(B)aT the Movies: The Fast and the Furious (2001)

We've been teasing it for weeks now. You loved our Bullitt podcast, so we now present you with another movie breakdown. This time it's from the opposite end of the car movie spectrum: the original The Fast and the Furious from 2001. Alex is joined by Zac, Beck, and Cam to air out their multigenerational viewpoints on this cinematic masterpiece, which was so formative to the automotive pursuits of many of our community members—especially those under, shall we say, "a certain age." The crew discuss how to rank the 11 movies in the oeuvre; the mentality of working with what you have (otherwise known as "run what you brung"); explanations behind some of the cars missing from the F&F roster, and one now missing from history; and the age-old tradition of terrible shifting in car movies.Also covered: the movie's notoriously uneven jargon; a catalog of stacked fender stickers; the modern, OEM-approved version of underglows; what it means to put down 10s in 2025 vs in 2001; an architectural travesty; mermaids; favorite cars from the movie; AI-written characters, 25 years before their time; and yes, even throughlines to other "car movies" like Bullitt and American Graffiti.Links for things mentioned in this episode:09:56  Ex–Paul Walker 2005 Ford GT13:06  From The VIBE Vault: ‘Racer X’ (The ‘Fast & Furious’ Inspiration)15:59  Craig Lieberman's YouTube channel16:17  fastandfuriousfacts.com45:45  Chrome Cars46:58  The Fast and the Furious–Style 1996 Eagle Talon TSi AWD 5-Speed51:28 Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon, & Plymouth Laser model pageGot suggestions for our next guest from the BaT community, One Year Garage episode, or (B)aT the Movies subject? Let us know in the comments below!