Magnus Walker+ Hannah Elliott’s Thrilling Car-Focused Short Film “Big Apple Outlaw”
The duo navigate NYC as Walker tests the capabilities of a Lancia Delta Integrale Bastarda
Britain-born custom car designer, driver and collector Magnus Walker garnered attention when championing the beauty and potential of Porsche vehicles—most notably the 911 model. In his newest short film, however, Walker ventures into new territory: filming a non-Porsche vehicle in NYC. The result, Big Apple Outlaw, features Walker and Bloomberg Pursuits auto writer Hannah Elliott driving through the city in Phil Toledano‘s Italian hatchback Lancia Delta Integrale Bastarda.
Shot in January, the video begins with quick cuts of the city streets backed by its familiar soundtrack of honking car horns, sirens and other clatter. The tone shifts as Walker approaches the crouched Lancia, parked on a side street in the Financial District. Its engine’s pleasing roar signals the beginning of Walker’s drive. “I’ve always been attracted to the variety the city offers. I feel that we captured an essence of its soul,” he tells CH.
The drive—shot by Jean Pierre Kathoefer, Claudia Stock, and Ethan Roach—ensues. Night Ryder 1983’s original track “Bastarda” plays as Walker tests the car’s limits in iconic intersections and across several bridges, oftentimes on strangely empty streets. The ’80s-tinged tune and vintage car are highlighted by some moody lighting—creating an overall retro feel.
“I have lived in NYC for 15 years, and since we started dating nearly three years ago, Magnus and I have lived both in NYC and LA, so the time seemed natural to have Magnus do a NYC video,” Elliott tells us. Walker has now filmed his signature videos in NYC, Detroit, LA, Japan, and beyond. “He had wanted to do a ‘Big Apple Outlaw’ video for years but never had the opportunity. Now that he has an apartment and friends and our life together in New York City as well, it seemed like it was high time to do something set in the greatest city in the world.”
Walker and Elliott’s passions for driving persist even in the midst of such a dense metropolis. “My experience is that New Yorkers love cars, even if they don’t drive them often or don’t even have a drivers’ license,” Elliott tells CH. “Cars are beautiful objects that carry emotion and passion, and that translates wherever you go, including NYC. And New York has some of the most iconic scenes in the nation: the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Times Square, etc. We wanted to capture that in a city alive with international spirit, creativity, energy, grit and passion.”
Many of these locations are spotlighted in the short video along with a few of the pair’s personal favorites, including Spiegel, Scarr’s Pizza and Nom Wah Tea Parlor. Part NYC love letter and part city guide, it’s all connected by Toledano’s envy-inducing automobile.
“Magnus has always been about driving, really—in whatever form it takes. He loves and owns Porsches, of course, but he has also owned many other types of cars, including Jaguars, BMWs, Lotus and Superbees,” Elliott says. “For him, when you really boil it down, the love of the car is always about the thrill of the drive, regardless of the brand.”
Images courtesy of Magnus Walker and Hannah Elliott
