911 Carrera S Joins Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys for Life
Bad Boys returns with A-List superstars in tow, along with a very appropriate 911.
Reboots, franchise revivals, or long awaited sequels to longstanding and beloved movie franchises are increasingly common these days. So are live action remakes of critically acclaimed animated films. Hollywood’s latest highly anticipated followup brings back the formula that launched the buddy cop genre to great fanfare. Be prepared for another present soon after Christmas, because from what we’ve seen from the latest trailer, Bad Boys for Life promises to be the action comedy fans craved since the second movie landed way back in 2003.
Porsche fans also have something to celebrate with the latest movie. Bad Boys for Life will see the franchise return to form by prominently featuring a 2020 911 Carrera S. Any movie that’s got Will Smith, cool cars, and crazy action sequences is as an automatic win in our book. And to make matters even more interesting, the 911 used in the first movie just happens to be owned by a member of the Rennlist community!
As in the first two movies, Detectives Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) are two cops that don’t play by the rules. That’s pretty standard for any buddy cop comedy, but those other movies lack Smith and Lawrence. The key to any good action comedy is the chemistry between the two leads. And they’ve got charisma to spare. Fortunately, Joe Pantoliano is also returning as Captain Howard. Pantoliano’s character serves the very important function of the perpetually aggravated superior officer who can’t discipline the duo because they get results, despite blowing up a substantial portion of Miami, which is where the movies take place. The latest entry will also inject some new blood into the mix, with Vanessa Hudgens and Alexander Ludwig joining the franchise to bounce off the veteran cops played by Smith and Lawrence.
Equally important is the Gentian Blue Metallic 911 Carrera S prominently featured in the trailer, and we assume, the entire movie. Orange and blue are complimentary colors employed by Hollywood in epidemic proportions these days. Obviously the 911 looks good no matter how much orange is used in post-production. Even better is its inclusion, as it marks the return of Porsche to the franchise. The second movie shunned Porsche for a 1999 Ferrari 550 Maranello and a 2002 575M Maranello. Fortunately, it seems the team behind the latest movie is going back to first one for inspiration.
For the first Bad Boys, director Michael Bay put Smith and Lawrence in a 1994 964. The result was one of the most iconic car chases ever filmed, and the Porsche is routinely cited as one of the coolest movie cars of all time. That particular Porsche didn’t just fade away. In fact, a longtime member of the Rennlist community owns it! Mike very appropriately goes by “Bad Boys 1” in the forums. He actually owned the 964 before deciding to sell it to noted collector Matthew Drendel. When Drendel tragically passed away in 2010, his surviving family members decided to auction off his collection. Mike got the chance to repurchase the 964 before it went to auction. It’s been with him ever since. The above photo was taken at the 2014 Pinehurst Concours d’Elegance by “911Jetta,” who was on hand to witness the Porsche win Best in Class. Sometimes, real life is just as captivating as what we see on the big screen.
It’s always a treat when Hollywood is able to make a good old fashioned action flick. Bad Boys for Life is shaping up to be a return to form for the franchise, and for Smith and Lawrence too. That the production team saw the need to include another Porsche is a promising sign that the third film will live up to its predecessors. Keep your schedule free on January 17 to see the new 911 in action. Perhaps one day the future owner of this latest “hero car” will show up on the forums.
Photos: Columbia Pictures; Rennlist Forums