Top 10 best movie car chases

Some of the greatest scenes in cinematic history have been car chases. There's something about the adrenaline rush of a high-speed chase scene that can elevate a whole film. Here are some of the best car chases in history.

Warning: There may be some strong language in these clips

Technology has moved on since this 1968 classic pitted Steve McQueen's Mustang GT 390 against Bill Hickman's Dodge Charger R/T through the streets of San Francisco.

Special effects have arguably made modern car chase scenes more captivating, but it's the raw reality and lack of CGI effects at the film-maker’s disposal that makes Bullitt's 10-minute car chase so impressive and one of the best of all time.

Gene Hackman's pursuit of a train has become one of the most iconic movie scenes of all time. Even the video game Grand Theft Auto has a tribute to the classic.

What makes this rampage through New York City in a Pontiac LeMans so remarkable is the relative lack of planning. While Bullitt's chase was planned to the last detail, the chase scene in The French Connection did not even have the proper permits. The public were even part of the action. In retrospect, it is astounding the producers got away with it.

Even director William Friedkin later described the scene as “dangerous and life-threatening”, but without the risks it might not have turned into one of the most memorable scenes in modern cinema.

Robert de Niro's Peugeot 406 looked no match for the BMW M5 with Natascha McElhone at the wheel. Winding through Paris' narrow streets, this breathtaking chase was a landmark for special effects. The gritty realism later inspired The Bourne Identity. F1 drivers were reportedly employed to do the stunt work, which explains some of the pitch perfect slides in the tight confines of Paris.

The Italian Job might have been a relatively low-budget production, but it made up for the lack of special effects, which weren't in huge supply in 1969. Michael Caine's gang went to work with Mini Coopers, leading the Italian police on a merry dance through crowded buildings and across the roof of the Fiat factory. The cars wouldn’t have been so agile if they really were laden with gold bullion.

Barry Newman, an ex-cop and Vietnam veteran, accepts the bet to drive a white Dodge Challenger to San Francisco from Denver in just 15 hours.

The film is one long chase, as the police don't take long to get involved and Newman, a former racing car driver to add to the list of accolades, also runs an E-Type Jaguar off the road as the two dice for position coming in to a narrow bridge. The film ends bleakly, with Newman crashing in to a roadblock.

As the antithesis to James Bond, it makes sense that Jason Bourne wouldn't get a luxurious supercar for his chase scenes. Instead, he must rely on what looks like a fairly clapped-out Mini. It's one of several chases through Paris to make the list, which says something about the scenery or the French authority's laissez-faire attitude to filmmaking.

It's a scintillating chase shot to perfection by Doug Liman, with Paul Oakenfold's epic Ready Steady Go playing as background music.

Mel Gibson has been through a lot since the Mad Max franchise propelled him to stardom. Max drives his famous Falcon Interceptor throughout the film, but in the greatest chase scene of the film he takes control of the armoured tanker while being pursued by Humungus' troops.

There is little doubt what would happen if they caught him, but the Australian anti-hero cut a swathe through them all.

The chase scene in the first film with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence arguably wins out in terms of high drama, but when it comes to the sheer weight of special effects, the second film wins hands down.

Armed with a Ferrari 575 Maranello, the Miami Narcotics Unit duo take on a gang armed with an array of machine guns. It's typical Michael Bay, overdone to the point of lunacy, but therein lies the charm.

John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd's destruction of the Dixie Square Mall claimed the lives of 103 cars, which was a record when it was filmed in 1980.

The chase had everything: jumps, multiple car pile-ups, a homage to The French Connection, and a final smash that makes it look like half the Chicago Police Department never learned how to use a brake.

It might be sacrilege, but this time we've gone with the remake. Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie were supposed to be the stars of this big-budget remake, but the real star was Eleanor: a custom 1967 Mustang Fastback.

The final chase scene through the docks is breathtaking. Of course, it gets a little silly when Eleanor leaps into the sky, but until then it is one of the finest chases on film.

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