Robert Downey, Jr. is adding “gearhead” to his already impressive resume. In the Max Original Downey’s Dream Cars, a new series premiering June 22 on Max, the superhero actor enlists a team of experts to help him restore and renovate his sizable classic car collection. But the show is more than just a vehicle (pun intended) for Downey to get to play around with cool vintage cars: The goal of the renovations is to make Downey’s fleet more eco-friendly.
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The sustainable message behind Downey’s Dream Cars
It’s more than a car renovation show.
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Courtesy of Warner Bros Discovery.
“We are what we drive, and having amassed a formidable collection of vintage cars over the years, I was a petrol-spewing mess,” Downey said in a press release ahead of the series premiere. The show follows the actor as he works with the team to update six of his cars, making them more efficient and less harmful to the planet while still keeping their classic heart and soul intact. As they hunt down spare parts and learn about the science behind electric and hybrid cars, the team has a little fun along the way too, with plenty of joyrides and off-roading.
Courtesy of Warner Bros Discovery.
“The cars of the ’60s and ’70s just make your heart beat a little faster,” Downey comments in the trailer for the series. According to MotorTrend, the cars featured in the show include a Corvette Stingray convertible, a fifth-gen El-Camino, a Buick Riviera, and a classic Volkswagen bus.
Downey’s Dream Cars is part of the actor’s overall commitment to sustainability, and represents the first production from his company FootPrint Coalition. Launched in 2021, FootPrint Coalition is a venture capital fund that invests in companies developing technology to help reduce the effects of climate change. So far, FootPrint Coalition has seeded a handful of eco-friendly companies that are focused on everything from bio-based alternatives to plastic to upgrading home electric panels.
Downey brings his signature charm and charisma to the show, which, along with getting to see the inside of vintage cars, already makes the series must-watch TV. But the sustainable message underlying all of the episodes is both inspiring and educational: Viewers will learn about electric cars, biodiesel conversions, and how advanced technology can help reduce carbon emissions. Altogether, it’s television that anyone will enjoy — even if they’re not a gearhead just yet.
Stream Downey’s Dream Cars on Max starting June 22 and watch the trailer below. Two episodes will drop every Thursday through July 6.