The Best Car Chases In Movie History—Ranked

Burning Rubber And Movie Magic

Few things get moviegoers as hyped as a great car chase. From the roar of engines to the squeal of tires and the edge-of-your-seat stunts, these sequences turn simple driving into pure cinema. Here’s our countdown of the 25 best car chases ever put on screen.

23. Smokey And The Bandit (1977)

Burt Reynolds made the Pontiac Trans Am a cultural icon in this high-speed romp across the South. Chased by Sheriff Buford T Justice, the Bandit’s flashy maneuvers and tire-squealing escapes mixed action with humor. It wasn’t the most dangerous chase, but it was endlessly entertaining.

22. The Transporter (2002)

Jason Statham announced himself as an action star with this movie’s opening chase. Behind the wheel of a BMW 7 Series, his precision driving and wild stunts (like sliding under a moving truck) gave the film instant credibility. Slick editing and stylish choreography made it a modern car chase standout.

21. The Italian Job (1969)

Mini Coopers darting through Italian streets, down staircases, and across rooftops—it doesn’t get more stylish than this. Michael Caine led the heist crew in one of the most creative chase sequences ever filmed. The cheeky British humor paired with inventive stunts makes it endlessly rewatchable, even today.

18. Vanishing Point (1971)

Few films capture the counterculture vibe like this one. Kowalski’s white Dodge Challenger barrels across the American West, evading cops in a chase that feels existential as much as exciting. Wide desert shots and real stunt driving give it a raw energy that’s made it a cult favorite.

17. Fast Five (2011)

The Rio heist chase flipped the franchise into full blockbuster mode. Vin Diesel and Paul Walker drag a giant bank vault through crowded streets, smashing everything in sight. The over-the-top destruction is ridiculous but also insanely fun, cementing Fast Five as the turning point for the Fast Saga.

16. The Blues Brothers (1980)

In one of the funniest chase scenes ever, Jake and Elwood Blues tear through Chicago in their Dodge Monaco. The absurd destruction—dozens of police cars piling up, mall mayhem, and a record number of crashes—makes it a classic. It’s chaos set to rhythm, part comedy, part car chase brilliance.

15. Baby Driver (2017)

Edgar Wright’s musical spin on the car chase gave us something fresh. Ansel Elgort’s Baby syncs every move behind the wheel of a Subaru WRX to the soundtrack. Tight drifts, daring escapes, and perfectly choreographed editing turned this chase into a seamless blend of music video and action film.

14. The Raid 2 (2014)

This Indonesian action film stunned audiences with a one-take car chase that feels impossibly intense. Filmed with stunt drivers and cameramen hidden inside vehicles, it’s gritty, violent, and relentless. Combining martial arts action with high-speed destruction, the sequence redefined how inventive and brutal car chases could look.

13. The Driver (1978)

Ryan O’Neal plays a mysterious getaway driver in this minimalist classic. The film’s centerpiece chase through Los Angeles streets is tense and stripped-down, relying on real stunts instead of spectacle. It’s a masterclass in restraint, proving that silence and precision can be just as thrilling as explosions.

12. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

Jason Bourne’s Moscow car chase put viewers right inside the chaos. Behind the wheel of a battered taxi, Bourne evades cops and assassins in claustrophobic, high-speed terror. Paul Greengrass’s shaky-cam style divided audiences but heightened the intensity, making the sequence feel raw, desperate, and unlike any Hollywood chase before.

11. The Seven-Ups (1973)

Often overlooked, this gritty thriller features one of the best urban chases of the ’70s. Roy Scheider’s Pontiac Ventura hurtles through New York traffic in a sequence reminiscent of Bullitt. With blistering realism, fender-bending crashes, and minimal music, it’s a pure adrenaline rush that still deserves more recognition.

10. Death Proof (2007)

Quentin Tarantino’s grindhouse homage built to an unforgettable climax: a high-speed duel between Kurt Russell’s murderous Stuntman Mike and Zoe Bell, clinging to the hood of a Dodge Challenger. Shot with practical effects, the raw danger feels real. It’s terrifying, thrilling, and a love letter to ’70s car cinema.

9. To Live And Die In L.A. (1985)

This chase flips expectations, sending William Petersen’s agent fleeing the wrong way down a Los Angeles freeway. The sequence builds unbearable tension with narrow escapes, heavy traffic, and near misses. It’s a brilliant inversion of the standard pursuit, making it one of the decade’s most daring car chases.

7. Gone In 60 Seconds (1974)

The original Gone in 60 Seconds is basically one long car chase, culminating in a 40-minute sequence where “Eleanor,” a Ford Mustang, outruns police across Southern California. The sheer length, real stunts, and gritty energy set a new standard for car chase filmmaking. It remains a cult classic.

6. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 steals a Harley while evading the terrifying T-1000 in a semi-truck. James Cameron’s mix of practical stunts and groundbreaking effects created one of the most thrilling freeway chases ever filmed. Explosive, suspenseful, and endlessly rewatchable, it’s still the high-water mark for sci-fi action car sequences.

5. Duel (1971)

Steven Spielberg’s feature debut turned a simple chase into pure nightmare fuel. Dennis Weaver’s Plymouth Valiant is relentlessly pursued by an unseen truck driver. The faceless, unstoppable semi becomes a monster, and the long stretches of tense pursuit make it one of the most unique car chases ever captured.

4. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

George Miller reinvented the car chase with two hours of non-stop vehicular mayhem. Convoys of spiked war rigs, pole-vaulting attackers, and flamethrower guitars created the most spectacular action ride of the century. Every chase is practical, chaotic, and beautifully shot—an instant masterpiece of adrenaline-fueled filmmaking.

3. The French Connection (1971)

Gene Hackman’s Popeye Doyle commandeers a Pontiac LeMans to chase an elevated train through New York. The sequence, shot guerrilla-style in real traffic, is messy, dangerous, and unforgettable. It’s raw, reckless, and groundbreaking, setting the gold standard for gritty urban car chases that filmmakers still try to match today.

2. Ronin (1998)

John Frankenheimer’s Ronin features multiple jaw-dropping chases, but the Paris pursuit in particular is astonishing. Real cars, real drivers, and minimal CGI made it pulse-pounding. The intensity of speeding through narrow European streets, often against traffic, created a sequence that feels authentic, terrifying, and unmatched in precision.