One of the most famous car-guy movies ever made is Vanishing Point, which came out in 1971. Not a single “Best Movie Car Chase” list leaves this out. It shouldn’t even be in the top ten, but I could be wrong. The movie’s star wasn’t Barry Newman, but a white 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T. Many current Challengers have tried to look like the famous movie star from the 1970s. Check out this 2012 Challenger R/T “Vanishing Point” build if you want to drive and look like Newman’s Kowalski. Any white Challenger will make any New Balance-wearing car nerd think of Vanishing Point. But this one was made just for the movie. It is white and has wheels that look like the steelies on the movie car, dropped suspension to fit its shape, and a big “Dodge” logo on the hood. The black inside has houndstooth textile seat cushions and a shifter made of wood with a pistol grip. Thank goodness the manual gearbox is a new six-speed, not an old four-speed from the 1970s. Under that long hood is an engine much smaller than the one in the movie. In 1970, that car had an engine of 440 cubic inches, about 7.2 liters. The engine in the new car is only 345 cubic inches, which is about 5.7 liters, but it has more power. It is said that this 2012 Challenger has 598 horsepower, which is a lot more than the movie car’s 390 horsepower. This is because a Magnuson blower kit was put on. It looks like this car has only 75,000 miles, but it does. The car’s underside has no rust or oil, and the whole thing smells like fresh mint. It is a bit pricey since it doesn’t come with even four tires that match. The $39,900 it’s being asked for is about twice as much as similar used Challengers of the same age and miles. For about $100, you can get even much younger cars with their outsides and insides fixed up. If, on the other hand, you love the famous 1970s movie and want a copy of the car that your favorite actor drove, then the price may seem fair.
