Cars

GQ&A;: Jordana Brewster

By Oliver Franklin

0 comments Add yours

Like one of the supercars from her film Fast Five, Jordana Brewster could feasibly have been designed by a team of crack (all male) engineers to be the ideal woman. How else do you explain the fact that she's a Brazil-born, Ivy League-educated car obsessive? Ahead of the film's DVD release, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to ask Brewster for her advice on car buying, first dates, and what on earth they're going to call the sixth Fast & Furious film…

GQ.com: You drive a Ford GT 40 in the opening scene of Fast Five. What's your car of choice?
Jordana Brewster: The GT 40 is very sexy. I love sleek cars. But in practical terms, I drive a Range Rover Sport and I love it. For my next car I'd like a Turbo Range Rover Sport, the supercharged one.

What car should a man aspire to?
You want it to be slick but not cheesy. An Aston Martin or the new SLS Mercedes with the gull wing doors. That's a beautiful car.

Can a man get away with a Prius?
Yes, you can! [laughs] Drive the Prius during the week and then have a sports car for the weekend.

Are women really impressed by what men drive?
No, but I think it tells you something about a guy's psychology. If he's rolling around in a Bentley, that says something. Some guys who look like a mess but have these huge spotless garages. [All you can think is] "Wait, you're going to get anal about that?" It's really funny how invested guys get. A car can be sexy, but to go out with a guy because of his car is kind of lame.

What's your own driving like?
I'd actually consider myself an average driver. I have a giant dent on my car bumper that I have yet to get fixed. Driving is about concentration and remaining focused, which in LA is really hard. You're spending so much time in your car. I'm getting better.

What should a man wear on a first date?
Nice shoes are really important. A nice button-down shirt does well and a pair of slacks of jeans - but you don't want to try too hard. No cologne.

What skill should every man have?
To change the smoke detector when it's beeping. [laughs] Handy skills are always impressive - how to change a tyre, that would be good. A sense of direction is also wonderful.

The final scene after the credits seems to be a trailer for another sequel. What would the title be?
I don't know what they'd call it! They should do a thing on Twitter where people guess the name. It hasn't actually been confirmed, and I haven't talked to anyone about it yet.

Who was the best driver on set?
Paul Walker, definitely. He does a lot of driving and he's a car racer on his off time. Vin Diesel is also pretty good. I'd say I'm the worst one.

Vin Diesel and "The Rock" brawl on screen. Was there any conflict between them on set?
No, a scrap between those two would be more like a war! It wouldn't be pretty. There was a lot of build up for that scene. We couldn't wait for them to start filming it so we could all watch.

Where would you recommend we check out in Brazil?
Well if you're in Rio I would check out Angra dos Reis, which is this beautiful beach a couple of hours away. The ocean's crystal blue clear, you can go scuba diving, it's just amazing there.

What are your favourite horror films?
I think the best horror movies are the least graphic. Twin Peaks is just about screwing with your mind. As I kid I was pretty messed up from that. It gave me nightmares for sure.

You studied English at Yale. Can you recommend a great book?
Right now I'm reading the third book in Javier Marias' Tu rostro mañana [Your Face Tomorrow] trilogy. I've got a hundred pages to go, but I really love his writing. I love iBooks for scripts because you get so many, and it's a complete waste of paper. But for books I love the real thing - taking notes and going back and finding them later.

You're in the reboot of Dallas. Are you bringing back big hair and shoulder pads?
I think our goal is to update the show, make it relevant - but they did have some awesome fashion. I was living in Brazil in its heyday. I think I was too young to watch it the first time around but I watched a lot of it on DVD when while we were shooting. I When we were watching the pilot I was sat right in front of Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy and Mary Haden, so I was really nervous. I think they liked it - thankfully!

Fast Five is out on DVD on 5 September. Pre-order it now on Amazon. amazon.co.uk