Bond in Motion

If you are a James Bond fan, you probably have your favorite Bond. But do you have your favorite Bond car ?

Let’s face it: James Bond wouldn’t be so cool without his cars. They may not always survive the story, but Bond always does. If the most famous agent in the world has succeeded in his missions, it is often thanks to the vehicles designed by the ingenious “Q”.

Some of the Bond cars are more eye catching than the actor who plays Bond. (Sorry, George Lazenby).

Now there’s a great exhibition, Bond in Motion, which features cars and props from all the 25 James Bond movies, showcasing an impressive 60 years of history.

I’ve visited it last time I was in Brussels and had the time of my life. The cars, helicopters, motorbikes, planes and submarines are surrounded by props, models, set photos and gadgets from the Bond Archive.

When it comes to James Bond cars, Aston Martin is king. The brand has been featured in 11 James Bond movies to date, making it one of the most frequently used car brands in the franchise. In fact, the Aston Martin DB5 is probably the most famous Bond car, ever.

Aston Martin DB5 made its first appearance in the 1964 film “Goldfinger” and has since appeared in several other Bond movies. The car is equipped with various gadgets, including machine guns, a smoke screen, and an ejector seat.

And of course, with the late Sir Sean Connery.

One of the most recognizable cars in film history, the original gadget-laden Aston Martin, worth about USD 25 million famously vanished without trace from a private aircraft hangar in Florida in 1997, never to be seen again.

Daniel Craig, who dragged the Bond franchise to 21 century, is also the Bond which brought back the original silver DB5 to life after five decades. In Skyfall, he even mulls hitting the car’s famous eject button when Judi Dench, aka M continues to annoy him.

I loved his portrayal of James Bond, full of dry humor and charisma. And for me, Judi Dench is the quintessential M.

When attacked by an helicopter with double saws, Pierce Brosnan’s Bond saves the day by firing missiles that were integrated to his BMW Z8. I mean, who doesn’t ?

The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II that was used by Roger Moore’s James Bond in ‘A View to a Kill’ was widely believed to belong to Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli, the producer.

May Day, played by a magnificent Grace Jones, pushes this gorgeous classic car to a lake while Bond is unconscious but Bond survives once again by escaping from the car and breathing the air from one of the tires.

Just another day in the office, right?

Whatever the brand of the car Q equippes Bond, we all know it’s not just a car. In the 1977 film “The Spy Who Loved Me,” Roger Moore’s Bond drove a Lotus Esprit that could transform into a submarine. The car was equipped with torpedoes, depth charges, and other underwater weapons among other things.

One of my favorite Bond car scenes is the Aston Martin Vanquish that featured in Die Another Day. The car had an adaptive camouflage system that made it virtually invisible. Plus, it had the super cool ability to climb ice-stairs and break down ice walls to save the beautiful Jinx.

In Casino Royale, when Craig’s Bond was following the villains who captured Vesper Lyn, the car had to do a flip according the script. However, the car was so stable that no matter what, it refused to flip. In the end, the Special Effects team  fitted the car with an air cannon that utilized pressurized nitrogen to fire a ram out of the bottom of the car and flip it at exactly the right moment.

Casino Royale is also the movie where we learn the exact recipe for the dry martinis Bond loves to drink.

In a deep champagne goblet, pour three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon-peel. Got it?”

The Aston Martin made a heroic comeback in the last movie, No Time to Live. After a heart stopping car chase in the streets of the ancient city of Matera, it is finally cornered in the “Doughnut Square”.

It’s obviously not its official name, but it describes what Bond does in his Aston Martin DB5 moments after being cornered by a phalanx of bad guys. We watch them spray 007 with gunfire in a relentless fusillade. His reply is authentically, deeply Bond. He waits and waits and waits, shrugs and then starts his doughnut routine, turning his car into a war machine.

It doesn’t get better than that.

Below are my favorite Bonds with their favorite cars. Can’t wait to meet the new Bond with his new car.

Any guesses ?