In a post-apocalyptic world where law and order has broken down and gang violence is at an all time high there’s only one car you really need – a blackened-out Ford Falcon coupe. It worked for Mad Max when he roamed the badlands in the famous flick and Ford want to retain Max as a ‘Ford man’ when the film franchise enters its fourth installment.

The original Mad Max movie was nothing short of an Aussie cinematic masterpiece and for better or worse, launched the career of Mel Gibson. The following two sequels were just as famous for the ridiculous vehicles used by the road gangs to chase down unsuspecting travelers. But the hero machine from any of the movies remains Max’s Pursuit Special, a 1973 Ford XB Falcon GT351.

The new film Mad Max: Fury Road is set to invade NZ theatres sometime next year. The movie will feature some tasty eye candy like Charlize Theron, but the biggest stars will be the cars, which are currently being designed.

Two of the leading candidates for Max’s new hero car have been created as scale models in roughly 40-percent size and were put on display at the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne. (more…)

It’s been confirmed this week that the fourth instalment in the Mad Max franchise, Fury Road, will be filmed in NSW, Australia next year.

Little is known at this stage about the story or the cast of the new film, however Australian actor Sam Worthington and South African actress Charlize Theron are rumoured to star. No announcement has been made on a possible Mel Gibson cameo.

The original film in the series brought Australian cars into the international spotlight, including the heavily modified XB Falcon Coupe-based ‘Pursuit Special’, the XB sedan ‘Interceptor’ pursuit car and the Nightrider’s Holden HQ Monaro.

The 351 cubic-inch Cleveland V8-powered ‘Pursuit Special’ XB Coupe was driven by Mel Gibson’s character Max Rockatansky and featured many cosmetic changes for the film, including a stylised fibreglass nose, side-mounted exhaust pipes and a fake supercharger protruding from the bonnet.

It was bought and sold many times in Australia but the original Pursuit Special XB Coupe was finally rescued from a wrecking yard after Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior and is now fully restored and on display in England.

The ‘Big Bopper’, a 1974 XB sedan, was powered by a 302ci Cleveland V8, and the yellow ‘Interceptor’ driven by Max in the opening chase scenes featured a 351ci Cleveland V8. Interestingly, both were former Victoria Police pursuit cars. Max’s enemy, the Nightrider, drove a stolen Pursuit Special, this one based on the 1972 Holden HQ LS Monaro coupe.

Other Aussie classics in the series included an XK Falcon, along with a modified HJ Holden ute and Sandman. American muscle featured also, in the form of a 1969 Pontiac GTO and a 1959 Chevy Impala.

Premier Rees said that the latest instalment in the series will be filmed by the series’ original director George Miller, to be distributed internationally by Warner Bros.