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James Bond Cars |
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The article "With a Loaded Limo" ,
We hope, that the article, written by Valentina Peskova for the
Russian popular magazine "MK-boulevard", issued on Narch 22-28 1999, enlarged and practically
newly illustrated by us with the numerous links to another materials of the theme, will afford
pleasure both Bondiana's admirers and motorists!
It's a fact of common knowledge - his name is Bond, James Bond. He is
a man of many women - he changes them regularly (about sixty ones visited his bed), he likes vodka
with Martini. He is constantly spying upon somebody but is always under control of listeners-in
hidden everywhere in hotels. He is a dread for the secret service in every country. But that's not
the half of the story. The real admirers of the action hero will mention one more his passion -
automobiles.
In the third film "Goldfinger" (1964) we have seen the legendary
Aston Martin DB5. The extraordinaire technicist of 007, mister Q, did his best to improve this
model: light guns, hidden behind the grid of the radiator; the means to produce an obscuring smoke;
bullet-proof windows, ejector-seats; changeable and revolved number plates. In a word - a super
car! (Please, click
here
to know the details! - K.E.))
By the way, in 1965 this model took part in the shooting of
"Thunderball" and has become a classic of the genre forever. In justice to the maker, I should say,
that this automobile was good not only in cinema, but in the real life too. 
(I'd like to add, that DB5 appeared one more time in the prologue
to "Goldeneye", where it took part in competition with the red sport car Ferrari 355GTS, moving
along serpentine road in the mountains. This moment is shown on the pic above. - K.E.)
In the mean time the Bond car was so popular, that the well-known
British company Corgi, specialized in the field of toys' production, issued eight different
collections with the automobile DB5. And every little car cost no less than 1500 pounds.
(In the film "On Her Magesty's Secret Service" George Lazenby drives
another modification of DB-line Aston Martin DBS. However this model, in distinction from its
predecessors, didn't have something interesting from the arsenal of spy equipment only sniper rifle
was hidden in the glove compartment! - K.E.)
By the by, the automobile won the plaudits of film-makers, and in
1987 Aston Martin successfully returned to the screen in the movie
"The Living Daylights" - with the model Volante V8. This time Bond drove the car, overendowed with
lasers and missiles, hidden behind fog-lights. The automobile had the special skates to drove on
snow and its radio-set could hear policemen radio easily. (To see Aston Martin V8 as large as life -
click
here, please! - K.E.)
In 1967 ("You Only Live Twice") James Bond moved to another seat -
Japanese automobile Toyota GT2000. This time he got the colour telecamera, the radiophone and a
special videocassette recorder, switched on every time the unknown voice sounded. That time all
these devices were almost fantastic things. 
In 1971 ("Diamonds Are Forever") the agent drove automobile Ford
Mustang. This car hadn't something outstanding in its arsenal, but despite it the car showed "class"
of a real rodeo in the streets of Las Vegas. In the film you can find a " black swan " - the Bond
car drives in the narrow lane on the right wheels, but drives out it - on the left ones!
In 1973 ("Live And Let Die") the superspy made a vertiginous rolling
in the air, using his AMC Homet. (This stunt was done in another film - "The Man With The Golden
Gun" - K.E.)
In the film "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1978) the Lotus Esprit was
chosen for Bond. This superb car transformed to the special submarine and was equipped with a
periscope, with radar system and with an oil sprayer. By the by, in July of last summer (i.e. in
July of 1998 - K.E.) Lotus Esprit was bought in London auction. Its price was $47000. (You will
find more detailed information about internal design of "Wet Nellie" from the movie, if will click
here! - K.E.)
Some years passed and the common ground was at last achieved: to
continue James Bond's adventures the legendary sport roadster BMW Z3 was used. Despite its small
role in the film "Goldeneye" (1995), very soon this automobile became one of the most popular cars
in Germany. By the by, after this success the engineers from the company Hamann Motosport decided
to prepare the retrofit of the car. For this purpose they added the turbo- pressurization to the 1,9
litres motor. As a result the motor power became bigger by half (from 140 to 200 horsepowers). The
pleasur's price was 12800 DM. However, despite the good conditions of this Bond car you couldn't
watch some film's moments without the irony. For example, BMW Z3 leaves behind a couple of
"Porshes" and "Mersedes SLK": that time this model BMW had only 1,9-litres motor. The serious
version of BMW appeared only in 1997 in Geneva.
The cooperation with BMW was very fruitful. In summer 1997 the film
production company "Metro Goldwin Maier" filmed the 18-th movie about the adventures of greatest
spy. According to the prearrangement with the company-maker, the model BMW 750 iL has become the
official Bond automobile in the film "Tomorrow never dies". (Read our special issue, dedicated to
BMW 750iL! - K.E.)
Besides this car the agent of British Royal Secret Service used the cognominal motorcycle. By the
by, BMW R1200C was the first large motorcycle, produced by BMW-company. In September of 1997 it was
shown in the auto-salon in Frankfurt am Main. BMW-company has done a gift to Bond's antagonists,
providing them the slap-up jeep Range Rover.
With the words "And now - attention, please, 007!" the technician Q
showed the armoured car to Bond. This car can produce the electric shock for unasked guests, speaks
with its owner using the woman voice and drives without driver under remote control from special
pad, placed in the mobile telephone. The super-means for defence are - the six self-directed
missiles, hidden under sunroof, the reserve of spikes for spreading them to destroy the enemies'
vehicles (the Bond car had the means to restore its own tyres - in the case of a blow-out, the
BMW's tyres immediately restore and re-inflate themselves) and two-disk chain cutter, hidden
behind the BMW logo, can shear through steel. Totaling a car after imposing fly from the roof, Bond
returns it to the genius constructor, saying "The keys are in the sparking lock ". Apropos the
accurate number of cars, destroyed during filming is under the secret. However it's known, that
only the scene of flying from the roof and landing in the shop-front on the ground floor took some
cars but without its motors and internal decor.
In the real life 65-years old specialist in the field of special
effects John Stears performs the genius head of Q. His favourite stunts are the ones with the
ejector seats in the car of super-agent. At the first time the master was not sure, that his
thought will come true, however everything was good that time. By the by, it was him, who said the
phrase: "James Bond driving BMW? Never! The agent of British Royal Secret Service will never drive
German car!". But the times have changed and it was clear, that John deeply mistaked.
(In the movie "The World Is Not Enough" Pierce Brosnan uses BMW -
now it's BMW Z8. Read about this model and the details of its usage on our
special Page! - K.E.)
It seems to be strange - to use a theme "The Chase" from the Soviet
action movie for children "The Uncatchable Vengers" as a musical score to the article about James
Bond cars.
Bond Cars:
[Aston Martin DB5]
[Aston Martin V8]
[Lotus Esprit]
[BMW-750iL]
[BMW-Z]
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