Raced a friend of mine last evening along a very twisty stretch of coast road. I have the current BMW M3 coupe, which is simply the best car I've driven, on any level. My friend, however, was showing off his new Jaguar XK. He couldn't keep up through the twisty bits (nor the straights either )) but when we pulled over and I followed him back, I couldn't believe how stunningly Astonesque it looked. It's back end is so like the DB9/DBS I'm amazed lawsuits haven't followed. I later had a drive and it was effortlessly rapid. I spent most of last night questioning my motives for getting the M3 over this car two years ago, and it was because it had the performance of an asthmatic tortoise. But now, this model, has a hundred horsepower more and a nice 5 litre engine. So I started to think why I shouldn't go for one over the M3 next year, and then I remembered - KIDS! I have two children under four. The M3 coupe has big back seats with legroom for adults, a decent boot. And is a safe place for the kids to be. The Jag has no boot to speak of, it's rear seats are a joke, and then there's BMW vs Jag reliability etc and all the mundaine things that Bond and my single friend don't have to worry about. Then I thought how potent the supercharged version would be, and that it makes more horsepower than Bond's DBS and looks just as stunning. I think the Jaguar XK R would be a great Bond car.
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this is the secret agent's wife! The m3 is not practical, is too fast, too thirsty and too much to service (£1500 for a one off 1st 1000 mile service!!!!!) he drives it far too quickly and even spent £900 having the limiter taken off so it will do 180mph. where the hell can you do 180mph anyway? he was meant to buy something practical and came back with a racing car with 2 small rear seats for the children and a token boot. he also spends to much time on this site. Ciao xxx
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this is the secret agent's wife! The m3 is not practical, is too fast, too thirsty and too much to service (£1500 for a one off 1st 1000 mile service!!!!!) he drives it far too quickly and even spent £900 having the limiter taken off so it will do 180mph. where the hell can you do 180mph anyway? he was meant to buy something practical and came back with a racing car with 2 small rear seats for the children and a token boot. he also spends to much time on this site. Ciao xxx
Ciao.
-{
I've seen angels fall from blinding heights.
But you yourself are nothing so divine.
As Lotus has unveiled the new Esprit at the Paris Auto Salon, I would like to see this as Bond's next transport. The Esprit is set for a 2013 debut, so a 2012 theatrical release of Bond 23 would be perfect timing for product placement. The car was even presented in the right colour:
As the Aston Martins pretty much look the same since DAD, I would welcome a change to another marque. The DBS and One-77 look too much like race cars and lack the necessary elegance of a Bond car.
The new Esprit has a very clean yet powerful appearance, although it is not the design classic like its predecessor. (And the front shouts "Gallardo" a little too loud for my taste.) Still, instead of the current, already boring Astons or fat VW-Bentleys this would make a very, very nice Bond car (especially if outfitted with some decent Q extras other than a defibrillator).
You say that the Aston Martin lacks elegance and is boring... Youre not serious. Are you?
j.bladesCurrently? You must be joking?Posts: 530MI6 Agent
^ Yea the Aston is definetly more elegent a sleeker looking then the lotus, its curves are too steep to really make it as class as the Aston or the Bentley.
"I take a ridiculous pleasure in what I eat and drink."
I say his daily driver should be the DB5 he won in the card game in Casino Royale. It's the only way a civil servant/government employee like James Bond is going to afford anything in the range of the cars you guys are talking about. No way is MI6 going to issue a Bentley or Aston as a daily driver!
Now, 'assignment vehicles' are another story. In CR, he was given the Aston because of his cover as a wealthy playboy entering the high-stakes poker game. Fair enough.
As for Quantum of Solace... I like to imagine that the Aston he was driving belonged to Mr. White, and Bond lifted it out of his garage when he kidnapped him! We're given the impression that the time between the movies is very short, and I don't see MI6 delivering one to Italy for him when his cover as a millionaire has been blown, so this explanation makes the most sense to me. Mr. White certainly did have the money and lifestyle to have one sitting around...
As a standard-issue drivearound... i'm gonna go with... Range Rover Sport.
As government reform cuts its way through the public sector, Bond was less than happy with Aston Martin's new proposal for MI6...
He tried to call Tanner to complain, but MI6's new phone agreement with the Foreign Office regarding communication cut backs hadn't been thought through as well as expected...
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Bond should not drive a footballer's car like the new Bentley.
I think another Aston would work well and a Porsche would work okay
Aston would work well, but Porsche? A British agent driving a German car? Whatever Bond's car may be, it must come from a British brand (even if it isn't owned by a British company these days).
As for the Bentley being a footballer's car - Fleming's Bond drove Bentleys. I think returning to his roots in Fleming's novels and getting him back in a Bentley is a good thing. Yes, I know that in this day and age, commercial agreements would probably mean that this would never happen but I still long for the day when Bond drives a Bentley on screen, just as he did in the novels.
As government reform cuts its way through the public sector, Bond was less than happy with Aston Martin's new proposal for MI6...
He tried to call Tanner to complain, but MI6's new phone agreement with the Foreign Office regarding communication cut backs hadn't been thought through as well as expected...
Bond should not drive a footballer's car like the new Bentley.
I think another Aston would work well and a Porsche would work okay
Aston would work well, but Porsche? A British agent driving a German car? Whatever Bond's car may be, it must come from a British brand (even if it isn't owned by a British company these days).
As for the Bentley being a footballer's car - Fleming's Bond drove Bentleys. I think returning to his roots in Fleming's novels and getting him back in a Bentley is a good thing. Yes, I know that in this day and age, commercial agreements would probably mean that this would never happen but I still long for the day when Bond drives a Bentley on screen, just as he did in the novels.
Well, if you're invoking the spirit of the novels, the Bentley needs to be about 25-30 years old. Wasn't the Bentley that Bond had rebuilt (wrecked by a foolish millionaire) a 1925 or so?
Maybe a modern Bond would have something like this:
Aston would work well, but Porsche? A British agent driving a German car? Whatever Bond's car may be, it must come from a British brand
It worked for BMW from 97 to 00...
Bond and Aston Martin are hand in glove, as far as I'm concerned, however...if it's down to the highest bidder from a product placement point of view...
Jaguar Land Rover are hitting record sales and pulling in the biggest profits in decades since being shed from Ford and given a free reign under the Indian Tata Group. The Castle Bromwich plant that was ear marked for closure is having to stay open to keep up with demand from China - the world's biggest single market.
Lotus are gearing up for a multi-product launch in 2011/12 that will see the return of the Esprit. Lotus are owned by Malaysian company Proton, which again has a ready access into the east Asian market.
I would prefer Bond to stay in an Aston, which is also majority British-owned so he really would be flying the flag, but it's a consortium of investors and in today's "money talks" world, I fear they may loose out.
Considering people would rather see Bond driving an Aston Martin, I feel it would be nice to see him driving a Lotus again after last driving one over 30 years and 11 films ago. The suggestion I'm going to put forward is going to have me lynched but what about a Skoda Fabia? Not as the main vechile, but one which he would have no choice but to use in order to do a runner from the villains, much like the Citroen 2CV out of For Your Eyes Only.
That's a good looking car indeed, what's with the name? EFIJY? Blegh!
Thunderbird 2East of Cardiff, Wales.Posts: 2,779MI6 Agent
Personally, I'd be quite happy to see both thr Aston and the Lotus in one Bond film, I love the DBS, and the new Espirit looks impressive.
Only problem with some of these super futuristic looking ideas on the table, if any do end up in the film, I'll expect to see FAB 1 buzzing about in the background of the chase sequences!
The art deco car looks nice, but its too retro in some ways. Makes me think of The Rocketeer, or perhaps the classic episodes of the Animated Batman series.
This is Thunderbird 2, how can I be of assistance?
The art deco car looks nice, but its too retro in some ways. Makes me think of The Rocketeer, or perhaps the classic episodes of the Animated Batman series.
You have a point but with careful writing, this car could look quite stylish in a Bond movie.
I've never thought Lotus was right for Bond - most of what has been made up until the Elise was cheap and nasty, and was really only popular because they were cheap (in comparison to the competition) and British. I owned an Excel and an Eclat and while both brought a smile to your face on a quiet country road, both spent as long in the garage being mended as they did on my drive. True, these were old school Lotus, but it's what I and most people who have been there think of - drooping headlining, the smell of glue when hot, poor electrics, unreliable engines, parts from other car firm's parts bins... Lotus are no longer British owned and will now have Toyota and Lexus engines in the company's new 5 car plan over the next four years. Whilst the new car designs look impressive in their mock-up form, engines which appear in a Toyota Corolla don't sound exotic to me, however much they are tuned...
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As for the Bentley being a footballer's car - Fleming's Bond drove Bentleys. I think returning to his roots in Fleming's novels and getting him back in a Bentley is a good thing. Yes, I know that in this day and age, commercial agreements would probably mean that this would never happen but I still long for the day when Bond drives a Bentley on screen, just as he did in the novels.
I was referring specifically to the new bentleys, such as the Bentley Continental which I believe is most popular with english footballers and other bling-obsessed philestines.
Obviously the old Bentleys of the novels and the film Dr No, were near perfect for Bond's character at the time, but the new bentleys are a million miles away.
“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to a better understanding of ourselves.” - Carl Jung
I was referring specifically to the new bentleys, such as the Bentley Continental which I believe is most popular with english footballers and other bling-obsessed philestines.
Obviously the old Bentleys of the novels and the film Dr No, were near perfect for Bond's character at the time, but the new bentleys are a million miles away.
You have a valid point there. The thing is, though, just because it is now the popular choice of British footballers doesn't make Bentleys any less "classy" than they once were, in my opinion. I certainly don't subscribe to the Jeremy Clarkson "Cool Wall" where as soon as a footballer drives one, it becomes "uncool". I wouldn't mind seeing Bond in an old Bentley, but I do want Bond back in a Bentley, new or old.
Comments
~ Casino Royale, Ian Fleming
-Casino Royale, Ian Fleming
http://apbateman.com
http://apbateman.com
Ciao.
-{
But you yourself are nothing so divine.
Just next in line.
As the Aston Martins pretty much look the same since DAD, I would welcome a change to another marque. The DBS and One-77 look too much like race cars and lack the necessary elegance of a Bond car.
The new Esprit has a very clean yet powerful appearance, although it is not the design classic like its predecessor. (And the front shouts "Gallardo" a little too loud for my taste.) Still, instead of the current, already boring Astons or fat VW-Bentleys this would make a very, very nice Bond car (especially if outfitted with some decent Q extras other than a defibrillator).
More and larger photos:
http://www.automobilesreview.com/pictures/lotus-esprit-paris-2010/lotus-esprit-paris-2010-01.html
~ Casino Royale, Ian Fleming
Now, 'assignment vehicles' are another story. In CR, he was given the Aston because of his cover as a wealthy playboy entering the high-stakes poker game. Fair enough.
As for Quantum of Solace... I like to imagine that the Aston he was driving belonged to Mr. White, and Bond lifted it out of his garage when he kidnapped him!
As a standard-issue drivearound... i'm gonna go with... Range Rover Sport.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wKfpPrRVIo
I think another Aston would work well and a Porsche would work okay
He tried to call Tanner to complain, but MI6's new phone agreement with the Foreign Office regarding communication cut backs hadn't been thought through as well as expected...
http://apbateman.com
Aston would work well, but Porsche? A British agent driving a German car? Whatever Bond's car may be, it must come from a British brand (even if it isn't owned by a British company these days).
As for the Bentley being a footballer's car - Fleming's Bond drove Bentleys. I think returning to his roots in Fleming's novels and getting him back in a Bentley is a good thing. Yes, I know that in this day and age, commercial agreements would probably mean that this would never happen
Love it!
Well, if you're invoking the spirit of the novels, the Bentley needs to be about 25-30 years old. Wasn't the Bentley that Bond had rebuilt (wrecked by a foolish millionaire) a 1925 or so?
Maybe a modern Bond would have something like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1991-ORIG-59K-MILES-17-CHROME-RIMS-LEATHER-HEADLINER-/180584469347?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2a0bac5363
James Bond + Aston Martin = :x
Bond and Aston Martin are hand in glove, as far as I'm concerned, however...if it's down to the highest bidder from a product placement point of view...
Jaguar Land Rover are hitting record sales and pulling in the biggest profits in decades since being shed from Ford and given a free reign under the Indian Tata Group. The Castle Bromwich plant that was ear marked for closure is having to stay open to keep up with demand from China - the world's biggest single market.
Lotus are gearing up for a multi-product launch in 2011/12 that will see the return of the Esprit. Lotus are owned by Malaysian company Proton, which again has a ready access into the east Asian market.
I would prefer Bond to stay in an Aston, which is also majority British-owned so he really would be flying the flag, but it's a consortium of investors and in today's "money talks" world, I fear they may loose out.
http://apbateman.com
Only problem with some of these super futuristic looking ideas on the table, if any do end up in the film, I'll expect to see FAB 1 buzzing about in the background of the chase sequences!
The art deco car looks nice, but its too retro in some ways. Makes me think of The Rocketeer, or perhaps the classic episodes of the Animated Batman series.
You have a point but with careful writing, this car could look quite stylish in a Bond movie.
http://apbateman.com
Anyone who has read fellow AJB'er Leoffolwolz's novel Blood and Ashes will now be looking at Oscar Jade's new ride.
http://apbateman.com
I was referring specifically to the new bentleys, such as the Bentley Continental which I believe is most popular with english footballers and other bling-obsessed philestines.
Obviously the old Bentleys of the novels and the film Dr No, were near perfect for Bond's character at the time, but the new bentleys are a million miles away.
Believe or not, this vechicle made it's debut in 2005.
This is why:
1953-1956 FJ Holden
You have a valid point there. The thing is, though, just because it is now the popular choice of British footballers doesn't make Bentleys any less "classy" than they once were, in my opinion. I certainly don't subscribe to the Jeremy Clarkson "Cool Wall" where as soon as a footballer drives one, it becomes "uncool". I wouldn't mind seeing Bond in an old Bentley, but I do want Bond back in a Bentley, new or old.