These 9 car races from movies will make you bite your nails off in excitement

Car racing scenes in movies are one of the best cinematic experiences that you can have. The thrill that the characters in the scene feel almost reaches the audience as we sit in excitement, experiencing the scene as it unfolds.

The sound of revving up engines, the camera work that makes us believe that the characters’ hearts are pounding with adrenaline, making us feel the same, and of course, the thrill of speed, these things combine to create a nail-biting scene that becomes one of the highlights of the film.

Here’s a list of 9 such car races from movies that will fill you with excitement and thrill.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers and the writer's opinion. Readers’ discretion is advised.

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9 car races from movies will make you bite your nails off in excitement

9) F1

Brad Pitt’s new film is all about racing and the technology that helps in it, so it is hard to pick just one thrilling car race. However, the final race where Pitt’s Sonny ends up winning might be one of the best, not just because of the thrilling experience that we feel with Sonny as he grabs his first win also due to the emotions attached to the win.

The camera perfectly captured the intensity of the Formula 1 drivers so that they might feel every time they hit the tarmac, and with all the crashes and injuries, but still be able to enjoy the win, which made the scene even better.

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8) Days of Thunder

There’s nothing that Tom Cruise cannot do, and this film further proves it. Cruise’s Cole, a young USAC racer, initially struggles with adjusting to NASCAR cars and simultaneously communicating with the crew.

After being involved in fights with other racers and their crew, and being fired, he is later called to compete in the Daytona 500, taking Rowdy Burns' place. The intense and gruelling competition with crashing and injuries involved, Cole eventually crosses the victory line with his team's help, giving us one of the thrilling and nail-biting car race scenes from movies.

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7) Rush

Another film about Formula 1 racing in movies, Rush, is based on the intense rivalry between F1 legends Niki Lauda and James Hunt. While the film has several scenes on car racing, the most gruelling was the German Grand Prix, where they had to compete after a heavy rainfall, due to which the track was still wet.

Hunt and Lauda began the race side by side, but after the drivers had to change tires due to the track drying quickly, Hunt got the upper hand as Lauda suffered from an accident. The race represented not just the thrill of speed but also that both drivers would not back down and suffer due to the unfavorable conditions of the track.

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6) Cars

When it is about captivating car race scenes from movies, this Pixar film franchise cannot be left behind, as it is part entertaining and part exciting, as it is filled with car race scenes. The film follows Lightning McQueen, a race car, and his journey where he learns important lessons on friendships and life.

One of the most entertaining scenes is seeing McQueen compete in the Radiator Springs racetrack. The dirt and the tumbling and crashing of other cars do not stop him from winning the race. This is just one of the scenes that depicts McQueen being the greatest car among all that take on his competitors in any kind of race track.

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5) The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

The earlier fast movies had many car race scenes, and Tokyo Drift is among the best in all of them. The Drift scene, where DK and his men chase Sean and his friends through the crowded roads of Tokyo, is one of the most visually satisfying drift scenes.

As the cars make their way through roads with crowded people, making us bite our nails off and almost saving themselves from colliding with each other, while the camera gives us close-up shots and overhead shots of the cars, with the perfect background score, it might be among the best car race scenes in movies.

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4) Ford V Ferrari

The plot of the film is about the rivalry between two of the biggest automobile companies, with one trying to defeat the other. Therefore, the film also has several moments of thrill with car race scenes. However, the best of those scenes is the competition between Miles and Bandini on the track.

The race begins with Bandini in his Ferrari and Miles in his Ford, who ends up leading at first. Christian Bale portrayed Miles’ need to win perfectly, as we could feel his urgency to keep Bandini behind him as he revs up the speed of his Ford. But after a lap, Bandini leads while Miles tries to reach him. The last few minutes of the race, where Miles reaches Bandini, will make you sit on the edge of your seat, and the eventual breakdown of his Ferrari was the added bonus in the scene.

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3) Le Mans

When talking about tension-building and thrilling car race scenes in movies, mentioning Le Mans is a must. You don’t have to wait for an adrenaline-inducing car race scene in the film, as the opening car race sequence is one of the coolest scenes, and also with Steve McQueen.

The 24 Hours Le Mans is a gruelling car race competition, and the 1971 film captures the effect of it perfectly, that it is hailed for being so close to reality. The film takes you on this thrilling ride with the camera shots that capture the raw adrenaline jolt of racing authentically, making it one of the most iconic car race scenes in cinema.

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2) Bullitt

Another iconic Steve McQueen film with another fast driving scene, Bullitt is in its own league with the epic car chase scene in the history of movies. Talk about thrill, intensity, this scene from the film will provide you with both.

After discovering that he might be being watched, Bullitt initially stares the men down and then sits in his Mustang. Firstly, it is a slow chase, but when Bullitt revs up, it is the men who are being followed by him now. While the chase continues, they hit other cars, damage property while cruising through the uneven terrains of San Francisco, making it one of the most realistic fast car driving sequences from movies, which will keep you on the edge of your seat for the next 10 minutes.

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1) Grand Prix

Cinematic history was created when this 1966 film came out, as many of the later movies had a lot to learn. It was one of the first movies that showed what it was to be an F1 racer and included scenes that gave a glimpse of the motorsport that is hard to compete in.

For instance, the Monaco Grand Prix racing scene with the onboard shots gives a feeling of being a part of the scene as we see the cars rushing through the track, landscapes speeding by, giving a thrilling and exciting feel to the viewers as well.

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