5 Greatest Cartoon Vehicles of All Time

KUALA LUMPUR: Ask any petrol-head, and he would admit that his love for cars began long back, even when he had no clue, about how any of them worked. And for this we thank cartoons. Almost, all of our favorite cartoon characters had a uberlicious, dope car that they cruised in to fight crime, or to race light or to just get from point A to B. So, it is to those incredible cars from our past, that we dedicate this feature too. While the competition was stiff, cause cartoon makers have given us some swankiest cars, we finally came to a point of decision. Take a trip down the memory lane with us as we countdown the top 5 greatest cartoon vehicles of all time.

Batmobile:

The list of best cartoon vehicles would be remiss if we didn't mention the uber-cool batmobile. From a basic red convertible to being the most iconic fictional car in the history of cartoons, the batmobile has gone through more design changes than Michael Jackson (pun intended). Bruce Wayne's ride have gone through numerous iterations, but our favorite is the one that appeared in Batman: The Animated Series in 1939. The slung, long and low batmobile epitomise Gotham itself as a mix of modern technology with pre-war, art deco design, all beneath an inky black surface. This winged, wheel avenger was rocket-powered, coupled with machine guns to defend itself, a grappling hook, and crazy armor. The Batmobile’s crime-fighting gadgetry and defense capabilities were such that the vehicle was a star in its own right, often getting a few episodes of its own.

Gadget Mobile:

In its first look, the gadget mobile, look like your typical run to mile ride, with police paint job on it. But as we got evolved in watching the gullible yet duty-bound Inspector Gadget, fighting crime in this incredible car, we found that the Gadget mobile had more gadgets than the whole crime branch, and this blew our mind. This quintessential crime car had a smoke screen, ejector seat, glue rockets, and the Gadget Claw. All of the Gadgetmobile’s accessories could be immediately readied for use with a simple cry from the Inspector of “Go-Go Gadget”. Its ability to transform into a minivan with just a hit of a button made us gawk with mesmerisation.

The Mach 5:

Go, Go, Go,.... go, speed go. We will take you back to the same heartbeat racing, adrenaline rushing nostalgia that you once felt when watching the incredible race cartoon – Speed Racer. One of the coolest cars in the history of cartoons – the Mach 5 started our love with supercars. Fast like the wind, and dangerous as hell, it made us idolize and also envy Speed for having such an ideal ride. The ultimate race car did more than just run on supersonic speed, with four jacks to boost the car into the air, belt tires for extra grip, cutter blades, an underwater oxygen supply—the Mach Five was the ultimate cartoon car, that we died to own in our teens.

Lightning McQueen:

Though, Cars: the animated film by Pixar is quoted as one of the worst Pixar films. It still made us a fan, thanks to the fiery character of Lightning McQueen. Modeled after a NASCAR race car with hints of Dodge Viper and Chevrolet Corvette tossed in and named after the ultimate on-screen speedster, Steve McQueen, the star of Cars was as flashy as he was fast.

Bumblebee, The Transformers:

The sci-fi cartoon Transformers was undoubtedly an iconic series which became a part of animation hall of fame for its mind-boggling idea of cars transforming into Autobots. Though, Optimus Prime was the leader of the pack, but the Autobot that made home in our hearts has to be Bumblebee. Colored with patent yellow, the Volkswagen Beetle converting into Autobot had a humour appeal to it, that made us laugh with its fun, wit and swag. Before being transformed into the gorgeously styled, Chevrolet Camaro, Bumblebee was a humble Beetle. Though Beetle might not be a the most favoured car, the iconic status of Bumblebee, made it the best cartoon car of all time.