A cultural phenomenon in the suburbs of several major cities such as Los Angeles and Miami, street racing combines high-octane action and drama, with pink slips or wads of cash, the prizes of the night.
The popular obsession is fueled by enthusiasts (as evidenced by the car casting-call turnout prior to the start of filming), who spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars modifying their cars. Singleton, Moritz, the screenwriters, crew and cast were all committed to showcasing these spectacular automobiles and featuring them in pulse-pounding action sequences.
"Street racing has evolved into a culture of its own-a way of life for many young adults," says Singleton. "It brings together a diverse group of kids who share a passion that has become a part of the social fabric as much as online music or MTV."
2 Fast 2 Furious again puts audience members in the passenger seats of these high-performance, high-speed automobiles and adds a contemporary, compelling tale of sky high stakes, honesty, loyalty and romance.
"Miami’s street racing scene has been developing for years," Singleton adds. "This gives the story an added feel. When combined with the color of the city and its reputation for having some nefarious characters among its citizens, we have all the visual elements for a compelling story.
To again deliver the exciting car sequences that were the hallmarks of the first film, provide the most dazzling vehicles on the road and add credibility to the racing scenes, Craig Lieberman returned as the technical advisor to 2 Fast 2 Furious. A crew of talented and dedicated stunt drivers joined the film along with Lieberman, many of whom worked on the original film; the seasoned experts took over for the actors when sitting behind the wheel of these earthbound rockets became too dangerous. (The drivers included Oakley Lehman, Kevin Jackson and Debbie Evans, who won the World Stunt Award for Best Vehicular Action Sequence by a Woman featured in The Fast and the Furious.)
So necessarily, the vehicles used in the film became another all-important factor (and casting issue) to the filmmakers and the studio. Universal allocated a significant portion of the film’s overall budget to build or acquire nearly 190 vehicles. Additionally, nearly 400 cars would be required to serve as "extras."
Singleton and director of photography Matthew F. Leonetti employed a number of specialized rigs and filming techniques in order to realistically capture the actors behind the wheels of the supercharged automobiles. Created for and utilized in The Fast and the Furious, filmmakers again used a Mick Rogers (or "mick-ray"-basically a truck with a car shell mounted on it); the truck can be driven as fast as required and the realistic force created by sharp turns executed at high speeds is exerted on the "driver" and filmed. Also, a "shifter car" was deployed-a low dune buggy-like vehicle mounted with a camera that can be driven at speeds exceeding 100 mph and can follow, drive alongside or pass a car while filming. Additionally, a "moro-cam" offered the cinematographer even more filming options; it eliminates the vibrations present when filming at high speeds and can be mounted on a variety of mounts, including a steadycam.
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