Furious 7 (PG-13) and all of its muscle-car mania rolls into theaters nationwide April 3. Dominic Toretto and his crew are back with yet another street-illegal revenge flick, complete with fast cars, things that go boom, and, of course, four-wheel skydiving. Because, why not?
For kids who love cars, the movie may look appealing, but for parents, the PG-13 rating makes this a no-go for littles with a need for speed. So instead, check out these more family-friendly cinematic rides. Zoom Zoom.
Herbie in The Love Bug (1969)
Make/Model: 1963 Volkswagen Beetle
Most Awesome Feature: His anthropomorphic powers. This pearl-white punch buggy has a mind of his own. He spits oil, opens his own doors, and can drive himself.
Fun fact: Though his racing stripes are a patriotic red, white, and blue, it’s his No. 53 stamp that really gives a shout-out to an American pastime. The film’s producer gave Herbie the numeral due to his love of L.A. Dodger Donald Drysdale, who wore No. 53 on his jersey.
Safety: Rated G
Ecto-1 in Ghostbusters (1984)
Make/Model: 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor
Most Awesome Feature: It’s huge. Oh, it’s not? Well, maybe not from first glance, but the Ecto-1 is roomy enough to comfortably carry all four Ghostbusters, their proton packs and other slime-fighting cargo, plus Dr. Peter Venkman’s vast ego and array of sarcasm.
Fun fact: 2016 will introduce some new key masters – or key mistresses – in the form of an all-female Ghostbusting cast including the likes of Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy.
Safety: Rated PG
Lightning McQueen in Cars (2006)
Make/Model: The love child of a GT40, Dodge Charger, Mazda Miata, and Dodge Viper
Most Awesome Feature: His personality. Inspired by legendary sportos, the writers drew traits from Muhammed Ali, Joe Namath, Michael Jordan, and even Kid Rock.
Fun fact: McQueen gets his name not from Bullitt star Steve McQueen, but rather the late, great Pixar animator, Glenn McQueen.
Safety: Rated G
The DeLorean in Back to the Future (1985)
Make/Model: DeLorean DMC-12
Most Awesome Feature: Its time-travel capabilities, obviously. A staple of ‘80s American pop culture, Steven Spielberg’s sleek time machine, with it’s gull-wing doors and “who needs roads” mentality, soars above every other big-screen time machine – even Bill and Ted’s excellent phone booth.
Fun fact: Its license plate reads “OUTATIME.”
Safety: Rated PG
Bumblebee in Transformers (2007)
Make/Model: 1977 Chevy Camaro
Most Awesome Feature: His heart of gold. One part rally yellow muscle car, one part larger-than-life alien Autobot, Bumblebee is all lean, mean, fighting machine when it comes to protecting the human race. But it’s his sweetheart humor, communicating via TV and radio signal playbacks on his eight-track, that makes him stand out.
Fun fact: Bumblebee and Herbie have more in common than their kind temperaments – Bumblebee’s original chassis is that of a Volkswagen Beetle.
Safety: Rated PG-13
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
Make and Model: GEN 11
Most Awesome Feature: His magical powers, of course. He flies, floats, and flutters through many a Grand Prix. But Chitty’s more than a vintage four-fendered friend, he’s a staple of everyone’s childhood.
Fun fact: Get this, the classic actually had not one, two, or three models created for the film – but six. A roadster, a roadster mini, a transformer, a hover car, a flying version, and an engineless prop.
Safety: Rated G
DeAnna Janes is the former Entertainment Editor of DailyCandy and lives in New York City with her husband and two cats -- who still watch Frozen on a loop (yes, the cats). She has been published on a variety of entertainment sites. When she's not screening a film or writing about one, she's running to a film's soundtrack.
