"As we've seen hundreds of times over the years - from 'Bullitt' to 'Gone in Sixty Seconds' - Mustang fits the bill perfectly, and it's really a car that represents American culture at its best, which is why we chose it for Toby's ride in 'Need for Speed.'" Read more to see what else the film director had to say. Plus, watch the new 2015 Mustang ad!
The Mustang has never been camera shy, showing off its star power in over 500 movies throughout the course of its career. Some of the most well known include: "The Princess Diaries," "The Fast and the Furious," "I Am Legend," "Transformers," "Charlie's Angels," "War of the Worlds," "Knight Rider" and "Goldfinger." Now, during the year of its 50th anniversary, Mustang continues its onscreen legacy in the upcoming film "Need for Speed," in which a custom GT model is featured as the main ride of Toby Marshall, the movie's lead character.
The film's director, Scott Waugh, is an expert at creating high-intensity action scenes thanks to his background as a stunt driver/coordinator. This experience has also taught him firsthand that it's not as easy as it looks to convey speed on film. "[It] involves much more than just driving past the camera quickly," he says. The ideal hero car must possess substantial horsepower, great handling and rear-wheel drive, according to Waugh, who also noted that good looks don't hurt.
The Ford Mustang has all of these qualities and more, which is why it's no surprise that the iconic muscle car is a favorite on the silverscreen.