RE: James Bond's new car: PH Blog
Discussion
The problem with a MINI is that they're just too... camp, I suppose. The whole point of James Bond is that he's always ridiculously testosterone fuelled. I guess they could get away with using a MINI in the same way they used a 2CV in whichever film it was where the Esprit got blown up - as a girl's car he has the comic misfortune to have to drive. 
Impasse said:
The Crack Fox said:
This, and only this, would cut the mustard.
You only have to look through the pages of PH.http://www.pistonheads.com/lotus/default.asp?story...
silvermog said:
Matt Bird said:
Apologies, I've only just got round to reading it! It's still the latest Bond story though, right? I didn't say brand spanking new. Plus talking about Bond cars is always good fun, and I'd not driven quite a few of the cars discussed a year ago either.
Check the cover again then, its William not Ian Boyd ...
Keeping it strictly to the Bond theme and moving away from Aston Martin is no mean feat. I think the requisites have to be:
1) British
2) Luxury, but not flashy
3) Fast
4) Robust (they got away with the Lotus because it was destined to go underwater, an Aston was always going to be too heavy)
5) Reasonable handling (not too good as it wants to be a bit lary in the chases)
For early incarnations of Bond, The Bentley Blower was spot on and I can definitely see a Jensen FF working for him in the 60's, possibly more than a DB5. A Jag E-type was too flashy and maybe too fragile and into the 80's the Louts worked, but would not have sustained a whole mission of chases with the fibreglass body (light but not knock resistant).
As for cars from the present, again the Aston range is totally suited but the Bentley Continental in any format is a bit too 'Cheshire WAG' for our hero. A Mulsanne is OK, but expensive to replace/repair.
I also think that my criteria above rules out McLaren (too light, not bash resistance), Noble and any current range Lotus. Morgan? maybe too old school and definitely not going to cut it when scraping down the side of the villains getaway car. Any Rolls Royce is going to draw attention immediately and could only be used when the applicable Ambassador or luxury hotel chain picks him up from the airport.
I just wish they still produced Britols, as I think they are the prefect alternative for him - maybe a Fighter? (plenty of leg for the girl to show attempting to get out of one!!). Difficult choice, but I come back every time to the F-type with lots of SVO 'extras'.
1) British
2) Luxury, but not flashy
3) Fast
4) Robust (they got away with the Lotus because it was destined to go underwater, an Aston was always going to be too heavy)
5) Reasonable handling (not too good as it wants to be a bit lary in the chases)
For early incarnations of Bond, The Bentley Blower was spot on and I can definitely see a Jensen FF working for him in the 60's, possibly more than a DB5. A Jag E-type was too flashy and maybe too fragile and into the 80's the Louts worked, but would not have sustained a whole mission of chases with the fibreglass body (light but not knock resistant).
As for cars from the present, again the Aston range is totally suited but the Bentley Continental in any format is a bit too 'Cheshire WAG' for our hero. A Mulsanne is OK, but expensive to replace/repair.
I also think that my criteria above rules out McLaren (too light, not bash resistance), Noble and any current range Lotus. Morgan? maybe too old school and definitely not going to cut it when scraping down the side of the villains getaway car. Any Rolls Royce is going to draw attention immediately and could only be used when the applicable Ambassador or luxury hotel chain picks him up from the airport.
I just wish they still produced Britols, as I think they are the prefect alternative for him - maybe a Fighter? (plenty of leg for the girl to show attempting to get out of one!!). Difficult choice, but I come back every time to the F-type with lots of SVO 'extras'.
cookie1600 said:
Keeping it strictly to the Bond theme and moving away from Aston Martin is no mean feat. I think the requisites have to be:
1) British
2) Luxury, but not flashy
3) Fast
4) Robust (they got away with the Lotus because it was destined to go underwater, an Aston was always going to be too heavy)
5) Reasonable handling (not too good as it wants to be a bit lary in the chases)
For early incarnations of Bond, The Bentley Blower was spot on and I can definitely see a Jensen FF working for him in the 60's, possibly more than a DB5. A Jag E-type was too flashy and maybe too fragile and into the 80's the Louts worked, but would not have sustained a whole mission of chases with the fibreglass body (light but not knock resistant).
As for cars from the present, again the Aston range is totally suited but the Bentley Continental in any format is a bit too 'Cheshire WAG' for our hero. A Mulsanne is OK, but expensive to replace/repair.
I also think that my criteria above rules out McLaren (too light, not bash resistance), Noble and any current range Lotus. Morgan? maybe too old school and definitely not going to cut it when scraping down the side of the villains getaway car. Any Rolls Royce is going to draw attention immediately and could only be used when the applicable Ambassador or luxury hotel chain picks him up from the airport.
I just wish they still produced Britols, as I think they are the prefect alternative for him - maybe a Fighter? (plenty of leg for the girl to show attempting to get out of one!!). Difficult choice, but I come back every time to the F-type with lots of SVO 'extras'.
He drove the Bentley because it was cheap and old though. In true keeping, Bond of today needs to be tooling about in a late 80's car.1) British
2) Luxury, but not flashy
3) Fast
4) Robust (they got away with the Lotus because it was destined to go underwater, an Aston was always going to be too heavy)
5) Reasonable handling (not too good as it wants to be a bit lary in the chases)
For early incarnations of Bond, The Bentley Blower was spot on and I can definitely see a Jensen FF working for him in the 60's, possibly more than a DB5. A Jag E-type was too flashy and maybe too fragile and into the 80's the Louts worked, but would not have sustained a whole mission of chases with the fibreglass body (light but not knock resistant).
As for cars from the present, again the Aston range is totally suited but the Bentley Continental in any format is a bit too 'Cheshire WAG' for our hero. A Mulsanne is OK, but expensive to replace/repair.
I also think that my criteria above rules out McLaren (too light, not bash resistance), Noble and any current range Lotus. Morgan? maybe too old school and definitely not going to cut it when scraping down the side of the villains getaway car. Any Rolls Royce is going to draw attention immediately and could only be used when the applicable Ambassador or luxury hotel chain picks him up from the airport.
I just wish they still produced Britols, as I think they are the prefect alternative for him - maybe a Fighter? (plenty of leg for the girl to show attempting to get out of one!!). Difficult choice, but I come back every time to the F-type with lots of SVO 'extras'.
kambites said:
The problem with a MINI is that they're just too... camp, I suppose. The whole point of James Bond is that he's always ridiculously testosterone fuelled. I guess they could get away with using a MINI in the same way they used a 2CV in whichever film it was where the Esprit got blown up - as a girl's car he has the comic misfortune to have to drive.
I tried to find the least camp colour scheme on a MINI (all black)! MINIs have a good history for being used in movie car chases (both Italian Jobs, The Bourne Identity, even Austin Power's dad (Michael Caine) had one in the otherwise apalling Austin Powers 3)! Jason Statham managed to pull one off in the Italian Job remake! Actually, in the novel previous to "Solo" (can't remember the name but I think it was written by Jeffrey Deaver), Bond drove a Continental GT (bad choice IMO) and for some reason swapped cars with the heroine at one point, who had a MINI Cooper S. He liked it apparently. Later in the book, (in South Africa I think), he borrowed an Impreza WRX!white_goodman said:
The film could feature a city chase, where agility is more important than outright power and I'm sure Russ Swift could get one sliding round nicely! Yes, I know that MINI is owned by BMW but isn't it still a British engineered car? (plus the majority of non-PHer cinema-goers still think MINIs are made by Austin Rover). When I sold new MG Rovers back in 2004, a girl I met on holiday asked me if I could do her a good deal on a new MINI! Erm, no. Admittedly, not such a cult car over here (Canada) but I was driving to work with the guy I car pool with the other day (he's in his 50s) and we passed a BINI and he said, oh look, an Austin Mini!
- shakes head*
top bloke, the owner of that one.
as for Mr Bond's new car, McLaren P1 - best of British and as he works for Universal Exports, he should be trying to improve the balance of payments by showcasing the very best of Britain.
DonkeyApple said:
He drove the Bentley because it was cheap and old though. In true keeping, Bond of today needs to be tooling about in a late 80's car.
Surely, the Cerbera almost meets this and a lot of other criteria mentioned here. Reliability naysayers be damned, Q supplied Lotus in the past.
Andy JB said:
Preferably something British to keep the flag flying in full.
So that rules out Jaguar, Rolls, Bentley, and Aston for a start. You never know its so far away to the next film it could be the new awaited TVR!! Failing that a Noble, McLaren or even a modern Morgan are the obvious choices.
Personally I think the Lotus Evora would be a good choice while funding the UK deficit - or is that not British owned these days?
You are joking? Or have a massively overdeveloped sarcasm gene? I don't think Lotus has been British owned since the 80s - first it was sold to GM, then to a Romano Artioli company, then to Proton, and Proton was sold to another Malaysian company, DRB-Hicom, a couple of years back.So that rules out Jaguar, Rolls, Bentley, and Aston for a start. You never know its so far away to the next film it could be the new awaited TVR!! Failing that a Noble, McLaren or even a modern Morgan are the obvious choices.
Personally I think the Lotus Evora would be a good choice while funding the UK deficit - or is that not British owned these days?
LotusEspritTurbo said:
The new Lotus Evora GTE, which is out soon. Looks as mean as hell!
Is it out soon? I thought it was "out soon" in 2012, back in those heady days of such wisely-chosen brand ambassadors as SwizzBeatz, Brian May and Naomi Campbell.For the avoidance of doubt, I would love it if they did launch it as a roadcar. The Evora S is savagely rapid enough, mind you. And to the chap who said it was too girlie, do go and drive one.
DonkeyApple said:
He drove the Bentley because it was cheap and old though. In true keeping, Bond of today needs to be tooling about in a late 80's car.
Great! Then a late model Bristol 603, maybe a Brigand. Quirky enough for Bond, robust enough to swipe the baddies Audi A6 off a mountain and plenty of space for all the Q branch extras (the front wing mounted spare wheel would have to go to make room for a decent rocket launcher). Fast enough but still with that slightly understated luxury and the henchman won't instantly recognize what it is in the rear view mirror. It would still get him into all the best hotel car parks and you could cruise across Europe in comfort knowing the tax payer was picking up the (vast) fuel bill.
Distinct but not flashy, slightly geeky but yet still cool, elegant, fast and very, very British.
Schurly the right car and no mishtake Moneypenny?
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