Every Fast & Furious movie has introduced us to new awesome cars, from American muscle to JDM legends and European exotics. Each character has a particular taste in vehicles, and in Fast X we finally get a villain who matches Dom Toretto in that department. We’re talking about Dante and his 1966 Chevy Impala.
Picture Car Coordinator Dennis McCarthy has revealed that Dante was originally supposed to drive the Nissan GT-R Nismo. But Momoa felt this didn’t fit his character, so at the last moment, they changed the car to this Impala. Because the Chevy was chosen so late, they couldn’t build it in time and so bought a real drag racing vehicle complete with roll cage and drag radial tires.
The car was purchased from Tennessee, and we think it looks suspiciously like this, Heavy Chevy. It’s got an F2 Procharged 555 cubic-inch Big Block Chevy, and runs 9’s all day long, perfect for taking down all of Dom’s family in a Brazil drag race.
Dan’s love for Mopar muscle cars is almost palpable, present right from the beginning of the franchise. His Dodges are the stuff of legend, often turned into popular toys or phone wallpapers. So it’s fitting that his main rival should be a Chevy guy.
Fast X releases on May 19th, 2023, and promises to be something special, the first in a two-part finale of this epic franchise. In the trailers, Dom is seen driving his classic black 1970 Dodge Charger R/T, but a brand new 2023 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody.
His rival is villain Dante Reyes, son of the late politician and drug lord Hernan Reyes from Fast Five. The character played by Jason Mamoa swore revenge against Dom and his family. This motorcycle-riding, snake-leather-jacket-wearing madman could be the best bad guy this franchise has produced.
Did we mention Dante’s Impala?
Dante’s car of choice has been confirmed to be a 1966 Chevrolet Impala. No technical details are available right now, but enthusiasts can easily spot the Cragar wheels and the cowl hood. Presumably, that’s for a Chevy big-block, but we can’t imagine it would stand a chance against Dom’s supercharged Dodge, not unless it actually came with a turbocharged LS swap or something along those lines.
Certain small changes appear to have been made to the car, like tucked bumpers, shaved trim, and such. It’s obviously going to require upgraded suspension and brakes to come with the extra power. As for the color, they’ve chosen something that matches Dante’s over-the-top personality: Evening Orchid, a lovely shade of metallic purple that you wouldn’t normally associate with muscle cars. The color was chosen because it matches Dante’s nail polish.
The 66 model belongs to the fourth-generation Impala, which was all-new in 1965. Although it came out at the same time as the Mustang, it still managed to set an all-time sales record in America at the time thanks to a combination of luxury, power, and design. The 1966 model year introduced not only new lights and trim but also a couple of large big-block V8 options, based on the 427 (7.0-liter displacement). The most powerful was the manual-only L72 with 425 hp.
The ’66 Turbo-Jet 427 was a big step from the previous year’s 396 motor and is one of the most iconic Chevy V8s. It will be interesting to see if Dante’s car preserves its displacement and leans into the NASCAR racing heritage.
Other vehicles have also been spotted in the Fast X trailer, and these include a chromed Lamborghini Gallardo and Alfa Romeo GT Veloce, both used for the action scenes in Italia. There’s also a 1971 Datsun 240Z with a widebody kit, a 1966 Ford Fairlane, and a 1967 Chevrolet El Camino with rocket launchers on the sides, to be driven by Jakob Toretto (John Cena).
