Here Is Why The Legend Bruce Lee Needed A Porsche

Bruce Lee was a master of martial arts, an actor, a screenwriter, a director, and a philosopher. He left his mark on the movie business. He became a legend in the movie business, and the way Asian people were portrayed in movies changed because of him. He first appeared on TV in 1966 in “The Green Hornet”, in which he played Kato, the main character's trusted driver and assistant. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the actor was best known for his martial arts movies, like entering the Dragon, Fist of Fury, and Game of Death, which came out after he died. In 1973, the same year he died, his movie Enter the Dragon came out. During his time, Lee enjoyed driving a few of the coolest super sports cars on the road, especially the Porsche 911S Targa. Let's talk more about Bruce Lee's love of sports cars.

Bruce Lee's Dream Was To Own A Sports Car

The actor who had two passports knew what it was like to feel free behind the wheel of a fast and beautiful car. Since he was born in San Francisco, California, it's not surprising that he liked cars, like most Americans. "The Black Beauty" from "The Green Hornet" was one of the coolest cars in Hollywood, and he drove it in his first big TV role. With the money he made from the show, he bought a brand-new Chevy Nova so he could get around town. In 1966, each episode paid $400, so he made a budget and was able to move his family and buy a nice car. People say he didn't like the Nova very much at the time. He never cleaned the car, so it looked dirty all the time. Bruce wanted a badass, power-performance super sports vehicle more than anything else.

When Lee First Drove A Sports Car

Lee's rise to fame was helped by networking, just like it was for many other famous movie stars. He became good friends with Jay Sebring, a well-known hairdresser for Sebring International. Sebring changed how men's hair was cut in the 1960s, and he was paid a lot of money for it. When most haircuts only cost $1 or $2, Jay charged $50 for his. He cut the hair of Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., two of Hollywood's most famous people.

At the Long Beach International Karate Championships in 1964, Jay and Bruce met. Jay put Bruce in touch with the show's producer, who then put Bruce on The Green Hornet. Jay would sometimes let Bruce drive his Shelby Cobra so that Bruce could see what it was like to drive an American sports car because they were such good friends. Bruce used to race the Cobra up and down Los Angeles's famous Mulholland Drive. He loved it, however what he needed was a Porsche 911S Targa since Steve McQueen that was called as the "King of Cool," had one.

Bruce Lee Goes For A Ride In The Porsche

In his 2018 book, Bruce Lee: A Life, Matthew Polly talks about the first time Bruce got to drive his dream bad boy car. Bruce tried out the sports car on August 26, 1968, at Bob Smith's Volkswagen-Porsche store in Hollywood. As soon as he got home, he called McQueen to tell him. The biography says that Lee told Steve, "I'm going to get a Porsche like yours." Then McQueen said, "Hey, Bruce, when I get back, let me take you for a ride in my car." "It's a cool car, but if you don't know what you're doing, it could get you in trouble."

Bruce Goes For A Ride With Steve Mcqueen

Between the end of The Green Hornet in 1967 and Lee's big break in The Big Boss in 1971, they met through a mutual friend named Jay. McQueen was already a famous actor, and Lee looked up to him. "King of Cool" is what most people still call McQueen. Because of his cool attitude, cool demeanour, and calm aura. At his school in Los Angeles, Lee taught Steve McQueen and other actors how to do Jeet Kune Do. He also taught other actors there. After that, they became friends.

McQueen was a great driver and starred in movies like "Bullitt" and "The Great Escape." On the other hand, Lee was considered a bit of a danger on the road. He could have driven in the Grand Prix. Lee thought riding with McQueen in his dream car would be fun, but McQueen planned to scare Lee out of ever wanting a Porsche.

In the book about his life, Bruce Lee: A Life, the trip is called the "ride from hell." McQueen asked Bruce, "Are you ready?" when he got to Mulholland Drive? When Bruce said yes, McQueen took off down the narrow, winding roads. As McQueen sped over the Santa Monica Mountains, shifting gears as the engine screamed in the rear, Bruce remained silent. Bruce didn't say anything as McQueen swerved and drifted the Porsche to the edge of the mountain cliffs. After McQueen turned the Porsche 180 degrees, he saw that Bruce was no longer in the driver's seat. The person who knew much about martial arts had his hands over his head and hid in the footwell.

Bruce Lee Is In The ESPN Documentary "Be Water."

Lee only made four movies before he died, but he had a significant impact on Hollywood. People say that he changed the way movies show Asians. Lee's struggles as an actor and a martial artist will be examined more closely in the ESPN documentary Be Water, which will be offered for the first time on June 7, 2020.