2012 Custom Shelby GT500 Wide Body - Source: steve lyon from los angeles, ca, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Mustangs on the Big Screen
Mustangs are not strangers to movies. They have appeared in several cinematic masterpieces that made them a cultural phenomenon. Some notable Mustang Shelby models include the 1969 Ford Mustang Fastback from John Wick, the 1968 Ford Mustang from Steve McQueen’s “Bullitt”, 1967 Shelby GT500 from Gone in 60 Seconds, the 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, I am Legend, etc. The iconic rare white Mustang convertible from 1964 James Bond film “Goldfinger” just months after its launch.
The cast of Need For Speed (2014)
Need For Speed is an action-packed thrilling game from Electronic Arts. Hence, it was obvious that its big-screen adaptation was going to be high-octane as well. NFS 2014 movie with a worldwide total of $203.3 million follows Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul), a street racer who wanted to take revenge for getting wrongly framed by his ex-friend Dino Brewster played by Dominic Cooper. Tobey then enters De Leon, a cross-country race in order to confront Dino. The entire film has awesome cinematography and amazing car chase scenes. The NFS 2014 also has a spectacular cast. Some notable names include Rami Malek, Dakota Johnson, Michael Keaton, and Kid Cudi.
What Model Was Used In The Movie?
Featured in the movie adaptation of the hit video game franchise, Need For Speed (NFS) from Electronic Arts, the movie was released under the same name “Need For Speed” in 2014 and actually had the 2013 Ford Mustang GT model. I know you might be full of questions as the car looks like a Shelby Mustang. Let me explain. Except for the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722S Roadster which appears at the start of the movie as Dominic Cooper’s (screen name Dino Brewster) ride, all other cars were replicas of the actual models.
The custom Ford Mustang GT Fastback used in the movie was dressed as a Ford Shelby GT500, which itself is a special car. The custom Mustang in the Need for Speed movie boasts a special wide body and 22″ custom 3-piece billet wheels fitted with Pirelli tires, a custom front fascia and rear valance, extended rocker panels, and a new rear spoiler. Visually stunning in its silver paint with Kona Blue racing stripes, twin snorkel hood, and low profile mirrors.
On the inside, Recaro front seats, roll bars, and the BOSS 302 Laguna Seca rear seat delete package is what this custom Mustang offers. As for the performance, it gets a pretty loud custom exhaust system, coilover suspension, an upper strut mount kit, adjustable third-link trailing arm, revised suspension points, billet lower trailing arms, a new rear sway bar, and an adjustable front sway bar.
While the Shelby GT500 comes with a powerful 5.8L supercharged V8, the actual car shown in the movie has a stock 5.0L V8, delivering 420 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque via a 6-speed manual transmission. In the movie, this discrepancy is addressed when Imogen Poots’s character, Tammy, looks at the open hood in her introduction scene and refers to it as a 5.8L, mimicking the GT500.
Other Cars Featured In The Movie
The Need for Speed movie has several other cars as well. It includes the Koenigsegg Agera R, the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento, a McLaren P1, and more. However, as far as the action scene goes, these were performed using the six Mustang GTs Ford had donated and most of which were destroyed during filming. As far as the sixth generation 2015 Mustang GT with a full redesign goes, it was not used until the very end. The red Mustang GT dropping at the end scenes has a story of its own.
Since the sixth generation Mustang was not officially launched at the time of shooting the movie. The production had to make customizations to make the prototype resemble a production car, despite parts still being in development. Special painting and finishing were also applied to meet cinematic standards, while stringent security measures and road closures were implemented to safely transport the car to the movie set and prevent leaks.
What happened to the Mustang from the Need For Speed film?
The Mustang from Need for Speed later served as a prototype for various tests at Ford. However, the custom 2013 Ford Mustang GT was auctioned at Barrett-Jackson’s, fetching $300,000 from the final bidder, Dave Flynn of Columbiana, Ohio. Dave Flynn owns the Flynn Automotive Group in Youngstown and operates dealerships across Ohio.
Dave is also known for his purchase of the 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, which he acquired for over $500,000 at a charity auction. Proceeds from the Ford Mustang GT500 auction went to the Henry Ford Health Systems charity, a non-profit organization established by Henry Ford in 1915.
Unlike many other Mustangs featured in NFS, at least one model managed to survive. Its legacy will endure, akin to Mustangs from films like James Bond, Grand Prix, Thomas Crown Affair, I Am Legend, and Gone in 60 Seconds.
