The Star Wars franchise was born in 1977 in a galaxy far, far away, but over the last four decades, the magnum opus franchise has managed to capture the fancy of the entire world and maybe a few interim galaxies with its iconic characters, massive set pieces and amazing storytelling. For many, the Star Wars franchise is an integral part of their childhood much before the MCU and the DCEU were brought to life on celluloid. To commemorate the success of George Lucas' films, the world celebrates May 4 every year as Star Wars Day. And to contribute in our special way, we have listed the 10 most exciting Star Wars-themed cars that we've come across for the petrolhead fanboys out there.
Also Read: Best Cars And Bikes From The Marvel Cinematic Universe
Nissan Altima Special Forces TIE Fighter
Back in 2017, Nissan tied up with Lucasfilm for the movie Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The collaboration saw the brand commission six Star Wars-themed cars that were later showcased at the Los Angeles Auto Show the same year. While these were just concepts, they were exciting in every way.
The first car on that list is the Nissan Altima Special Forces TIE Fighter. The special one-off concept that got a full-body wrap complete with the red and black colour scheme. The car also got custom wheels, all taking inspiration from the two-seater TIE fighter.
The Nissan Titan was given a custom wrap and a 12-inch lift kit but adding the stormtroopers next to the pick-up added more feel to the concept
Up next, Nissan readied the Star Wars-inspired Titan AT-M6 that was themed around Stormtroopers. The pick-up truck was outfitted for the First Order with a custom wrap, a 12-inch life kit and a bunch of heavy canons. There was also an 18-inch bed-mounted subwoofer to mimic the walker's heavy-footed gait.
The Fiat 500e Stormtrooper Edition is classy and something Star Wars fans can try out at home
While Nissan stole the show that year, Fiat too made quite the splash with the Star Wars-themed 500e at the 2017 LA Auto Show. The Stormtrooper-inspired electric 500 was done up in a two-tone black and white colour scheme that extended to the cabin as well. It was also quite classy in every way. Way to go Fiat!
The Hellcat Stormtrooper was used as an Uber for a day.
There have been a bunch of Stormtrooper-inspired cars but the one that really came close to embodying the First Order was this Dodge Charger. Commissioned in 2015, the car was built by Hot Wheels and Uber and offered public rides to people of Manhattan, New York in the US. The Dodge Charger Hellcat in the Stormtrooper guise also made it to toy stores with Hot Wheels introducing a 1:64 scale model.
The Nissan Altima Kylo Ren Edition takes inspiration from the character's helmet
This Nissan Altima was also present at the LA Auto Show and was themed around Kylo Ren's helmet. The sedan styling offered a sinister appeal, much like the character it was inspired by with the dual-tone black and silver colour scheme. It also got some additional body kit to pull off that look.
By far the coolest concept to come from the Nissan and Star Wars collaboration
By far one of the coolest concepts based on the Star Wars franchise, the Nissan Rogue X-Wing took inspiration from the famous Resistance X-Wing fighter from the 2015 Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The bodywrap aside, the SUV got the signature S-foils and an R2 component on its bonnet.
Sinister? you bet it is, just like Kylo Ren
This Nissan Maxima took inspiration from Kylo himself and was dressed with red lighting, a black exterior, confirming its allegiance to the dark side. The large wings added another level of badassery to the car that definitely brought more character to the concept.
The lost 1977 Toyota Celica GT has a story that deserves a standalone movie of itself
Possibly the first brand collaboration to come between a carmaker and the Star Wars franchise, the story behind this 1977 Toyota Celica GT has makings of a standalone move of its own. The car was commissioned to be given as a grand prize to the winner of the Star Wars Space Fantasy Sweepstakes. While fans lept at the opportunity, the vehicle completely vanished into the unknown parts of the galaxy (or so the legend goes!)
This particular Celica GT has been a part of many stories and speculations but nothing concrete ever came out of it. Back in 2011, an effort was made by fans to track down the old car but no one has seen it in decades.
Ivor Fett Hyundai Veloster inspired by Boba-Fett
While we've listed cars that were one-off creations by manufacturers, here's a car equally popular in the Star Wars circles. Created Rebekah Stieg Knuth, the artist used vinyl wraps to make her Hyundai Veloster look like a rat rod from the planet Kamino. The vinyl itself is Boba Fett-inspired adding to the badass nature of the Veloster. No wonder then that the car is aptly called Ivor Fett.
Heavy Breathing!
Saving the best for the last, the "Father" of all creations is this one-off Darth Vader-inspired Hot Wheels creation. The car debuted at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con International. Not only does it take ample inspiration from Darth Vader's helmet, but it also packs a serious punch under the bodywork. The car is built on the Chevrolet Corvette C5 platform with a 6.2-litre LS3 V8 engine with 518 bhp on offer. It's also a rear-wheel drive and comes with a 6-speed manual transmission. The Sith Lord definitely knows how to have fun behind a wheel with the helmet strapped in.
