There is nothing more exciting than watching the most skilled drivers drive the fastest cars at the edge of their limit. Great movies about auto racing are a rush, no matter what kind of racing it is. It might be street racing, or on a track, but either way, it’ll leave you breathless. These movies are just what want when you have a serious need for speed.
Days Of Thunder
On the heels of the wild success of Top Gun, Tom Cruise and director Tony Scott teamed up for another adrenaline-fueled movie replacing fighter jets with stock cars in Days of Thunder. The film featured some of the most intense auto racing ever shown in a movie to that point and it was another giant hit for the Cruise/Scott team. Cruise even co-starred with his future wife Nicole Kidman in the movie.
Rush
Rush is based on the true story of the drive for the 1976 Formula 1 championship between Englishman playboy James Hunt and the dour and serious Austrian, Niki Lauda. It’s an intense movie both on and off the track as the rivalry was fierce. Lauda suffered a horrific crash during the season that bonded the two, but that didn’t slow their fight for the final checkered flag against each other.
Cannonball Run
No track, no rules. That’s the Cannonball Run. A bunch of teams load into their custom cars for a cross-country race for the ages. The comedy features a completely bonkers cast that includes Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Jamie Farr, Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett, Jackie Chan, and more. The cast alone is worth a watch.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Many people will argue that Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is the greatest racin’ movies of all time. It’s hard to argue against it. Not only is the movie hilarious, but the racing scenes are pretty great too. Shake AND bake!
Speed Racer
If you grew up in the ’80s, the odds are you were a big Speed Racer fan. While the movie doesn’t have the same nostalgia, it’s actually a pretty faithful adaptation that features some really trippy racing scenes, just like the cartoon.
Greased Lightning
Greased Lightning isn’t the best movie on the list, but it’s not a bad movie, either. It’s pretty obscure, and that’s too bad if for no other reason than it’s the semi-true story of Wendell Scott, who was the first Black driver in NASCAR. Scott is played by Richard Pryor and anytime he’s in a movie, it’s worth anyone’s time.
Lucky Logan
To be fair, Logan Lucky is only tangentially about NASCAR racing, but it’s such a fun movie, we had to include it. The movie is really about a heist at a NASCAR track, the Charlotte Motor Speedway, during a race, the Coca-Cola 500. So sure, it should count, right?
Need for Speed
Movies adapted from video games are usually a mixed bag. Some work, many don’t. Need for Speed falls in the latter category, for sure. That doesn’t mean the racing scenes won’t give you an adrenaline rush, however, because they will. It might not be your first choice, but if you love fast cars, it’s here for you.
Grand Prix (1966)
1966’s Grand Prix is a race movie for true race fans. Originally shot in 70mm, it blew people away with the race action. The story is incidental here, though it is ostensively about one season of Formula 1. It’s really all about the racing scenes, they are remarkable, even to this day.
Ferrari
If there is one thing Michael Mann knows how to do, it’s how to make cars look really cool. While 2023’s Ferrari was a disappointment at the box office, that should deter you if you’re a fan of racing or Ferraris. The movie isn’t perfect, but any scene with a car in it is great. All of them.
Driven
Director Reny Harlin, a master of movies made for adrenaline junkies, and writer and star Sylvester Stallone teamed up for the 2000 release, Driven about the CART racing series (then called the Champ series). Like Days of Thunder a decade early, this was American auto racing at its best on the big screen. It’s not as good as the Tom Cruise classic, but it’s still pretty awesome.
The Fast and the Furious Franchise
You knew we couldn’t leave the Fast and Furious movies off this list. There’s nothing professional about the drivers, but don’t let that fool you, they’re still the best. Do we really need to say much more about his monster franchise?
Ford V. Ferrari
Ford V. Ferrari is just a great movie in every way. Christian Bale and Matt Damon both crush it with their performances and the racing scenes are amazing. The story follows the true story of Carroll Shelby (Damon) and Ken Miles (Bale) in their quest to help Ford beat perennial champs at Le Mans, Ferrari. It’s a must-see for any racing fan.
Freejack
Freejack is a bonkers movie. That’s both a good and a bad thing. The plot is ridiculous, as rich people in the future steal bodies from the past to extend their lives. Yeah, it’s confusing and ridiculous. Add in the fact that Mick Jagger plays the guy hoping to steal Emilio Estevez’s body when he crashes in an auto race and well… it has to be seen to be believed.
The Speed Kings
The Speed Kings is on this list for one reason: it was completely groundbreaking. Made in 1913 and starring the great Fatty Arbuckle. The silent film was one of the earliest to feature actual race footage, which at the time was something most people had never seen. It’s worth seeking out for the historical nature of the short film.
Winning
Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and Robert Wagner team up in this movie about a driver, Newman, who desires one thing in life – to win the Indy 500. Newman was, of course, a keen race car driver himself, so this is the Hollywood legend in his element, not to mention he’s co-starring with his wife (Woodward).
Death Race 2000
One of the best cult movies about auto racing is the sci-fi action flick Death Race 2000. This Roger Corman-produced movie is like the violent cousin of The Cannonball Run. There’s nothing funny about this cross-country race, but man, the race scenes are just so cool.
Le Mans
You just knew Steve McQueen had to pop on this list. One of Hollywood’s most legendary gearheads loved to make cool car movies and was part of more than one of the best car chases in the history of movies. In Le Mans, as the title suggests, McQueen plays a driver at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. The movie even features actual footage of the 1970 race.
Gran Turismo
Like other video game adaptations, Gran Turismo isn’t the best movie, overall. I also like the game though, it features some great car scenes. it’s easy to criticize the plot, as many critics did when it was released in 2023, but the actual racing is fantastic, as most critics agreed, and if you love cars going fast on film, it’s definitely worth checking out.
The Love Bug
There is no more iconic car in the world than the VW Beetle and the most famous Beetle of them all is Herbie from The Love Bug. The enduring franchise goes all the way back to 1969 with this one. Over the next 35 years or so, they would release another five Herbie movies and they remain beloved today. Don’t worry about the plot hole that has a 4 cylinder Beetle winning car races, just go with it.
Cars Franchise
Millions of kids first fell in love with car racing movies after watching Cars. The 2006 Pixar film has a dedicated following and has spawned a number of sequels and spinoffs and become an important piece of Disney’s brand since it was first released. The original also fittingly features Paul Newman in his final (voice) role.
Stroker Ace
Director and former stunt coordinator Hal Needham and Burt Reynolds made a heck of a team when it came to driving movies. The two teamed up for Cannonball Run and Smokey & The Bandit before making Stroker Ace in 1983. While the movie bombed at the box office, it became a bit of a cult hit as a regular movie on cable TV in the mid-1980s. It’s not great, but it’s got its moments and Reynolds is as charming as ever.
Ready Player One
Ready Player One isn’t really a movie about car racing, but we included it because the race toward the beginning is just so epic. Where else would ever see the Mach 5 from Speed Racer going against the monster truck Big Foot and the van from The A-Team? In a movie filled with great easter eggs, the race has some of the best.
The Art of Racing in the Rain
The Art of Racing in the Rain is a bit over-the-top and frankly, cheesy. But the racing scenes are great! So while it’s tough to watch as it’s overwrought and saccharine-y sweet at the same time, the racing is worth it, at least once.
Grease
Sure, Grease is a love story about high school kids, but you can’t deny it has one of the most legendary racing scenes ever put on film. The street race in the LA river is totally iconic and to leave it off would be just wrong.
Wreck-It Ralph
Like a few other movies on this list, Wreck-It Ralph isn’t strictly about car racing. Or real car racing at all, but how can you deny the greatness that is Sugar Rush?? You simply can’t and that’s why it should be any list like this.
Fireball 500
Fireball 500 is what would happen if you make Beach Blanket Bingo at a race track. While the racing scenes are surprisingly good, the movie is pretty ridiculous and worth checking out to see the cultural artifact that it is.
The Racers
Rudolf Caracciola was one of the early heroes of F1 and The Racers is a movie loosely based on his life and career. His career spanned decades and was not without controversy, but it makes for a great movie, with Kirk Douglas playing the fictionalized version of Caracciola, called Gino Borgesa.
The Gumball Rally
in the mid-70s, cross-country races were all the rage in Hollywood and maybe the most famous is 1976’s The Gumball Rally. It’s even inspired races like it in real life. That’s saying something about how great the racing scenes are, which were groundbreaking at the time.
Viva Las Vegas
While the movie is really pretty bad, Viva Las Vegas is notable for two things, one, it was a hit, mostly because it starred Elvis Presley, and two, it’s responsible for the theme song that you are current humming to yourself right now. So that alone makes worthy of inclusion here.
