowned for being one of the greatest car chases in film history, the French Connection's car vs train sequence is truly one of the wildest of all time. Director William Friedkin pushed the boundaries of filmmaking with this heart-stopping pursuit through the streets of New York.

What many viewers don't realise is that much of the chase was filmed without proper permits.

The production went beyond designated filming areas, with Detective Popeye Doyle's Pontiac LeMans racing beneath an elevated train at breakneck speeds through real traffic.

The danger was so real that some camera operators refused to shoot certain parts of the sequence, forcing Friedkin himself to operate the camera for the most perilous shots.

In one unplanned moment that made cinematic history, the Pontiac crashes into a white Ford that wasn't part of the production at all - just an unsuspecting civilian's car. Rather than re-shooting, they kept this genuine collision in the final cut and compensated the surprised owner for repairs.

Bullitt - Car chase (1968)

A thrilling 10-minute car chase through the steep streets of San Francisco set the gold standard for automotive action in cinema.

The iconic highland green Ford Mustang GT, driven by Steve McQueen himself for many shots, tears after a menacing black Dodge Charger piloted by two hitmen.

Both vehicles were specially modified for this tyre-screeching pursuit by veteran auto racer Max Balchowsky, who enhanced the suspension and engine to handle the punishing jumps across San Francisco's famous hills.

What makes this sequence revolutionary isn't just the driving but its raw authenticity.

With minimal music, real engine sounds, and practical stunts, the chase feels visceral and immediate. The realism draws you in completely – the setting, the cars, the driving, and the meticulous editing all combine to create something that feels genuinely dangerous.

The editing was so masterfully executed that Frank P. Keller won the Academy Award for Film Editing in 1968 for his work on Bullitt. This sequence revolutionised how car chases would be filmed for decades to come and remains the measuring stick against which all movie car chases are judged.

Cars that changed cinema forever

From the mathematical precision of Bond's corkscrew jump to the raw, unplanned chaos of The French Connection, these five automotive moments didn't just entertain audiences – they revolutionised filmmaking itself.

What's remarkable is how these scenes continue to impress, even in our CGI-saturated era.

There's something viscerally thrilling about knowing that real stunt drivers really performed these feats with real cars, putting themselves at genuine risk to create something unforgettable.

While today's blockbusters might feature more explosions and impossible physics, these classic car moments remain the gold standard because of their authenticity. It's that same authenticity we value at Carparison – helping you find a car that delivers a genuine driving experience that's perfect for you.