Car racing movies are a specific breed of motion movie altogether, and are often way more visceral and psychologically advanced than simply daring drivers in quick cars going round in circles. It’s the final check of ‘man versus machine’ the place hazard lies round each curve, the motto is ‘all fuel no brakes’, and being the first to the checkered flag is a freeway to heaven.
With director Joseph Kosinski’s (Prime Gun: Maverick) glamorous new film F1 starring Brad Pitt now in theaters and Apple TV+ reportedly circling for Formula 1 rights in the US, it’s time to gear up and put the hammer down for this heroic handful of 5 car racing flicks to stream in preparation for the Formula 1 madness. They’re all designed to get your motor operating in the consolation of your personal residence with out the acrid scent of burning rubber and intoxicating aroma of unique race gas.
As Steve McQueen’s wounded racer Michael Delaney says in 1971’s Le Mans: “Racing is life. Something earlier than or after is simply ready.” Girls and Gents, stab it and let’s steer into these 5 fabulous streaming movies!
Le Mans (1971)
![Le Mans (1971) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/228f-dPxI3Q/maxresdefault.jpg)
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- The place to watch: Paramount+ (UK)
For gear heads and race fans there’s no different film that captures the uncooked depth of endurance motor sports activities like 1971’s Le Mans. Directed by Hollywood celebrity and completed novice racer Steve McQueen, it was filmed at the precise 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans in France by his personal studio the place Porsche lastly beat Ferrari to win certainly one of the most well-known sporting occasions in the world.
Footage of the screaming Porsche 917s and Ferrari 512s is mind-blowing and also you’ll suppose you’re in the center of the monitor as the 700-hp teardrop-shaped automobiles streak previous. McQueen performs American driver Michael Delaney, again at Le Mans after a tragic accident that value the lifetime of a fellow driver and attempting to deliver residence a victory for Porsche in opposition to Ferrari.
When you’re in the UK, then you may stream Le Mans on Paramount+. Not a subscriber? You are in luck, as a result of there is a Paramount+ deal presently accessible providing 50% off that expires on July 11.
Vehicles (2006)

- The place to watch: Disney+ (US, UK, AU)
We had to add Pixar’s Vehicles to this checklist because it stays certainly one of the firm’s best animated efforts and nonetheless retains its allure and irresistible characters in a world populated by anthropomorphic autos. Directed by Toy Story’s John Lasseter, it tells the story of an smug race car named Lightning McQueen who turns into stranded in the dusty forgotten city of Radiator Springs off Route 66 on the means to an important tie-breaking contest to decide the Piston Cup champion.
There he meets an oddball assortment of lovable car characters like the rusty tow truck, Mater; Sally Carrera, the city’s legal professional who runs the Cozy Cone Motel; and Doc Hudson, Radiator Springs’ sheriff and Piston Cup celeb of a bygone period. Added to the enjoyable are vocal performances by Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Paul Newman, and Larry the Cable Man.
Grand Prix (1966)
- The place to watch: Solely accessible to lease or purchase
Actual-life racing fanatic and staff proprietor James Garner headlines this implausible worldwide blockbuster that was filmed in mind-blowing widescreen Tremendous Panavision 70 and rivals Le Mans for capturing a few of the most electrifying and genuine footage ever delivered on movie. For its depiction of the pace demons on the Formula 1 circuit, Grand Prix was awarded three Academy Awards for Best Movie Enhancing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Sound Enhancing.
Garner performs American racer Pete Aron who loses his journey after a serious crash and will get recruited by a Japanese racing staff as he’s engaged in a romance with a former teammate’s spouse (Eva Marie Saint) and competing in opposition to the reining world champion, the Frenchman Jean-Pierre Sarti (Yves Montand). One in all director John Frankenheimer’s most interesting movies!
The Love Bug (1969)

- The place to watch: Disney+ (US, UK, AU)
Right here’s a nostalgic Disney choose for the complete household to flock to starring Dean Jones, Michelle Lee, and Buddy Hackett a few cute little Volkswagen Beetle named Herbie with an enormous coronary heart that turns into a sensation on the racing circuit.
This sentient VW bug has a thoughts of its personal and along with its rag-tag race staff competes in quite a few sports activities car occasions together with the difficult El Dorado street race that take contestants over the Sierra Nevada mountains. Herbie overcomes some underhanded sabotage ways by an unscrupulous car supplier named Thorndyke to declare victory. The Love Bug was a shock hit for Disney, pulling in $51 million off a mere $5 million funds!
Days of Thunder (1990)

- The place to watch: AMC+, Hoopla, MGM+ (US), Paramount+ (US, UK, AU)
Launched on June 27, 1990 at the peak of Tom Cruise’s stellar reputation, this NASCAR spectacle finds Cruise enjoying cocky, hotshot driver Cole Trickle, who climbs the ladder of inventory car success with the assist of veteran crew chief Harry Hogg, right here portrayed by the nice Robert Duvall.
Days of Thunder was delivered by the celebrity producing staff of Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and was directed by Ridley Scott’s brother, Tony Scott. Scott handed away all too early and likewise helmed one other little Tom Cruise film referred to as Prime Gun. This partaking summer time deal with highlights the rivalry between a Dale Earnhardt-like racer named Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker) and a romance with a health care provider performed by Cruise’s personal future spouse, Nicole Kidman.
Do not forget that limited-time Paramount+ deal that will get you 50% off I discussed earlier? It is not simply accessible in the UK, however Australia too. There’s additionally an excellent higher low cost for these in the US that slashes the value to a record-low. It is certainly one of the 13 best Prime Day streaming offers I’ve discovered.