Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Awesome James Bond 
Cars 1977-2002
SPECIAL EDITION

Q Car Link List

I noticed something about myself recently, while shivering in anticipation of the new James Bond flick.

I really, really look forward to the new toys handed out to Bond by Q. And I thought - maybe others do too.


Not too long ago, to celebrate the new Skyfall movie barreling towards us, I wrote a post concerning James Bond and his beloved Aston Martin DB5. 


I didn't go into lot of detail because this car has been written about countless times. Well, the response to that article has been enormous, and we have about two months until Skyfall hits theaters.

So why not cover some more James Bond Cars?

I picked my favorites and made a list here. I tease the British about putting James Bond in a German car, but the facts are simple. 

After License to Kill, and a six year hiatus, Bond productions needed a new car. The English car companies were in shambles, so BMW stepped up to the plate with three brand new models starting in 1995. 


Another fact is glaringly simple, as well. The garage chase scene in Tomorrow Never Dies with the 750i is one of the most exciting stunts in cinematic history.

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There is no schedule here, other than this list will be finished before Skyfall opens. When a car turns to red, the new article is finished. 


Cool Cars From Q....


1. 1976 Lotus Esprit S1 (The Spy Who Loved Me 1977

It had been a while since Q had given Bond a new car...and everyone knew it. 

Colin Chapman, head of the Lotus company, parked his brand new design - the S1 - outside of the Bond Production Studios in hopes of getting their attention. He did.


2. 1985 Aston Martin Vantage (Living Daylights 1987)

Not many people notice, but there are actually two separate types of Vantages playing one part in Living Daylights.

Shhh, don't ask questions. Just enjoy.


3. 1995 BMW Z3 (GoldenEye 1995)

With only a few minutes of screen time, BMW introduced a new car to the world - the fabulous Z3. And something else important occurred as well. 

Car companies discovered just how effective product placement could be...


4. 1997 BMW 750i (Tomorrow Never Dies 1997)

BMW's flagship luxury boxmobile was an unlikely candidate as a Bond car. 

Until Q showed him what it could do, that is...


5. 1999 BMW Z8 (The World Is Not Enough 1999)

The incredibly beautiful BMW Z8 wasn't ready when production of The World Is Not Enough began. 

What did Bond Studios do? Build perfect replicas, of course. By the friggin' dozen...


6. 2002 Aston Martin Vanquish/Jaguar XKR (Die Another Day 2002)

Die Another Day saw the stakes go up quite a bit. Q did indeed give Bond a new weapons-laden Aston Martin - complete with ejector seat. 

But, alas, the bad guys had caught up on this trick, and had a few surprises of their own with a brand new Jaguar XKR...


BONUS: ZAZ 965

A look at the Zaporozhets from GoldenEye....


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