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2026 Gone in 60 Seconds: Why Next Eleanor Isn’t A Ford

It’s been 41 years since the original Gone in 60 Seconds film debuted. Going off the last time gap between remakes (26 years), it will be 2026 when a third Gone in 60 Seconds could appear on the silver screen again. By then, memories of the 1974 film’s original Eleanor Mustang will be all but forgotten. Even today, most people don’t associate that Mustang with the Eleanor namesake or movie due to the 2000 remake Gone in 60 Seconds mega blockbuster with Nicolas Cage and the drool-worthy 1967 Shelby GT500 Mustang Fastback. 1967-ford-mustang-fastback-gt500-eleanor-gone-in-60-seconds-in-article Photo credit: wallpaperup.com Assuming we are right, and the next remake is in 2026, the big question is what will the next Eleanor be? Choose the right car, and we’ll be talking about it for years. Get it wrong, and it’s just another disappointing remake that shouldn’t have happened. original-1964-gone-in-60-seconds-Eleanor-ford-mustang Photo credit: ford-life.com Let’s look at the 1974 original film. Their Eleanor Mustang was actually a 1971 made to look like a ’73. This means the filmmaker wanted the starring car to be new and exciting. We surmise that one could easily make the case that a 2026 Mustang will be the next Eleanor. But, we highly doubt it. The reason? All signs point to modern cars being overloaded with electronic nannies. So much so, that even cars from the 90’s will be looked upon as the good old days of simple electronics. Eleanor has to be powerful, simple, and something that isn’t easy-to-drive in a sense. Movie goers need to think the car is dangerous. That just doesn’t seem possible with the direction modern autos are heading. The Mustang included. I think we can also agree that Eleanor should be American. Showcase as many imports as you like throughout the film, but the leading lady needs to be an all-American girl.  Our initial thought is to keep Eleanor the 1967 Mustang Fastback. After all, it's a very timeless car in its own right. But, the math and history says that it can’t be so. 1967-ford-mustang-fastback-gt500-eleanor-gone-in-60-seconds Photo credit: barrett-jackson.com If we reflect on the successful model of using a 1967 model car in a 2000 film, then 2026 Eleanor has to be 33 years old. That my friends places us square into 1993. This shining year in automotive history brings us the last year of the Fox body Mustang. Hopefully, we all agree that Eleanor-worthy, it is not. So, on the specifications of being domestic and from 1993, you're really only left with two options - the F-body Camaro or the Dodge Viper. Since we’re pretty sure most car enthusiasts would demand a refund if Eleanor became one of the biggest eye-sore sports cars of the decade, the only real answer is the Dodge Viper. 1993-dodge-viper-eleanor The fact that it’s instantly recognizable and wildly over-the-top for an American car of its time, makes the Viper the perfect go-to. Fit with a massive 8.0L V-10, side-pipes, no ABS or traction control, the Viper is essentially a modern-day Shelby Cobra. It could also be argued that by that time the movie rolls around, it will be a valued collectors car. You may think we’ve lost our marbles, but we can’t think of a better candidate. Have a better idea? We’d love to hear it!

>>> Click for what's next in Driving Line's movie week, "How to See Movie Cars in Person"

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