Top 10 Vehicles in Science Fiction


One of the best things about sci-fi media is the genre’s crazy array of impossible vehicles. Anytime we see some kind of whacky spaceship or motorcycle in a sci-fi setting, we can’t help but wonder “what if these things existed in real life?” We may never see these vehicles in our world, but we can still dream, can’t we?

So in this top ten list, we’ll be listing the best sci-fi vehicles we’ve seen in geek media. Do you agree?

Light Cycle: Tron/Tron Legacy

The Light Cycle from Tron: Legacy.
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Credit: Disney
Disney

Tron continues to be an enduring part of pop culture despite being a flop during its original release. But why Tron so popular? Well, the Light Cycle is a good reason why.

Simply put, this sci-fi vehicle is just so sleek and cool-looking, moving ridiculously fast and sliding around all kinds of virtual obstacle. If the driver is good enough, that is.

Unfortunately, the Light Cycle is pretty low on the list since the vehicle is trapped in a virtual world. Still, despite decades of technological , nothing has come close to capturing that feeling of riding a Light Cycle in Tron.

Spider-Cycle: Ultimate-Spider-Man

Spider-Man and Phil Coulson riding the Spider-Cycle
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Credit: Marvel/Disney
Marvel/Disney

What’s this disgusting monstrosity you ask? Why that’s the Spider-Cycle, of course! Used by Spider-Man in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon, this vehicle’s main purpose is to ride up walls and swing through the city.

What’s that? Spider-Man can already do that with the abilities he got from that radioactive spider? Huh, well we wish someone told the writers that.

All the snark aside, having the Spider-Cycle in real life would be pretty sweet. Us normies will never crawl up walls or have super strength, but having a motorcycle that can do whatever a spider can - ride up walls and make web bridges - would be pretty sweet, don’t you think?

It’s just a shame that it looks like something you can get from Toys R Us.

DeLorean: Back to the Future

Marty McFly and Doc Brown ride The DeLorean.
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Credit: Universal Studios
Universal Studios

The DeLorean may have been a terrible car in real life, but in Back to the Future, it’s a pretty sweet ride. Seemingly without the mechanical issues of its poor-selling, company bankrupting original, the movie’s DeLorean is such a cool-looking ride. Plus, it can travel through time and fly!

Of course, having a time travelling car does introduce some issues. You’re gonna have to make sure not to kick any rocks or else you’ll cause a time paradox.

Also, if the movies are anything to go by, The DeLorean tends to break down pretty easily. Oh, maybe it is like the real DeLorean then. At least it can fly?

The Batmobile: Batman: Arkham Knight

Batman and his Batmobile standing in the rain.
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Credit: DC/Warner Bros.
DC/Warner Bros.

Remember when Batman decided to take Gotham City back with this damn tank? While we’ve seen The Batmobile in countless Batman media, we think the one in Arkham Knight is the best by far. (Editor’s Note: BvS had the coolest Batmobile. Y’all can fight me.)

In Arkham Knight, the Batmobile felt so good to control. Sure, countless missions shooting down other tanks got dull after a while, but riding around in the vehicle was a blast. Especially when you can crash through walls!

Aside from this version of The Batmobile having insane speed, it also has a strong grappling hook that can save passengers from accidents. Furthermore, it has strong armour plating that can deflect bullets.

Apparently, the tank also has a high degree of non-lethality. Alongside “non-lethal rubber bullets”, anyone hit by the car at 300 miles-per-hour is electrocuted so they don’t die from the impact. We’re still not quite sure how that works, to be honest.

Ford Crown Vic: Men in Black

The Men in Black's iconic vehicle
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Credit: Sony
Sony

Ah, the classics! With a twist! Men in Black’s version of the classic cop car Ford Crown Vic might not be a huge tank that can crush through other cars but it is incredibly fast. Able to speed through traffic by going turbo on the ceilings of tunnels, this vehicle is perfect for saving the world in a pinch. All those sweet weapons in the trunk also helps.

Sadly, getting this sweet ride means you’ve joined The Men in Black, meaning that you’ll have a miserable social life. You won’t be able to tell your partner or family about this cool car and if you do, a shadowy organization is going to erase your memories. Dang government!

The Hellicarrier: The Avengers

The Hellicarrier prepares for lift off in The Avengers.
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Credit: Marvel/Disney
Marvel/Disney

An iconic juggernaut of S.H.I.E.L.D. engineering, few things are cooler than Marvel’s iconic Hellicarrier. A giant slab of metal flying through the sky, the Hellicarrier is a portalable army base for superheroes, and it’s cool as hell.

With stealth capabilities, loads of weapons, and The Avengers to pal around with, this vehicle is a beast. If it can contain The Hulk during a rampage, it must be almost indestructible! Right? (No.)

Actually, the Hellicarrier is remarkably easy to take over. All it took was Hawkeye and a hacking arrow to slow the ship down for it to be invaded by Loki’s forces. Let’s be honest, Loki isn’t even the most dangerous Marvel villain. Can you imagine trying to use this against Ultron?

Also, there’s the fact that Hydra had technically taken over SHIELD at this point. This means that some of your co-workers could be neo-Nazis, well, are neo-Nazis. Let’s hope you don’t fit in.

It does have Galaga, though!

USS Enterprise (NCC-1701): Star Trek

The Enterprise from Star Trek.
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Credit: Paramount
Paramount

The original spaceship that boldly went where no man had gone before, how could we not put the Starship Enterprise on this list? Over the past 60 years, the Enterprise has been the gold standard for spaceships in sci-fi, and it’s still one of the best.

While other versions of the Enterprise slowly became more combat-oriented, the first version fans got acquainted with is easily the coziest-looking version of this iconic ship. In the original series, everything was laid back, even under duress.

The Enterprise is, first and foremost, a ship of discovery (not Discovery). As the flagship of Starfleet, it’s a vessel that shows just how important science is. Of course, there’s still danger and excitement to be had… but not too much danger?

Just make sure you’re not a red shirt. Get Kirk or Spock to like you to gain plot armor and not die. At the least, you’ll get a dramatic death that makes you part of an iconic storyline.

K.I.T.T.: Knight Rider

K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider.
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Credit: NBC
NBC

Few sci-fi vehicles were as cool or as overpowered as K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider. Short for Knight Industries Two Thousand, this car was a driving deus ex machina and we love it. The newer versions of K.I.T.T. weren’t completely terrible, but we’re going with the good old ‘80s K.I.T.T. for this list.

K.I.T.T. can dispense money when needed, measure the structure of buildings, scan fingerprints, and so much more. It also has a video game system which is honestly still pretty sick.

Furthermore, the car’s AI personality is snarky and will judge anything you do. You’ll also have to be on the lookout for its vehicular arch enemy… the dreaded K.A.R.R. Yes, we’re serious.

The Millenium Falcon: Star Wars

The Millenium Falcon prepares for battle.
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Credit: Disney/LucasFilm
Disney/LucasFilm

Easily the most iconic ship from Star Wars, fewer spaceships are as iconic as Han Solo’s Millenium Falcon. Not only has this ship performed the infamous Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs, but it also has some board games to play with.

The Millenium Falcon has everything you’d want from a spaceship: comfortable places to chill, a combat-oriented cockpit when danger arises, and being able to go lightspeed. It is a little grimy, and most of it doesn’t really work, but that’s part of the charm!

Whether you like this ship from the original Star Wars trilogy, the Disney sequels, or Solo, there’s no doubt that The Millennium Falcon is top-tier.

Bumblebee: Transformers

Bumblebee mid-transformation.
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Credit: Paramount
Paramount

We could have put any of the Autobots from Transformers on this list, but Bumblebee is obviously the best. Did Optimus Prime get his own movie starring Hailee Steinfeld and John Cena? Nope. Bumblebee did and he still has the best live-action Transformers movie because of it.

It helps that Bumblebee can transform into a sleek Mustang or a yellow Volkswagen Beetle. However, the best thing about Bumblebee is that he can drive if you’re feeling unwell, anxious, or drunk; take that Tesla. Plus, he can transform into a cool robot dude who’ll protect you with his life, and we can all do with that.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Top Tens and Entertainment page.