Finally, it’s almost here – Rogue One, the latest installment of the Star Wars franchise, hits theaters this Friday, giving all us Force Nerds a fresh opportunity to dive headlong back into the universe of Jedi heroes, evil Sith Lords, space combat, and lots of good ‘ole fashioned pew pew. Personally, I cannot wait to see it, especially with the return of one of the greatest villains in the history of cinema – Darth Vader. I mean, come on… the mask, the gnarly black armor, the way he’ll choke you out with his freakin’ mind… which got us thinking – if Darth Vader was a gear head, what would he drive?

Of course, when you’ve got the kind of pull that Vader enjoys, being the number two in a Galactic Empire and all, you shouldn’t limit yourself when it comes to personal transport. So with that in mind, we put together a short list of some of the four-wheeled machines that would complement a light saber-wielding cyborg death dealer bent on dominating entire star systems.

Speed, presence, ruthlessness… these are the characteristics we were looking for. Each entry has a bit of the Dark Side infused in the sheet metal, plus enough power under the hood to destroy an entire planet. These are the automotive technological terrors that would do Palpatine proud.

So climb outta that hyperbaric chamber you were meditating in, and read on.

Continue reading for the cars that Darth Vader would drive.

What Would Darth Vader Drive?

Donkervoort D8 GTO Bare Naked Carbon Edition

This thing is about as menacing as they come. It’s a lightweight, stripped-down, no-nonsense approach to going fast, following a philosophy similar to track specials like the Ariel Atom, Caterham Seven, and KTM X-Bow. The whole thing weighs less than 1,500 pounds, and with a 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder laying down over 380 horsepower, rest assured it’s got the quickness to catch those pesky rebels. And it looks the part too, what with its raw carbon skin and booming side-pipe exhaust. And thanks to its roofless design, any freakishly tall, helmet-wearing Sith Lords should have no problem climbing into the cabin.

Read the full review here.

Nissan GT-R Nismo

Infused with technology from tip to tail, and brutally effective at its job – sounds a little like a certain former apprentice of Obi-Wan Kenobi, don’t ya think? After all, with just 2.9 seconds required to hit 60 mph and a Nurburgring lap time a few ticks above seven minutes, you could call the Nissan GT-R Nismo impressive… most impressive. The beating mechanical heart of this thing is a hand-built, twin-turbo, 3.8-liter V-6, which sends 600 horsepower and 481 pound-feet of torque to the ground by way of a high-performance AWD system. Put it in launch mode, floor the loud pedal, and get mashed into your seat with a master-level Force Push.

Read the full review here.

Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

Well of course we had to throw at least one example of Detroit’s demon kitty into this list. I mean, it’s a 707-horsepower destroyer-of-rubber – if ever there was an evil muscle car, it would carry a Hellcat badge, right? In this case, the Charger gets the nod over the Challenger, given the four-door’s front fascia looks remarkably similar to a storm trooper helmet. In fact, Dodge did a product tie in last year with the Charger Hellcat Star Wars Edition. And that’s a good thing, because if tradition holds true, you’ll never actually hit anything while driving.

Read the full review here.

Lamborghini Centenario

If looks could kill, the Lamborghini Centenario would be the Empire’s latest weapon of war. I mean, it looks like it was styled after a pack of razor blades, with every end sharpened into some kind of hard edge.

Even the cockpit looks like it belongs in a space fighter. And that’s fitting, considering this thing is basically a rocket ship, what with 770 horsepower howling from the naturally aspirated V-12 engine mounted behind the driver. It’s also ludicrously expensive at $1.9 million a piece, and highly exclusive with only 40 examples produced, but that’s no big deal when you’re ruling the galaxy with an iron fist.

Read the full review here.

Hennessey Venom GT

The Hennessey Venom GT was built for one purpose – to conquer all those that opposed it as the world’s fastest production vehicle. Essentially a Lotus Exige stuffed with a twin-turbo 7.0-liter V-8, the Venom GT puts down 1,451 horsepower at the rear wheels in its latest spec. As you might imagine, that makes this 2,743-pound monster rather quick – 60 mph is demolished in 2.4 seconds, 100 mph in 4.4 seconds, and 200 mph in 12.8 seconds. Top speed is over 280 mph. Suddenly, light speed doesn’t seem all that far off…

Read the full review here.

Peugeot 2008 DKR16

Insane sports cars that stand just millimeters off the ground are all well and good, but you know, the Rebel Alliance doesn’t always stick with paved surfaces. Whether it’s blasting over dunes on Tatooine, storming the ice boulders of Hoth, or repelling an incursion on the forest moon of Endor, sometimes what you really need is massive suspension travel, endless torque, and laser-proof reliability. Enter the Peugeot 2008 DKR16, an SUV specially prepped for competition in one of the most difficult auto races ever conceived (on Earth, at least) – the Dakar Rally. Making this thing go is a mid-/rear-mounted 3.0-liter twin-turbo oil burner making 350 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of twist, while in the corners is rubber meaty enough to roll over a full-grown Hutt with ease.

Read the full review here.