Editorial : October 28, 2008
You know the name, you know the number. In what is cinema’s longest running and arguably most loved franchise, James Bond has become synonymous with high-octane adventure, gorgeous women, and exotic cars. Ever since Sean Connery ripped up the road with his modified 1963 Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger, automotive enthusiasts have been foaming at the mouth to see what the British super spy will be driving next. In anticipation of the upcoming awkwardly titled Bond adventure, Quantum of Solace, National Speed has compiled a list of its favorite Bond cars for your eyes only.
5) 1971 Ford Mustang Mach-1 from Diamonds are Forever. Driven by Sean Connery in a chase through the Vegas Strip, the Mach-1 was the first vehicle to ever be filmed doing the “driving on only two wheels” stunt. Now everybody drives their cars like that (my mom goes to the grocery store on two wheels just for kicks) but remember Bond did it first, and nobody does it better.
4) 2002 Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day. While it may be featured in the worst Bond movie since Moonraker, the Aston Martin Vanquish is an amazing car deserving of a better Bond than Pierce Brosnan. Capable of turning invisible, flipping upside down, and launching rockets (in the movie of course), the Vanquish was a fitting automobile to celebrate Bond’s 20th cinematic outing.
3) 1977 Lotus Espirit from The Spy Who Loved Me. Why stick to the roads when you can drive underwater? In one of the best chase sequences in Bond history, Roger Moore outruns a group of really bad guys by driving his white Lotus Espirit into the water, which then turns into a heavily armed submarine. What I wouldn’t give to be able to do that during Hurricane evacuation traffic in Wilmington.
2) 1979 Gondola from Moonraker. Anybody can drive a car, but it takes a highly trained super spy to drive a Gondola. Featured in Roger Moore’s embarrassing Moonraker, Bond rampages through the streets of some exotic country I’m too lazy to wiki in a seemingly innocuous Gondola. However, this is James Bond we’re talking about, so of course the seemingly innocuous Gondola transforms into a hovercraft. Ridiculous? Of course. Would we want to drive one? Absolutely.
1) 1963 Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger. Sure, it’s the obvious choice, but that’s because it’s the only choice. Anyone that doesn’t think this is one of the most beautiful cars on the planet obviously left their brain in their other pants (I’m not sure what that means but it sounded good). Not only does the DB5 come stock with 282 bhp, you also have the option of installing an oil slick, tire shredders, dual front mounted machine guns, and the infamous ejector seat. Quite possibly the coolest car ever made.