Cars in Music

Are cars sometimes the hidden stars in music videos? They’ve played some big roles in some big songs over the years.

OnlineLoans takes a look at some amazing cars in music from past to present.

Tracks:

• Jamiroquai – Cosmic Girl / Ferrari F355 / Lamborghini Diablo / Ferrari F40

• Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out of My Head / De Tomaso Mangusta

• Audioslave – Show Me How to Live / Dodge Challenger

• Jay Z – Show Me What You Got / Pagani Zonda Roadster / Ferrari F430 Spider

• Calvin Harris – We’ll Be Coming Back / Porsche 911 T / Ferrari 512 BB

• Frank Ocean – Nikes / McLaren F1 GTR

• the Weeknd – Blinding Lights / Mercedes AMG GT

• BONUS TRACK: Where are they now?

1996: Jamiroquai – Cosmic Girl

Cars in Music Video:

• Ferrari F355 Berlinetta
• Lamborghini Diablo SE30
• Ferrari F40

Filming Location: Cabo de Gata, Spain

MV: Shows the three supercars driving on picturesque highways.

“The one in the video was actually a backup car as a previous Diablo was ‘wrecked’ during filming – ouch!”

Ferrari F355 Berlinetta: The classic ‘90s Ferrari was produced from 1995 to 1999 and featured a 3.5-litre V8. The F355 came in different variants including a convertible and a Targa top – the removable hardtop. The top-of-the-range version is the F355 Challenge which is basically a race car for the road. Yours today for: $250,000+

(Ferrari F355 Berlinetta. Source: mad4wheels.com)

Lamborghini Diablo SE30: Another iconic ‘90’s supercar, the V12-powered Diablo was produced from 1990 to 2001. One of the rarest cars in music on this list, the SE30 had its luxury features, like A/C and stereo removed to save weight aiming to be a true race car for the streets. The one in the video was actually a backup car as a previous Diablo was ‘wrecked’ during filming – ouch!

(Lamborghini Diablo SE30)

Ferrari F40: Famous for many reasons, one being its thin paint to save weight, the F40 is a supercar of the 1980s. The twin-turbo V8-powered ‘one of 1,311’ sports cars were produced from 1987–1992. Yours today for around $1.5 million.

(Ferrari F40)

Interesting Fact: The Ferrari F40 used in the MV belonged to Nick Mason, the drummer from Pink Floyd.

2001: Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out of My Head

Cars in Music Video: De Tomaso Mangusta

Filming Location: UK

MV: Shows Kylie Minogue driving in the Mangusta.

“It also featured briefly in the 2004 movie Kill Bill: Volume 2.”

De Tomaso Mangusta: If you’re not familiar with Italian sports car manufacturer, De Tomaso,  you’re not alone. But the company has made an impact on the car world over the years, they actually owned Maserati from 1976 to 1993. It wasn’t to last. The brand went into liquidation in 2004 and in 2015, was bought by Hong-Kong based company, Consolidated Ideal Team Ventures.

The Mangusta was produced from 1967–1971 with only 401 produced. It features a Ford-built V8 with units assembled in both Europe and the United States. The classic 1970’s muscular looks coupled with its gull-wing doors and slow-slung front grille and headlights make it a standout. Yours today for around $300,000 – $350,000.

(De Tomaso Mangusta. Source: thetruthaboutcars.com)

Interesting Fact: The Mangusta is not camera shy. It also featured briefly in the 2004 movie Kill Bill: Volume 2.

2003: Audioslave – Show Me How to Live

Car in Music Video: 1970 Dodge Challenger

Filming Location:  Los Angeles, California

MV: Shows the Challenger involved in several police chases on highways.

1970 Dodge Challenger: Interestingly, this music video was banned from MTV as it featured the Challenger being deliberately crashed into a police roadblock.

The Challenger in the video is the first generation version which was produced from 1970 to 1974. The Hemi V8 Challenger is a quintessential muscle car. Variants include a convertible but all are 2-door.

Dodge relaunched the Challenger in 2008 after the model ended production in 1983. New models keep up with the ‘high-power’ theme, the Hellcat version pumps out a massive 717 horsepower – or 5.4 Corollas worth.

(1970 Dodge Challenger. Source: pomonaswapmeet.com)

Interesting Fact: Challengers deliver huge power to the wheels. The very first Challenger Hellcat that was ever sold to the public was crashed into a tree by the new owner less than an hour after buying it. Police ruled out alcohol and speeding.

2006: Jay Z – Show Me What You Got

Cars in Music Video: Pagani Zonda Roadster, Ferrari F430 Spider

Filming Location: Monaco

MV: The cars are seen being driven around Monaco, including some parts of the famous Grand Prix circuit.

“…a completely hand-built convertible version Zonda, was listed at A$23.65 million in 2018, making it the world’s most expensive new car at the time.”

Pagani Zonda Roadster: The V12-powered Italian sports car is made mainly from carbon fibre and was produced from 1999–2019. Different variants were assembled during its production run but all were 2-door. A ‘one off’ version, the Absolute Evo was built in Italy and shipped to Hong Kong and unfortunately crashed.

The Zonda HP Barchetta, a completely hand-built convertible version of Zonda, was listed at A$23.65 million in 2018, making it the world’s most expensive new car at the time. Rocketing its price is the ‘Carbo-titanium’ (or Carbotanium) a combination of titanium alloy and carbon composite that Pagani claims it’s made from.

(Pagani Zonda. Source: topcarrating.com)

Ferrari F430 Spider: In the car world, ‘spider, spyder or roadster’ means open top, two doors, two seats and sporty appearance. The Ferrari F430 Spider is in line with this format and, especially in classic red, represents a modern Ferrari. The F430 was produced from 2004–2009 and is powered by a 4.3-litre V8. Yours for around $250,000.

(Ferrari F430)

Interesting Fact: Billionaire Jay Z is known for his mind-boggling car collection which includes a Bugatti Veyron and other cars that changed the (car) world.

2012: Calvin Harris – We’ll Be Coming Back

Cars in Music Video: 1973 Porsche 911 T, Ferrari 512 BB

Filming Location: Los Angeles

MV: The cars are seen in high-speed police chases. The Porsche 911 is driven by British-turned-Australian musician, Example, and the Ferrari 512 by Calvin Harris.

1973 Porsche 911 T: A lot has been said about the Porsche 911 since being introduced in 1963. Various engines have been fitted to the 911 including turbo versions. High-performance versions of the already high-performance sports car include the GT2 and GT3 models.

The 2020 Porsche 911 Turbo S recorded a bullet-fast 0 – 60 mp/h time of 2.2 seconds, making it the second-fastest accelerating production car – behind another Porsche, the 918 Spyder.

(1973 Porsche 911 T. Source: europeancollectibles.com)

Ferrari 512 BB: Another 1970’s sports car, the Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer (BB) was made from 1973 to 1984 when it was replaced by Ferrari’s famous Testarossa. It’s powered by a flat-12 engine – two horizontally opposed rows of six cylinders.

(Ferrari 512 BB. Source: gran-turismo.fandom.com)

2016: Frank Ocean – Nikes

Car in Music Video: McLaren F1 GTR

Filming Location: London, UK

MV: The McLaren F1 GTR is seen mainly at the end of the video parked among other sports cars.

“…with many owned by celebrities including Rowan Atkinson, Jay Leno, the Sultan of Brunei, Elon Musk”

McLaren F1 GTR: Arguably the most expensive car on this list – and pretty much any list it finds itself on. The McLaren F1 GTR is an extremely fast and expensive version of an extremely fast and expensive car. Want one in your driveway? You’ll have to part ways with around A$20 million.

The F1 GTR, based on the legendary McLaren F1, is a BMW V12-powered monster. It was originally designed as ‘the ultimate road car’, and, as most enthusiasts would be quick to point out, accomplished that goal. The GTR was later developed as the racing variant and gained international recognition in 1995 when it won the 24-hour Le Mans race against faster purpose-built race cars and in very wet conditions.

Today, all versions of the McLaren F1 are considered highly prized collector vehicles, with many owned by celebrities including Rowan Atkinson, Jay Leno, the Sultan of Brunei, Elon Musk and even a mysterious story involving cartel leader, El Chapo.

(McLaren F1 GTR)

Interesting Fact: Only the best for the ultimate road car – the McLaren F1 features a gold-plated engine bay for heat reflection.

2019: the Weeknd – Blinding Lights

Car in Music Video: Mercedes AMG GT

Filming Location: Las Vegas and Los Angeles

MV: The AMG GT is seen driving at night on Las Vegas’ second most famous street – Fremont Street (second to the famous Las Vegas Strip).

“The world’s first AMG dealership actually opened here in Australia in Sydney”

Mercedes AMG GT: The twin-turbo V8 GT is always a show stopper with its iconic gull-wing doors. Produced from 2014 to present, the car featured as an F1 Grand Prix safety car in the 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons.

The car features Mercedes’ active air management system which operates vents or ‘louvers’ on the front of the grille which either open or close to cool the engine or provide sleeker aerodynamics. The GT3 Evo variant of the AMG GT clocks 0 – 60mp/h in 3 seconds.

See a new AMG GT in your driveway for just over $400,000.

(Mercedes AMG GT)

Interesting Fact: AMG was originally a third-party engineering firm that specialised in modifying Mercedes cars. Impressed with their work, Mercedes-Benz purchased the firm in the early 2000s. AMG is the high-performance subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz.

The world’s first AMG dealership actually opened here in Australia in Sydney in 2018, selling only these high-performance vehicles.

Where are they now?

Lamborghini Diablo from Jamiroquai – Cosmic Girl

The purple Diablo featured in the MV was listed for sale in 2017 for a cool A$918,000 in the UK. The can was previously owned by English singer-songwriter, Jay Kay, a founding member of Jamiroquai.

1970 Dodge Challenger from Audioslave – Show Me How to Live

Two Challengers were used in the filming of the video. One of them was given away to a (very lucky) fan of the band after filming. The other Challenger was purchased by a car enthusiast shortly after filming the MV who modified the engine. This vehicle has appeared in various car shows in the US.

McLaren F1 GTR from Frank Ocean – Nikes

These ultra-rare and ultra-expensive cars don’t come up for sale often, only 28 were made for the world. It’s speculated that the one in the MV was, at one stage, owned by a Japanese businessman.

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