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“Heist…What If?” explored the great heists in real life and in the movies. As I mentioned in that article, “…heist films follow the planning, execution, and aftermath of a big robbery. Millions of dollars are at stake, whether in cash, art, or jewels taken from banks, museums, private homes, and art galleries.”
But, in order for the thieves to actually keep the loot, they have to GET AWAY from the crime scene. Movies and even video games, sometimes feature flashy looking, super-powerful cars as the getaway vehicle of choice. Let’s think about that…Why call attention to what you’re driving if you want to evade law enforcement and fall off the radar? The “getting caught” factor jumps 1000% if the getaway car is an eye-catching, gorgeous red Ferrari.
The challenge is to find the best vehicle for the job. So….what do we as the “We can plan a better heist” crew choose? What do we need the car to do, other than move the thieves away from the scene of the crime?
Big Movie Needs:
Movie directors seem to like flashy muscle cars in their heist flicks, where the car becomes a character in the film. The “Fast & Furious” franchise featured a Dodge Charger in all its glory, with loud exhaust and powerful engine to keep us glued to the screen and the action.
An alternate to the colorful, powerful car is the quirky vehicle, unexpected in its role as a getaway car. Who can forget the Mini-Cooper in “The Italian Job?” It succeeded with the audience (and the plot) because of its versatility in the chase scenes – it could maneuver the tight corners, narrow streets, and even a set of stairs, while accelerating quickly and outracing the cops.
A favorite of mine is the Ford Mustang GT500, used in ”Gone in 60 Seconds.” Why? I owned a 1999 Mustang GT, V8, 5 on the floor – for close to 22 years. It had a tight turning ratio, accelerated quickly, could stop on a dime, and moved smoothly through heavy traffic. It would have worked as a people mover, but the one drawback in this scenario is that it didn’t have enough space for gear and equipment more than the size of two golf bags.
Real-Life Heist Requirements:
While the movie guys crave flash and show, the successful career criminals want the opposite. They need ordinary looking cars that blend in. They do not want to get caught because of their eye-catching ride.
What fits the bill? Not my Mustang. It was bright red and the neighbors could hear it coming a block away. My old Toyota might have worked, though. It was boxy, held the turns nicely, accelerated well, and had a very large trunk for all those pry bars, drills, and bags to help carry the loot away.
If burglarizing a high-end neighborhood, one blend-in car might be a BMW. Every other mansion has one in the driveway or garage, so a crew casing the area in one would not raise suspicion in the slightest. Good drivers could manage an escape easily with its power and easy maneuverability, blending right into traffic.
For a burglary in an average middle-class neighborhood, where SUVs are the norm, the soccer-mom car might be the vehicle of choice. A BMW x5 M might be too pricey for the neighborhood at over $100K, but a Genesis GV70 2.5T AWD is under $50K and ticks all the boxes for speed, maneuverability, and stability.
I own a Subaru. While I have no intention of committing crimes in it, the 2022 has all-wheel-drive, great acceleration, quietly holds the corners at speed, looks like many other cars on the road, and has a stellar trunk in which to stuff everything.
In addition to the driver’s skill…
Whether in the movies or real life, the getaway car needs to have speed, be reliable (we can’t call AAA in the middle of a heist), respond quickly in tight turns and tricky back roads, have a big enough trunk to store the gear, and look appropriate for the area.
Or better yet, never be seen by anyone because the heist went so smoothly.
*This article is for entertainment purposes only. The cars are real, but Patti & the Kerrians have never participated in a heist.
Patti– I owned a “getaway” car myself. I was a younger version of me while in high school and drove a ’48 Ford Coupe, candy-apple red, but featured a more powerful engine under the hood. So, I could usually outrun anyone chasing me. Bought it for $50. What a steal. Speaking of “steal,” you might wonder what I was doing with a getaway car. Simple. When my Mom tired of my shenanigans around the house, she would point to the door, smile sweetly, and say: “Getaway … from here.”
That sounds a fun car! $50? Steal is right! Mom is cool! 🙂