8 Cars That Make You Feel Like A Fighter Pilot

Once upon a time I fancied myself in the front seat of an F-14 Tomcat. I even talked at length with recruiters for the U.S. Navy, who among other things asked me if I liked to drive fast, or if I’d ever driven in a crazy, reckless manner. Being an unwitting teenager I swiftly answered no sir, figuring they were looking to weed out law breakers or potential Hotel Sierra pilots that would still buzz the tower even when the air boss said the pattern was full.

I found out some time later that the correct answer to that question was actually yes. I should’ve known that landing a $100 million supersonic jet on a boat requires at the very least a bit of daredevil crazy, so yeah, big surprise that recruiters looked for people with the plums to get a bit aggressive behind the wheel. It didn’t matter anyway, because my eyesight was just bad enough to keep me out of the pilot’s seat.

Fortunately, there are cars out there that have at least some potential to make you feel like a fighter jock, if only a teeny bit. Obviously this is a completely subjective concept - for me it’s mostly about how a car feels inside, but there are a few exceptions to that rule. They’re all poor substitutes for turning and burning in a Tomcat, but with Danger Zone loaded up on the stereo and a proper pair of Ray Ban aviators on your nose, the dream can almost become reality. Almost.

Vector W8

This fabled American supercar was said to have been designed with jet fighters in mind. The company was actually called Vector Aeromotive after all. It had wings and vents outside, a weird interior with buttons and screens like a stealth fighter, and it could also easily eclipse 200mph.

The odds of any mortal human being ever driving one are about the same as discovering a lost civilisation of cave-dwelling Gummi Bears, but still, the W8 could well be the closest thing to a car-based fighter jet you’ll ever find.

Lincoln Mark VIII

From something you’ll never drive to something you could buy for the cost of a good bottle of scotch, I present the Lincoln Mark VIII. It’s a sleek American coupe with a 280bhp V8 up front driving the rear wheels, so it has some performance aspirations. What does it for me on these cars is the wrap-around cockpit.

They sit rather low and the interior appointments are snug, so you don’t get in as much as you step in - complete with procedures. Open door, hand on the upper door sill, right leg in first, pivot waist, lower body on left leg, butt sideways into seat, left leg in and pivot, release door sill, and you’re set. The only thing that would make it better would be a crew chief helping you strap in.

Morgan 3 Wheeler

Do I even need to talk about why driving this makes you feel like a fighter pilot? This isn’t a cutting-edge jet however, but old-school piston power from the days when pilots wore scarfs and flew by the seat of their pants.

The interior isn’t the driving force behind the Morgan’s aviation aspirations - with this machine it’s all about the sleek fuselage styling, and of course that snorting V-twin engine up front that pops like a Spitfire diving into a formation of bombers.

Pontiac ASC/McLaren Turbo Grand Prix

General Motors installed head-up displays on several models over the last 20 or so years, including the Corvette. But this early HUD integration on the limited edition 1989 Turbo Grand Prix remains one of my favourite.

The Grand Prix’s interior was awash in buttons and switches, both on the steering wheel and the angular dash. Add in the jet-fighter head-up display with a touch of turbo whistle and it’s not hard to get that fighter jock feeling behind the wheel.

Aston Martin Lagonda

Few cars are as polarising as the Lagonda. I suppose its long snout could resemble a Sea Harrier, but the rest of the oddly proportioned Aston just comes across as ungainly to me. Whatever you might feel about the car’s exterior treatment, there’s no denying the spacey jet fighter feel of the interior, right down to the display screens and touch pad controls.

I’ve never had the opportunity to sit in one of these cars, and that’s one of my oddball automotive bucket list adventures. I should make it clear - the bucket list item is to just sit in the car, not actually drive it.

Lamborghini Aventador

I could list just about every Lambo from the last 25 years as being worthy of inspiring fighter-jet tendencies (the Reveton is a strong contender), but I think the Aventador captures it best. Despite the cockpit-esqe layout of the interior, oddly enough it’s really the exterior of this Lambo that gives me the fighter-jock feel. That and the scissor doors that open up, not unlike the canopies of so many fighter planes over the years. Having 690bhp doesn’t hurt either.

How could the first production car with an autopilot system not be on this list? This is a peculiar pick for me, because the exterior styling does nothing for me from a fighter jet perspective. The interior does a little bit, but being inside the Tesla actually reminds me more of a Prius than anything else. I think it’s a combination of the technology, the insane power, and the hushed, surreal whine of the electric motors and gearbox that make me want to don the aviator glasses and go hunting for bogies.

Chrysler Turbine Car

Built in the 1960s, this was the only turbine (i.e. jet) powered car to actually enter production. 55 cars were built and they were only used on a trial period; Chrysler ultimately reclaimed the cars and most were destroyed, though a few remain in museums and private collections. It wasn’t fast, but it was remarkably smooth and vibration-free compared to piston engines. And it sounded like a jet going down the road, because it actually was a jet going down the road.