Who does not like James Bond? More importantly, who does not like the cars that Agent 007 drives? For decades, we have associated great cars with James Bond. No James Bond movie is complete without the appearance of at least one fast car with a breathtaking design.
Through the years, we have come to know that this Secret Service Agent likes his drinks “shaken, not stirred” and his cars to have a certain level of luxury and power. Very much like his gadgets, the cars he drive stuns the senses of the audience.
With the Designing 007: 50 Years of Bond Style going on at Burj Khalifa from November 14, 2016, to April 30, 2017, we are counting down to the best cars driven by James Bond in the movies. These cars are fast, they are bold and they are elegant.
Here are the best cars that were driven by James Bond since the first movie that was released all the way back in 1962.
Bentley Mark IV Drophead – From Russia with Love (1963)
From Russia with Love was the second James Bond movie and the first one in which we saw the Bentley Mark IV Drophead. This is where it all began. The Bentley Mark IV Drophead used in the movie was a full size luxury car with a 3.5 litre engine with four speed manual transmission. This luxury car had 110 BHP with a top speed of 145 Km/h.
Since this was the first car produced under the Bentley banner after it was acquired by Rolls-Royce, people were fairly surprised with how it looked. It was the personal car of James Bond in the movie. There was a lot of anticipation attached to the reveal of the car and that was doubled when it was featured in From Russia with Love.
Ford Mustang Mach 1 – Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
In Diamonds Are Forever, Bond used a 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1. It may not be as impressive as some of the other cars on our list, but it was definitely a sight to behold in the car chase scene where James Bond flips the car and drives it on two wheels.
The 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 used in the movie was a two door coupe with 5.8 litre V8 engine, 285 BHP and 370 lb-ft of torque. It had 3-speed C4 or C6 automatic transmission. Of course, the design of the Mach 1 was its highlighting feature. Its hood with its dual scoops which were all about the physical beauty. It was definitely a car that performed great and brought a rugged edge to James Bond.
Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II – A View to A Kill (1982)
Although this is not a car that Bond drove himself, but it got major screen time for its great beauty. Used a chauffeur car, this beauty has the classic good looks of the Rolls-Royce brand. The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II used in the movie was the personal vehicle of the film producer. This is a four door saloon that can still be found in some rare collections.
The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II has a 6.0 litre V8 Rolls-Royce engine with a top speed of 183 Km/h. At the time of its release, Rolls-Royce only released 2,417 units at a price of £6,092 which was very, very expensive for that time.
Since James Bond needs a luxury car even when he is being taken from the airport to his hotel, the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II was a fitting car for the purpose. Sadly, there were no car chase scenes with this beauty.
Also read: Sir Tom Jones’ Car Collection – Big Cars for a Big Star
BMWs Used In James Bond Movies
Although, there were many BMWs that were used in the James Bond movies, there were two that really stood out. The first one is BMW Z3 that was featured in the Goldeneye (1995). The Bond movie enthusiasts will remember this car for its amazing slew of gadgets and capabilities including ejector seat, parachute breaking system and the most popular stinger missiles.
Sadly there were no car chase scenes with the BMW Z3 in the movie and we only saw Bond drive it briefly. However, it was one of those cars used in the movies that was also available for the general public and become even more popular.
This sports car is a two door roadster, with 1.8 litre I4 engine with 114 horsepower and 124 lb-ft of torque with choice of automatic and manual transmission. It had a top speed of 194 Km/h and could go from 0 to 60 mph in just 10.1 seconds. The Bond edition was available at the price of USD$35,000.
The movie The World Is Not Enough (1997) featured a BMW Z8, this BMW was not in a car chase, but we did get to see it being chopped in half. This is a roadster with a 4.9 litre V8 engine with 6-speed manual transmission. It came with a price tag of $128,000. The V8 engine is capable of producing 400 horsepower with 370 lb-ft of torque. It had a top speed of 250 Km/h.
Aston Martins – The Cars That Complete James Bond
When it comes to Bond cars, we all instantly think of Aston Martin. Cars by Aston martin have been a prominent feature in almost every James Bond movie. In fact, there have been many prototypes that were created just for these movies.
Here are some of the best Aston Martins that were used in these movies.
Aston Martin DB5 – The Car with Maximum Appearances
Aston Martin DB5 is the iconic James Bond car. It appeared in a total of 7 James Bond movies namely, Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), Goldeneye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Casino Royale (2006), Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015).
This is a grand tourer with a 4.0 litre DOHC Straight Six engine with 282 BHP and 280 lb-ft. It has 5-speed ZF box transmission with the option of Borg-Warner 3-speed automatic transmission. It has a top speed of 230 Km/h and can go from 0 to 60 mph in 8 seconds.
Aston Martin DBS – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
This is one of those iconic Aston Martins that lived up to the hype and the name it created after being featured in a James Bond movie. It actually received a lot of screen time as well, which was great because usually cars don’t get to be in more than one scene.
The Aston Martin DBS has a 4.0 litre DOHC I6 engine with 5-speed manual transmission and option of Borg-Warner automatic transmission.
The engine in the Aston Martin DBS was capable of producing 282 BHP and a torque of 288.0 lb-ft. It is one of those Aston Martins that were highly successful in the real world as well. It actually went on to have two different variations, one of which, the Aston Martin DBS V12 is still one of the best selling cars by the brand.
Also read: Hyper Exotic Cars Owned By Cristiano Ronaldo
Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante – The Living Daylights (1987)
Driven solely by James Bond himself, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante is a convertible that had the usual 007 gadgets attached to it. It had spiked tyres, lasers, missiles extending side outriggers, signal-intercepting smart radio, rocket propulsion, head up display and it could even self-destruct itself when needed.
This was also a grand tourer with 5.3 litre V8 engine. Other than being a Bond car, it was also Britain’s first sports car. It had a top speed of 270 Km/h and could go from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.3 seconds. The V8 engine was capable of producing 403 horsepower and give you great speed.
Sadly it is no longer in production, but we can still find hints of Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante in the new Aston Martin Virage/V8 Vantage.
Aston Martin V12 Vanquish – Die Another Day (2002)
This is one Aston Martin that was involved in a 7 minute long car chase scene and it was a sight to behold. The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish had a V12 engine that was mated to a 6-speed manual gear box. The engine was big and it produced 450 BHP and 400 lb-ft of torque.
When it was featured in Die Another Day, the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish was placed number three on the Best Film Cars Ever and rightly so. In the movie, this car was given some major gadgets including front-firing rockets, spike-producing tires, adaptive camouflage that made it invisible and a lot more. It was definitely the coolest Bond car ever.
The Aston Martin DBS V12 also made two appearances in Casino Royale (2006) and Quantum of Solace (2008).
Aston Martin DB10 – Spectre (2015)
Shown in the recently released Spectre, the Aston Martin DB10 is a sight to behold. Built specially for Agent 007, the Aston Martin DB10 is a grand tourer with 4.7 litre V8 engine. It has a 6-speed manual transmission. Sadly, this is just a concept car, however, a production Aston Martin DB10 was released to the great enthusiasm of the sports car lovers.
The design of the car is definitely sleeker and a lot more futuristic. One of the show cars was sold in February, 2016 for £2.4 million in an auction. It is definitely worth being called a Bond Car.
The Changing Face of James Bond Cars through the Time
Through the years, James Bond cars became faster, sleeker and more advanced. The cars used in the old James Bond movies were mostly sedans, however, in the latest movies, the directors and producers used sports cars with modern technology.
The Designing 007: 50 Years of Bond Style exhibition is still underway at Burj Khalifa where you can enjoy and appreciate the Aston Martin’s used in the James Bond movies. You will also be able to see some great gadgets and weapons that were used in the James Bond Movies.
Don’t miss this chance to see these amazing cars up close!
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