Drifting fast & the furious 3

[Ghost of Duluth]

Good, I hope they buy mine.

[Tsunami]

Note to Craig: I'm gonna be open minded about this, simply because if Ghost says you're I nice guy then I'll belive him, that and I don't wanna be a total a$$hole to somebody that is a nice guy that may have gotten some bad press.

I understand that movies have to make money, that they have to entertain. Realistic car movies don't happen simply because not everybody wants to here all the details like we enthusiasts do.
Yeah the movies have to be over the top with lots of chicks and bling to keep the kids coming. That I understand.

But the only problem that I have with you Craig is a comment you made to a magazine talking about the film. In there you said: "All our domestics had to be constantly repaired, while our Japanese cars took everything we threw at them. Face it, domestics suck." And this coming from a guy who on an episode of trucks was praising the custom Magnaflow Hemi Ram? From a man that does tons of business working with domestics? Of course a 30 year old Camaro won't be as reliable as a new Skyline. But what about the C5 Corvette that you trashed? It's a domestic that has won international praise from owners and press alike for being a reliable, well-built affordable sports car. JD power has ranked it best in inital quality for years, over the likes of Porsche and Ferrari, and owners have said that their C5's were more reliable than their Porsches or Ferraris they've owned. So you can't say that the C5 used on the film sucked.

I understand that the target audience wasn't domestic guys but import enthusiasts and that you tried to make it real. But trash talking the domestics in interviews and wrecking them in both movies while at the same time inferring that domestics can't outrun imports makes me very irate.

The movies were cool and I'll probably go see the third one, but just don't shove that "Imports are superior" stuff down my throat. Alot of young guys like Mustangs and Camaros just as much as they do Civics and Sklylines. Alot of the people here that drool over those cars drooled over Troy Trepanier's Chicayne and the 1000hp Mustang I posted.

Drifting is all about fun and skill, and not about make of car. I'm sure that CrazyHawaiin, Revlimit, Rhys Millen and Sam Hubinette, all accomplished domestic drifters wouldn't like it if you trash a bunch of domestics in the next movie. So don't pull the whole "imports are better" thing in the next movie, because people know better, especially when they saw Sam's Viper outrun the competition in Forumula D. I've got nothing against you personally Craig, but I can't stand all this domestics suck crap.

Don't go thinking I'm some 12 year-old Japan hating redneck from the South. I'm not. I've been a car enthusiast for 15 years and am very well read in both imports and domestics. I love both kinds and have friends here on the board with Mustangs, Camaros, 240's and Rx7's. I don't hate Japanese cars but I hate it when somebody bashes the cars I love just because their made in America.

Btw Craig it is "exhaust system" not "system exhaust". FNF wasn't the only show to make this mistake. George Forman makes the same mistake in his new Mienike commercial for their cat-back systems.

[spock]

What Sport Compact Car has to say about this:

"Universal Pictures has green-lighted a third installment of 'The Fast and the Furious,' rumored to star Vin Diesel returning as the character he played in the original. This next movie is supposed to take place in Japan, where Diesel meets up with the street racing scene there. Current chances of this movie sucking: 81 percent."

[craiglieberman]

For Tsunami

Thanks for your comments and questions....

Please indulge me for some clarifications and explanations:

With respect to the remarks about American cars; yes, guilty as charged. I did in fact say that...however, this was a jab at my boss, Ted Moser, who insisted on increasing the number of American cars at the expense of Japanese cars...but it was all in good fun. Your exact point kept creeping up: the Japanese cars we had were mostly newer while the American cars were all rebuilt from the ground up from junkyard cars, however they did in fact have every single part installed new...and yes, they did keep breaking down.

Now, with that said, I still think most American cars suck...exceptions: Buick GN's, Mustangs, Camaros, Vipers, Corvettes and several of the new Chrysler products. How do I quantify this? Long story, but suffice to say that I've killed several stock Tauruses, a Windstar, and Impala SS, a Lumina and a Cirrus...all since 1988. I've never killed a stock Japanese car...or a euro (with the exception of my Diablo which brings me to another point: the only cars worse than American cars are Italian cars).

To be clear, our Vettes and Vipers and even the Saleens performed flawlessly during filming...great cars.

FYI: I've ownd 5 Mustangs, including a 347 stroked, supercharged, TFS headed 544hp street car. I'm well aware of what well built 5.0's can do....but that was an earlier chapter in my life.

As for what the next movie will hold, well, frankly, I'm powerless. Even if I did end up as technical advisor, all I could do would be to "advise." I'd have no problems with Vettes and Vipers being in it, but from what I hear, the movie will be 99% in Japan....my best guess is that WanGan and Drifting will be the focus of that movie.

As for the "system exhaust," yes...we are well aware. This has been explained elsewhere, but again, let me remind folks that many of the technical terms Universal scripted in were taken right off a menu, a list.

Often, they chose to mix and match as if they were referring to food. By the time RJ and I saw a rough cut of the movie, it was too late. Universal was SURE that no one would catch these errors. What they didn't count on was the most technically eductaed car audiences in history watching the movie.

For every error, there is a lengthy explanation. For every correct reference, there was a battle....it was a difficult, difficult process.

Part 2 was far more technically accurate (and no references to 'nawwwwss' although I lost the battle about nitrous ejection seats.)

However, had I not fought so hard, the main car of the movie, an Evo, would have been a different car...think 'rental car' by a domestic manufacturer. That's all I can say.

Keep the questions coming.

Again, my humble opinion...but taken after owning several examples from within each camp.

[Tsunami]

Yeah I understand where you're coming from, you were alot more respectful of my opinion than I thought you'd be.

I've worked in sales so I can understand how these giant studios would only care about how much the movie makes as opposed to the technical accuracy of the movie. Anyway if it's gonna be filmed in Japan I hope they can at least capture the scene like Initial D does. If anything it'll be cool to see some of the real spots in Japan no matter how cheesy the plot is. It would be nice if Rhys's GTO and Sam's Viper got in the movie though (think D1 cameo appearance, if you will).

Well so far I like what I see with Redline TV. It's looking pretty good. I'm just happy that somebody is finally bringing drifting coverage to the US. I hope you'll go down to Hawaii to cover the DriftSession down there. There's a couple of 3rd Gen Camaros that have been drifting there for a couple of years, and it'd be nice to see 'em on TV.

Can't wait for next weeks episode with Pfeifer :P

[scirocco]

ghost of duluth posted a reply about the skidpad ratings of american cars and about how at the time there were only a select few of imports that could beat that... ALSO, american muscle had and still has the power to whoop most imports. American Cars suck?... um... no they dont (mod didn't like my initial choice of words...

[LexmarkX73]

lol as much as despise the F&F line i cant wait for another to come out. Why you may ask? come on! with such classic events as during a drag race you must "double clutch" or you'll "blow the seams on your intake manifold" and nos being the only power adder for those "tuner" cars.

i hope they stick to drag racing, riced out cars, poor acting/directing/lighting etc, and 100000lbs of nawwwss. Why? i hate drag racing and can care less about it, nos is equally as *Censored**Censored**Censored* and if the storyline was decent, i would have nothing to laugh at.

thats enough rant for now

[gtrmonkey]

Craig

I understand that ricing is real popular and if your going to add it to make money and entertain the ricer than add some sleepers that get made fun of and then the sleeper kick the ricers a$$ and don't go all out on ricing. Skylines are great but get some real ones (not detuned). Add some toyota chasers, old school bimmers and mercedes.

[CrazyBadger]

scirocco

I think muscle cars r good in there own right. They have more power than imports(sometimes) but they're built for the 1/4 and thats about it. In a drag race between a muscle car and a import the muscle car is most likely prevail, but in a high speed contest the import is going to win.Imports have better handling also, so on a road course its going to do better. But thats only cuz of better technology, the "modern" american muscle cars(vipers,vettes,mustangs,gto's, etc.) are up with the imports, but there just isnt the parts for them like there are for imports. I personally have respect for all cars, its just *Censored**Censored**Censored* ricers and guys in camaros and mustangs that think anything from japan is rice no matter what.I dont no about u guys but the ricers around here put big stereos,mufflers,neons, and *Censored**Censored**Censored* spoilers on what ever car they have,and they SERIOUSLY think they r kool street racers and live the "street racing" life. this i what a ricer said to me at the library..."yea im gunna get a 96 accord,paint it black and put some neons and these bad *Censored**Censored**Censored* green wheels i saw in IMPORT TUNER." LOL

[s15-spec-R]

aha some one said somthing about....in the movie like 2f2f at least the cars have the power to back up all that rice...umm
NO THEY DON'T.....
in the movie they look all fast (but you can sooo easily tell its computer generated...)
in real life those cars are bone stock cept they are covered in Rice!

[Wayne]

Originally posted by s15-spec-R
aha some one said somthing about....in the movie like 2f2f at least the cars have the power to back up all that rice...umm
NO THEY DON'T.....
in the movie they look all fast (but you can sooo easily tell its computer generated...)
in real life those cars are bone stock cept they are covered in Rice!

um actually a few of the cars werent stock, now please insert foot in mouth.

[Ziptyed]

I guess I'll have toget rid of anything that even makes my car stand out as a car that is capable of being drifted, or I will be stereotyped as a criminal, and arrested for D.I.T (driving in toyota)

[Octagon]

Just wanted to add that there are TWO Hollywood movies that are accurate portrayals of racing.

Yes, Steve McQueen's Le Mans is one of them, but the other is John Frankenheimer's Grand Prix .

Grand Prix was filmed entirely at speed and portrayed a fictional 1966 Formula One season. It followed the trials and tribulations of four drivers from three teams, all of whom represented a different and unique perspective on racing.

The movie opens with what has to be the most phenomeonal footage ever shot of Monaco. For cornering work, drivers Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt, Chris Amon, John Surtees, Ludivico Scarfiotti, Pedro Rodriguez, Denny Hulme, Phil Hill, Bruce McLaren, Jim Clark and a host of others drove countless laps of Monaco with camera laden cars, filming every movement from the shifting to the pedal work.

The actors in the film all attended Bondurant's school (star Jim Garner was already an accomplished sports car driver and was actually invited during filming BY ENZO FERRARI to join F1). For high speed shots that the insurance would not allow the actors to drive to, a half-car trailer was rigged up and pulled behind an ex-works GT-40 at 160+ mph.

Grand Prix remains possibly the best racing movie of all time. Le Mans was about a race. Grand Prix was about life.

[Valkyrie]

Better yet, put a scene were a Skyline faces a Hachi, Skyline is all SHOW but no GO, Hachi is all Panda and all GO, make hachi win

Umm, Skylines already HAVE "go" :P

A Hachiroku would have to have a hell of a driver or a hell of a lot of go to beat even a stock GT-R.

Part 2 was far more technically accurate (and no references to 'nawwwwss' although I lost the battle about nitrous ejection seats.)

Wtf?... I haven't seen Number 2, so...huh?



Also guys... TFTF didn't APPEAL to ricers, it essentially CREATED them.


Hollowood could save a lot of money and just release Japanese Shotoku racing movies... I'm pretty sure there' a bunch of them

I wouldn't be surprised if there were also already touge battle movies...

[DriftFactory]

Even though I avoid threads like this I just have to post. I almost killed one of the F&F cast members at Universal Studios Hollywood. I was there for the day and all of a sudden we hear this loud revving. Turns out it was the Skyline GTR from F&F 2. The car was ragged to hell, a complete piece with a horrible exhaust leak. I never thought a GTR could look so bad. That is when the crime against humanity happened. The guy "after revving the car around the entire park" pulls up outside of the back to the future ride and TURNS THE CAR OFF!! No Turbo timer, not even letting it cool down, just turns it off! My friend almost had to drag me away to keep me from committing murder.