There are few film characters who have made an entrance quite like James Bond. “The name’s Bond, James Bond,” he says, usually while looking as though he has just wandered away from a tailor’s appointment, a casino table or an extremely dangerous situation. And then there is the car. Because while 007 may have the tuxedo, the Walther PPK and the enviable ability to order a martini “shaken, not stirred”, it is often the machine sitting outside that tells you what sort of trouble is about to begin. Over the decades, Bond’s cars have become characters in their own right, arriving with more gadgets than common sense and possessing an extraordinary tendency to survive explosions, gunfire, international espionage and Bond’s rather enthusiastic approach to depreciation. They have chased villains, escaped assassins, concealed weapons, performed feats that would make an insurance company spontaneously combust and, in some cases, met spectacularly expensive ends. Bond may insist that “nobody does it better”, but his choice of wheels has certainly given him a very good chance of proving it. From elegant British grand tourers and muscular American machinery to discreet German executive saloons and gadget laden sports cars, each machine has brought its own flavour of danger, sophistication and sheer cinematic nonsense to the franchise. So, with the keys apparently left somewhere in Q Branch, here are five of the most iconic cars ever to carry 007 into danger, usually at rather more than the recommended speed.
Aston Martin Vanquish – Die Another Day
The Aston Martin Vanquish arrived in Die Another Day with precisely the sort of attitude you would expect from a Bond car. Beneath its elegant British grand touring shape was a machine built for considerably more than polite Sunday driving. The Vanquish became one of the film’s most memorable cars thanks to its elaborate Q Branch technology, including the famous adaptive camouflage system that allowed Bond to effectively disappear from view. There was also a machine gun, because apparently being invisible was not quite enough. The combination of muscular proportions, V12 performance and Bond’s increasingly ridiculous escape from trouble made the Vanquish one of the defining cars of the Pierce Brosnan era.
Also Read: 5 Iconic James Bond Villain Cars That Stole The Scene
Ford Mustang Mach 1 – Diamonds Are Forever
The Ford Mustang Mach 1 gave Bond something rather different: American muscle with a substantial side order of chaos. Featured in Diamonds Are Forever, the Mustang becomes central to one of the film’s most entertaining car sequences, with Bond using the car to navigate the streets of Las Vegas while being pursued by the authorities. The Mach 1’s aggressive appearance and unmistakable muscle car character suited the film perfectly. It was not refined in the manner of an Aston Martin, but that was rather the point. This was Bond operating in America, and subtlety had apparently taken the evening off.
BMW Z8 – The World Is Not Enough
The BMW Z8 was one of those cars that looked almost too beautiful to be a Bond vehicle, which naturally meant that it was destined for a violent end. Appearing in The World Is Not Enough, the Z8 combined classic roadster proportions with late 1990s German engineering and a selection of Q Branch modifications. Bond’s Z8 came equipped with serious weaponry, including missiles concealed within the car, transforming what looked like an exceptionally handsome open-top sports car into a rather hostile piece of machinery. Its role in the film may have been brief, but the Z8 left an enormous impression, particularly because its destruction demonstrated that even a Bond car can have a fairly short retirement plan.
BMW 750iL – Tomorrow Never Dies
The BMW 750iL in Tomorrow Never Dies proved that a Bond car does not necessarily need to be a sports car to cause considerable trouble. Finished in a suitably discreet executive specification, the 7 Series became a gadget-laden weapon during one of the film’s most memorable sequences. Most famously, Bond controls the car remotely using a mobile phone, allowing him to manoeuvre it through a multi-storey car park while dealing with enemies outside the vehicle. The idea of remotely driving a luxury saloon might sound rather ordinary now, given that modern cars increasingly seem determined to do everything except make the driver a cup of tea, but in 1997 it felt wonderfully futuristic.
Aston Martin DB5 – Goldfinger
And then there is the Aston Martin DB5, the car that effectively established the blueprint for the modern Bond automobile. Introduced in Goldfinger, the DB5 combined elegant British styling with an assortment of gadgets that turned it from a beautiful grand tourer into 007’s personal toolkit on four wheels. Machine guns, an ejector seat, revolving number plates and other modifications gave Bond precisely the sort of unfair advantage he needed. Yet the genius of the DB5 was that it never looked like a gadget. It remained impossibly elegant, proving that the best Bond cars do not need to shout about their abilities. They simply arrive, look magnificent and leave everyone else wondering what just happened.
