In the past, Automopedia has taken a break from other forms of transportation, and the wonderful world of Car Sales / Advertising, giving you a look at transit in TV & Film. We’ve brought you the 15 Sexiest Scifi Ships, as well as Cartoon Cars & Their Real World Counterparts – but what about animated spaceships that influenced out square-Lego building imaginations (if you were a child of the 80′s). Have a look at our 10 Favourite Science Fiction Cartoon Ships and see how they stack up to you memories.

ExoSquad – E-Frames

Exo-frames were created by the humans of the Exosquad Universe in an effort to terraform and colonize Venus, Mars & to protect themselves from any possible aggression from outside of the Solar System. Originally, E-frames were humanoid exoskeletons, but after several decades of extensive development, non-humanoid “E-frames” vehicles based on the same technologies have been introduced. A common feature of all E-frames is a sophisticated neural interface that backups “normal”, manual steering: each pilot had to undergo surgical implantation of a “cyber socket” to the back of one’s neck that allowed direct control over the E-frame via a “cyber jack.”

Futurama – USS Planet Express Ship

As the Professor prefers to send the crew on dangerous missions in favor of higher profit margins, the Planet Express ship is well armed and quick. The ship is capable of travel faster than the current speed of light, after the speed of light was increased to allow faster travel. In addition to that, the Planet Express Ship is very durable – with abilities to battle enemies and be dragged underwater for as long as the gag needs it to be. Oddly enough, certain episodes indicate that Planet Express is a manual transmission.

Cowboy Bebop – The Bebop

The crew of the spaceship Bebop are a partnership of bounty hunters, called “cowboys,” traveling the galaxy trying to apprehend bounties. Jet Black is the owner of the Bebop, but has partnered with Spike, Faye Valentine & Ed. The Bebop itself is home to rag-tag crew & their smartest dog in the Universe, Ein. See you, blog cowboy.

Star Wars – The Clone Wars Gunship

Clone Wars continued the storylines hatched by the second three…I mean first three…Star Wars films. Clone storm troopers are dropped into battle zones onboard high-tech and extremely destructive Gunships. With laser torrents on each side and ion cannons to the front/rear your Anakin better get his running shoes on, or keep up on his lightsaber skills.

Transformers – Optimus Prime

According to the Animated Series: Optimus Prime began his life as a robot named Orion Pax, a mostly defenseless dock worker during the Golden Age of Cybertron nine million years ago, with a girlfriend named Ariel, and a best friend named Dion. At the time, a new breed of robot had recently appeared on the planet with new flight capabilities in robot mode that made Orion idolize them. Unfortunately for Orion, when Megatron, the leader of the new group of robots, approached him with inquiries about using one of the dock warehouses, Orion was swayed by Megatron, and he and Ariel were severely wounded when Megatron and his forces then attacked in order to claim the energy stored there. Searching for someone to help them, the time-displaced Aerialbots took Orion and Ariel to the ancient Autobot, Alpha Trion, who used them as the first subjects for the new reconstruction process he had developed — rebuilding the frail Autobot frames into battle-hardy configurations. With this reconstruction, Orion Pax became Optimus Prime, the first of the Autobot warriors.

Family Guy – Stewie’s Sperm Fighter

Isn’t it great how people record youtube videos off their television?! Yuck, anyway…In an attempt to keep Peter and Lois from having another baby, Stewie combines ideas from Star Wars & Fantastic Voyage – shrinking his sperm-killing ship and injecting himself into Peter’s body. The result? A full on slaughtering of Peter’s baby batter and a battle with his potential sibling, Bertram.

Voltron

Voltron was one of many late-70′s/early-80′s Japanimation cartoons to invade America. The Voltron Mech was made up of five units:

Voltron: Combination of the five lions. Voltron was once a sentient being in his own right before being separated into the five Lions. In the finale of the first season of The Third Dimension, Voltron was destroyed, but recreated in the beginning of the second season, and would go on to be reconfigured into Stealth Voltron whenever it passed into another dimension.
o Black Lion: Piloted by Commander Keith. Piloted by Allura in one episode. Unlike the other Lions, the Black Lion did not have a “closed” hangar. Throughout the series, it was assumed that the Black Lion’s hangar was located on the large tower fronting the castle, which was previously occupied by a winged lion statue which hid it. When the Black Lion was first activated, this statue crumbled apart to reveal it, and the Black Lion folded its seldom-used wings. In Voltron: The Third Dimension, it is shown that the winged lion statue literally morphs into the Black Lion when the lion is launched, meaning that this statue is nothing more than a disguised form of the Black Lion
- Red Lion: Piloted by Lance. by Princes Allura in one episode since Lance was using the Blue Lion to find the cure for the deadly flowers. The Red Lion’s hangar was located inside a volcano near the castle.
- Green Lion: Piloted by Pidge. Piloted by Keith in its first launch, before the Black Lion was recovered. The Green Lion’s hangar was located in a forest near the castle.
- Blue Lion: Piloted by Sven up to episode 6, and thereafter by Princess Allura (although Sven would return to pilot the Blue Lion on one more occasion in the second season episode “Who’s Flyin’ Blue Lion?”). Piloted in one episode each by Keith, Coran, and Nanny together, and a replacement pilot (who turned out to be an agent of Zarkon). Piloted once by Lance when he went off to a distant planet to find the cure by which to heal the Princess. Lance piloted the Blue Lion because the planet had a special magnetic field that only the Blue Lion could overcome. The Blue Lion’s hangar was located underneath the moat that surrounded the castle.
- Yellow Lion: Piloted by Hunk. The Yellow Lion’s hangar was located inside a cave located in a desert near the castle. In Voltron: The Third Dimension, its hangar was redesigned to resemble a sphinx-like form instead of an ordinary cave.

Thunderbirds

Who could forget Thunderbirds – a British mid-1960′s television show, which used a form of marionette puppetry dubbed “Supermarionation.” The series followed the adventures of International Rescue, an organization created to help those in grave danger using technically advanced equipment and machinery:

-Thunderbird 1 – Hypersonic variable geometry rocket plane used for fast response, rescue zone reconnaissance, and as a mobile control base.
-Thunderbird 2 – Heavy supersonic VTOL carrier lifting body aircraft used for the transport of major rescue equipment and vehicles.
-Thunderbird 3 – Reusable, vertically launched SSTO (Single Stage To Orbit) spaceship used for space rescue and maintenance of Thunderbird 5.
-Thunderbird 4 – Small utility submersible for underwater rescue.
-Thunderbird 5 – Earth-orbiting space station which monitors all broadcasts around the globe for calls for help and also manages communications within International Rescue.
-Thunderbird 6 – 1930s Tiger Moth biplane used once when the usual vehicles proved too heavy for the job, and only appeared in the movie of the same name. The title “Thunderbird 6″ is mostly honorary.

Thundercats – Lion-O’s Thundercat-Mobile

The Thundercats had a cat-shaped car, and panther-shaped fortress, and…well, ok everything was cat-like. I wonder what their toilets looked like…or did they use litter boxes? The Thundercat-tank appeared as though it could take constant bombardment from nuclear missiles, but wasn’t much a fashion statement – maybe Lion-O should have thrown some spinners on it?

Ulysses 31 – The Odyssey

Ulysses 31 was a Franco-Japanese anime series, which updated Greek and Roman mythology of Odysseus (known as “Ulysses” in Roman Mythology, and Ulysse in French, hence the name) to the 31st century. The series plotline describes the struggles of Ulysses and his crew against the divine entities that rule the universe, the ancient gods from Greek Mythology. The Gods of Olympus are angered when Ulysses, commander of the giant spaceship Odyssey, kills the giant Cyclops to save a group of enslaved children, including his son. Zeus sentences Ulysses to travel the universe with his crew frozen until he finds the Kingdom of Hades, at which point his crew will be revived and he will be able to return to Earth. Along the way they encounter numerous other famous figures from Greek mythology given a futuristic twist.

Every once in a while at Automopedia, we like to get away from automotive news, used cars and anything end-of-the-auto-industry related by chatting about alternate transit stories. Not sure why I’m doing this post, although previous Sexiest Sci Fi Ships and Classic Science Fiction Cars articles received a lot of traffic, I get nothing but crap from the scifi fans out there. But we will press on, because at Automopedia we not only love cars, we love Star Wars, Highlander and Firefly (yes…I said Highlander). Over the weekend, while taking in a double feature of cheesy scifi flicks, we started to wonder about some of the most Epic science fiction film battle scenes? We have our picks, and any betting man (or woman, or dog) will put money on our readers ripping us a new one based on every post. Take a look at let us know your opinion…we know you will.

10. Battle of Endor – Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

It has a half-completed Death Star, it has the Falcon & Lando Calrissian – Ep. VI’s ending battle (called, fittingly, the Battle of Endor) is one of the most frantic scifi ship fights on film. It not only takes you from planet surface into orbit, it even takes us (and that toad looking co-pilot) inside the Mammoth Star.

9. USS Enterprise Vs. USS Reliant – Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan

Set up to simulate a submarine battle in deep space – Kirk and crew go up against their arch-nemesis Khan in a fight that pits Enterprise against another federation vessel – Reliant. The final sequence from 1982′s Star Trek sequel is the science fiction equivalent of Das Boot. Oh but that Kirk, he tasks me…

8. Spike Spiegel & His Swordfish – Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

“Whatever happens, happens” is the mantra of Spike, Cowboy Bebop’s main protagonist. But for a guy who is allegedly so laid back he sure gets into a lot of trouble. In this scene from Knocking on Heaven’s Door (aka: The Movie) Spike and his jet – Swordfish – have to shake a couple Navy shuttles off their tail.

7. Wing Commander Battle Scenes – Wing Commander: The Movie

Ok, I KNOW I am going to take a lotta crap for bringing Wing Commander to this list – but it’s a guilty pleasure seeing those video game turned film battle sequences …oh well just rip into me already. A movie starring Mathew Lillard & Freddie Prince Jr. can’t be saved by zero-g explosions and Jürgen Prochnow.

6. Battle of Hoth – Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back

Snow planets and snow mobiles – AT-AT tanks are heading to your arctic embankment and only a kid with a chewed-up face & light saber can buy the troops enough time for an EVAC. Hoth is not only a classic scifi scene – it’s also been referenced in just about every Kevin Smith film… even the Clerks cartoon. Yeah, I remember the Clerks cartoon.

5. Enterprise-E Vs. Borg Mother Ship – Star Trek: First Contact

How many Enterprises are there? We lost count – though an Epic battle list can’t be missing The Borg. They’re not Swedish, they’re an evil race of half organic/half robotic aliens who want to assimilate your family and blast you straight to hell. Lock on quantum torpedoes!

4. Starship Troopers – Battle at Clendathu

Starship Troopers was a great throwback to 1950′s fiction films – too bad they come out with all those terrible direct-to-dvd films. When you mix ships the size of cities and huge bugs in one movie how can you go wrong?! Oh yeah, Jake Busey…

3. “I’m a leaf on the wind” – Serenity

The cast of Firefly/Serenity are always getting into one bit of muck or another – but in their feature crew members must escape from a pile of floating wreckage. Guns, booster rockets and swinging around other destroyed vessels – it’s without a doubt – intense!

2. 80′s Cheese – The Last Starfighter

What can you say about The Last Starfighter? It is one of the only pg-13 films released by Disney, and is hardcore 80′s movie cheese. But the X-Wing ripoff fighter can take on twenty enemies at once. “What do we do now. We die.” – Classic!

1. X-Wings & Y-Wings Against The Death Star – Battle of Yavin – Star Wars: A New Hope

After the first Star Wars feature film came out in 1977 EVERY movie studio wanted to rip off the look. With the combined efforts of Lucas & Spielberg, The Death Star doesn’t have a chance. The Battle of Yavin closes out A New Hope with Luke Skywalker, R2 and a little help from pirate Han Solo, in one of the most EPIC scifi fights in movie history.

So we aren’t talking about cars specifically in this post, though we previously covered 15 Classic Science Fiction Cars. Here at Automopedia, we recognize all modes of transit, both real and non-fiction. What better way to move beyond current financial woes in America’s automotive industry then by checking out futuristic space ships.

Take a look at some of our favorite high flying, phaser shooting, light speed traveling vessels.

USS Enterprise – Star Trek

One of the most well known ships in the history of science fiction, Star Trek’s USS Enterprise, has encountered hundreds of alien species, traveled back in time to save whales, defeated Klingons, Romulans, Chicago Mobsters, and has been blown up 4 times (ST: III, The Ashes of Eden, Enterprise C, ST: Generations, did we miss any?) – only to be resurrected over again. Her captains have been heroic, strong willed, and good at bedding green women.

Millennium Falcon – Star Wars

The other most recognized ship in scifi lore, this Star Wars freighter turned fighter (and home to Lando Calrissian / Han Solo) is responsible for destroying a Death Star or two, as well as saving a princess who likes making out with her brother. It also made the Kessel Run in 12-parsecs. Once we figure out what 12-parsecs equals we’ll be very impressed.

Swordfish II – Cowboy Bebop

Spike Spiegel’s personal asteroid racer from Cowboy Bebop may not look pretty, but it sure can hustle when a bunch of ISSP fighters are on its tail. Swordfish II is armed with laser machine guns, multiple missile launchers, and a plasma cannon. Spike is more than comfortable spending time dodging space debris, but really gets ticked off when kids, dogs, or women try to climb in his cockpit.

Serenity – Firefly

Aside from Star Wars, science fiction’s other cargo ship (and home to a crew of rag tags) is Serenity, from Joss Whedon’s Firefly series (and the film entitled Serenity). This ship has a lot in common with Millennium Falcon: it is armed with loads of destructive weaponry, as well as nooks and crannies to store treasures. Or better yet, hottelepathic chicks who can save the universe.

The TARDIS – Doctor Who

Doctor Who’s trustworthy Police Box, the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimensions In Space) has taken BBC’s favorite (sorry, favourite) vagabond from the dawn of time to the end of our universe. TARDIS is capable of folding time and space, which may explain why it’s dimensions are a bit skewed. Outside, the vessel appears to be a phone booth.  Inside, The Doctor has his own private loft with guest quarters. Its appearance is due to a faulty “chameleon circuit” – a device which transforms TARDIS so it can blend into whatever setting it’s at.

Discovery One – 2001: A Space Odyssey

When your nuclear powered science explorer is controlled by a confused, emotional, homicidal artificial intelligences, it’s hard to get anything done. Arthur C. Clarke’s  spaceship from 2001: A Space Odyssey was sent on a doomed mission to observe the mysterious black Monolith in orbit around Jupiter (Saturn in the original novel). After computer system HAL 9000 malfunctions, it kills all aboard but crew leader Dave Bowman. The ship is sent adrift, only to be destroyed 9 years later along with Jupiter (see: 2010).

The Righteous Indignation – Captain Bucky O’Hare

“Bucky! Captain Bucky O’Hare! He goes where no ordinary rabbit will dare…” These are the words that began Saturday morning’s Capt. Bucky O’Hare & The Toad Wars. Bucky and his crew battled the evil Toad Empire in a Star Wars inspired animated series with help from his ship, the amazingly named Righteous Indignation. This ship also makes an appearance in the original NES video game adaptation.

Galactica – Battlestar Galactica

In the war against Cylons, Battleships of the Colonial Fleet are its best chance for human survival. In Battlestar Galactica, Commander Adama and his crew are off in search for New Caprica, a planet which will (hopefully) become their home. Unfortunately, bioroids created by humans have decided they’re pretty tired of being used by flesh and bone beings. Frankly, they’re mad as hell. Galactica is about 50 years old, and was in the process of being decommissioned when Cylon attacks began. The ship now holds a crew of hundreds – including somewhere around 150 fighters (Vipers, Raptors, Blackbirds, Stealthstars).

The V Mothership – V the Series

When the aliens of V came to our planet (in the Mid 80′s apparently) all seemed peaceful. They looked like us, talked like us, and were generally nice creatures. That was until Marc Singer ripped one of their face masks off to reveal nasty, green reptile-ish people, with plans to enslave humanity. These ships look oddly similar to those from Independence Day – a movie starring Will Smith that was great in 1994, but let’s face it, the special effects from ID4 and V do not hold up presently. (Note: since the publishing of this article, a new V series has become a TV hit.)

Red Dwarf

“It’s cold outside, there’s no kind of atmosphere…” are the words fans of Red Dwarf hear at the beginning of each scifi sitcom episode, along with a panning shot of Red Dwarf herself, floating millions of light years from Earth. This huge craft – commanded by Arnold Rimmer (or “Rimma” as he’s known) contains a galley, sleeping quarters, a garden, huge storage holds, a cryogenic sleeping room, karaoke bar, hologram suite, a secret prison on level 13, and is controlled by a lovely computer named Holly.

TCS Tiger’s Claw – Wing Commander

Throughout Wing Commander’s adaptation on TV (there was a cartoon, and it rocked!), film, and video game, the Bengel class carrier TCS (The Confederation Ship) Tiger’s Claw has been home to characters Maniac, Hotshot, Angel, Maverick, along with the rest of Confed’s fighter pilots. The ship (video game version above, feature film variant below) has gone through many face lifts and refits, but one fact remains true – Tiger’s Claw will always be there at the end of each mission.

Event Horizon

When an experimental ship disappears into a black hole and returns, a crew of scientists must board her in order to try and figure out what happened. The creepiness of Event Horizon isn’t only its 2001-style ship combined with a suspenseful horror movie, but adding Laurence Fishburne and Sam Neill to one feature film – scary!

Goa’uld Ha’Tak – Stargate

Ha’tak-Class Motherships are the primary capital ships of the Goa’uld, both in film and television versions of Stargate. Only a team comprised of Snake Plissken and MacGyver can bring them down! Ha’tak translates to “pyramid ship” – the top levels of this  craft are based on ancient Egyptian structures. Ha’taks are the primary vessels of a Goa’uld System Lord, often the flagship of a particular Lord

Nebuchadnezzar – The Matrix

The Nebuchadnezzar, Morpheus’ ship from The Matrix Trilogy, is comprised of a small crew without much hope – until Ted Theodore Logan from Bill & Ted comes along to save the world from evil machine overlords. This ship can travel at various speeds underground, floating on an electrical output that keeps it in mid air. Its top weapon is an EMP electrical charge, which can knock out all electric devices for several meters.

S. S. Heart of Gold – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy may be the greatest combo of British dry wit (thank you, Douglas Adams) and science fiction to ever grace the printed page. At the heart of this story is the SS Heart of Gold – a state of the art vessel complete with Eddie – its aboard computer with a game show host attitude. Don’t forget Marvin, the manic depressed robot. What’s so special about this ship? It’s Infinite Improbability Drive, which can transport it to any destination, and appear as any number of random objects. This ride is so wild, you’ll need one of Zaphod Beeblebrox’s Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster drinks to survive.