This weekend, Fast 8 stormed into New York City for a few days of frenzied filming. While Vin Diesel, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris weren’t present, all of their hero cars were. Dom Toretto’s Plymouth GTX (with a rumored LS3 engine swap), Letty’s second-gen Corvette, Hobb’s International MXT, Roman’s Bentley Continental GT, a Jaguar F-Type belonging to Deckard (Jason Statham), Tej’s Mercedes-AMG GT, and a wide-bodied Subaru BRZ were spotted rumbling and wheeling around iconic Gotham locations.
Friday, the production shut down parts of the West Side Highway for a few race sequences, while three helicopters and three camera cars – the infamous Mercedes-Benz ML63 and Pursuit Porsche Cayenne among them – followed along to capture the action. Filming shifted to Fifth Avenue in the afternoon, where five blocks were shuttered around the Flatiron Building.
A source close to production tells us that on Fifth Ave, some on-lookers mistook the barricades and empty streets as part of a Black Lives Matter protest, standing in the middle of the road, holding up production. “They refused to move until some of the production assistants called the police. The cars were gearing up to whip around the corner at very high speeds. They got very lucky,” our insider shared.
Saturday morning, Times Square shut down for a few sequences before the crew moved to the New York Public Library and finally the Manhattan Bridge. We sent intrepid lensman Puppyknuckles to snap some exclusive photos from the shoots. Check out his incredible pictures below.
A modded Subaru BRZ leads Letty's 'Vette through Times Square., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESThe slammed, two-tone Bentley Continental belonging to Tyrese's Roman Pearce., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESLetty's Corvette gets a little air on take-off., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESLudacris' character Tej will be behind the wheel of this Mercedes-AMG GT., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESStunt motorcycle NYPD cops lead a motorcade down Fifth Avenue., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESInside the Subaru BRZ., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESThe Plymouth GTX gets in place., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESVin Diesel's stunt driver and body double gets ready to wheel his Plymouth GTX., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESBehind the cameras., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESThe wide-bodied Subaru BRZ looking clean and mean., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESThe AMG GT up close., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESThe Jaguar F-Type of Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESGetting the shot just right., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESThe matte grey tri-star always draws a crowd., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESInside the GTX. Starbucks for the driver, NOS for the car., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESSide street lurker., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESLetty's C2 from the rear, camera mount at the ready., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESThe GTX in motion., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESWaiting to bomb around the South Street Seaport., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESWould daily., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESWould also daily., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESThe gang, lined up and waiting for action., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESVin Diesel's stunt driver and his ill-fitting bald cap., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESThe trunk of the Bentley Conti has been modded to film in the middle of the action., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESHi, beautiful., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESPrepping the Pursuit Porsche Cayenne., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESAction on Fifth Ave., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESThe Mercedes-Benz ML63 camera car coming through Times Square., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESCustom camera car on the move., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESInside the custom camera car., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESThe GTX looks aggro from any angle., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESThe International MTX, belonging to The Rock's Hobbs., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESFilming a motorcade scene on Fifth Ave., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESSpeeding down Fifth Ave., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLESBringing up the rear of the motorcade., DW Burnett / PUPPYKNUCKLES
