CULTURE SHOCK

WITH FAST 9 SLATED FOR A JUNE 25 RELEASE, WE EXAMINE THE FRENCHIE'S INFLUENCE

- AARON GOLD

Maybe you love the Fast and Furious moves, or perhaps you’ve never forgiven them for that reference to the “MoTeC exhaust.” Either way, it’s impossible to deny the impact the movies have had on society and car culture. With 10 films, including this year’s Fast 9, Fast and Furious is one of the most successful franchises in Hollywood history. It’s been 20 years since Brian O’Conner moseyed into Toretto’s Market and Café for a tuna on white with no crust, and the car world has never quite been the same.

MotorTrend features editor Scott Evans well remembers the impact of 2001’s The Fast and the Furious: “The buzz was everywhere. Even in my small California town, everyone had heard about this new street racing movie. I went to the theater and couldn’t believe my eyes—I’d never seen so many modified imports in one place [as were in the parking lot]. The line to get into the theater was 10 times longer than normal.”

Craig Lieberman served as a technical consultant for the first two films. “A lot of people became car fans because of the movies’ influence,” he says today. “I hear it every day on social media: ‘This movie got me into cars.’”