If you’re a fan of the Fast & Furious movie franchise, you’re probably looking forward to the 10th installment — Fast X — which opens May 19.
But have you ever given much thought to how much it costs to insure these souped-up supercars? Likely not, but Mitch Insurance has.
The Ontario-based brokerage looked at the cost to insure nine of these cars, from the classic 1966 Chevy Impala to the 2023 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody. The costliest (by far) is the 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo at a whopping $10,571 in premium.
Given the movie series’ penchant for street racing and heists, Mitch Insurance added ratings for a couple of speeding tickets. And since several of the rides are classic or collector vehicles, they’ve put in prices for insuring the cars for occasional use.
One of the highest-grossing franchises of all time, the Fast & Furious flicks have captivated both movie lovers and car buffs for more than 20 years. The series revolves around Dom Toretto, patriarch of a group of street racers. Mitch Insurance used Toretto’s date of birth for the insurance quotes, but instead of living in Los Angeles as he does in the movie, they gave him an Oshawa, Ont., postal code to get an accurate quote with Ontario rates.
That steep annual premium of $10,571 for the Lambo assumes daily usage and two speeding tickets in the past two years (do you think there might be more?). The metallic gold $170,000 Gallardo may be the most spectacular vehicle in the Fast X trailers, and easily the most expensive to insure at more than double the rates for the others.
“I guess this puts to bed the myth that you’ll pay more for insurance if you drive a red car,” Scott Logan, Mitch’s director of personal lines, said in a May 9 blog post. “Actually, the colour of the automobile has nothing to do with your premium, which is determined mostly by your driving record, the value of the car, and past claims for vehicles of the same make and model.”
All the quotes assume the cars are in excellent condition, with no modifications.
“I think it’s safe to say some of the Fast X cars are modified,” Logan added. “As long as they are street legal, you could still get them insured in Ontario, but you’d be looking at two to three times the premium with a high-risk insurer. We might ask the owner of the El Camino to remove the rocket launchers.”
For the record, the 1967 Chevy El Camino (valued at $64,800) is estimated to cost a measly $1,471 for daily use and $2,193 for daily use with tickets.
Fast X will see Jason Momoa playing Toretto’s new nemesis, Dante Reyes. In this series, every villain needs a fast car and Reyes is no different with his purple 1966 Chevy Impala.
“It’s important to remember that auto insurance does not cover criminal acts,” Logan said. “But if Mr. Reyes can avoid that, and also limit his use of the vehicle to occasional summer driving, he might be able to insure his Impala as a classic for under $900 a year.”
One of the franchise’s most iconic vehicles is Toretto’s baby — a 1970 Dodge Charger R/T valued at around $147,000. It’s been destroyed a number of times throughout the series, but keeps coming back. And if you believe the trailers, it’s returning again in Fast X.
For this car, the insurance premium with tickets is $3,650, $2,404 without and $1,302 as a classic/collector vehicle license plate.
“I think it’s safe to assume that Dom might have a few speeding tickets on his record,” Logan said. “If he somehow managed to keep a clean record though, he’d save about $1,200 a year. And given what he’s put this car through in the past, we’d strongly recommend a defensive driving course. Increasing his liability coverage would be a wise decision as well.”
Each of the Fast & Furious movies has been bigger and more over-the-top than its predecessor, making the series a very fun ride, the brokerage said.
“The Fast & Furious movies are filled with awesome action scenes, big explosions and lots of fast, high-end cars doing impossible things — seriously, what’s not to love?” says Mitch Insurance CEO Adam Mitchell.
“At Mitch, we love cars and work hard to find the right insurance at the best possible price for all drivers. Even if you’ve got a driving record like Dom Toretto’s, we’ve got solutions to make sure you have the coverage you need.”
Still…maybe don’t try this at home.
Feature image: Actor Vin Diesel drives a vintage American car next to actress Michelle Rodriguez and another unidentified person in the back seat, after a session of filming of the latest installment of the “Fast and Furious” movie franchise, on Havana’s malecon, in Cuba, Thursday, April 28, 2016. One of the most successful movie franchises in Hollywood, it has grossed billions worldwide with films that pay tribute to souped-up street-racing cars and carefully planned multi-million dollar heists. (AP Photo/Fernando Medina)