Finding new ways to entertain yourself can be challenging while at home every day. Lets face it, most of us are going to be watching a lot of television. Instead of letting the hours pass you by with late-night shopping commercials and mind-numbing reality shows, invest the time in something worthwhile. The James Bond franchise is a favourite of the FitMyCar office and has kept much of the staff occupied while stuck inside over the weekends. In fact, there’s been growing debate in the office over just which Bond car is the greatest of all time. Here is what the team had to say:
7. The 1974 AMC Hornet X
The AMC Hornet might not seem like your average Bond car, and that’s because it isn’t. The Hornet proved you didn’t need weapons and expensive gadgetry to become immortalised on the screen. In this case, it took one of the most spectacular stunts in all of 007 history – a mid-air barrel roll across a river in 1974’s The Man With The Golden Gun.
6. The 2002 Aston Martin Vanquish
2002’s Die Another Day was filled with ridiculous gadgets and devices, arguably none more so the Aston Martin ‘Vanish’ Vanquish fitted with an invisibility-cloaking function. This didn’t stop us from loving it though, especially throughout the 7-minute car chase on ice it features in. The Jaguar XKR it trades blows with is almost just as special.
5. The 1999 BMW Z8
The mighty Aston Martin wasn’t always 007’s vehicle of choice and the 90’s saw Bond step into a number of well-equipped BMWs. None excited us more than the Z8 from The World is Not Enough, which came with its own surface-to-air missile launcher and even “six cup holders”. Unfortunately it didn’t last long, and was sawed in half before we could ever see it in full flight. Ouch.
4. The 1985 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Aston Martin made a triumphant return after an 18-year Bond hiatus in 1987’s The Living Daylights at the hands of Timothy Dalton. The V8 Vantage model came with lasers, missiles, tire spikes and even jet propulsion making it perfect for the iconic snow-chase it features in. The Vantage looks set to make a comeback in this year’s No Time to Die, and can be seen if you look close enough in the movie’s trailer.
3. The 1967 Toyota 2000GT
Toyota worked a deal with the studio producing 1967’s You Only Live Twice to include the 2000GT as it’s halo car. Neither party realised that Sean Connery would be too tall to fit inside, which led to them removing sections of the roof and transforming it into a targa model. Even this wasn’t enough, and the only convertible 2000GT in existence was born. The bespoke model may not have the gadgets, but it has more than enough style, and that’s enough for us.
2. The 1976 Lotus Esprit S1
In the mid-70’s Lotus didn’t have the exciting appeal that other European manufacturers did. PR boss Don McLaughlin knew a role in the upcoming Bond film would surely change this, so he took an unreleased Esprit coupe, removed all of it’s badges and parked it outside the Bond producer’s building (the car was so low it drove straight under the security gate). The rest is history, and the Esprit became one of the most iconic Bond cars in history, first appearing in 1975’s The Spy Who Loved Me. Dubbed “Wet Nellie”, the car was capable of transforming into a fully-functioning submarine.
1. The 1963 Aston Martin DB5
What else could be number one but the silver 1963 Aston Martin DB5? The iconic sports car will always be associated with 007 and first appeared alongside him in 1964’s Goldfinger which is often regarded as the greatest Bond film of all. Fitted with pop-up machine guns, an ejector-seat and more, the car wowed audiences of the time and still puts a smile on them today with appearances in many of the current Daniel Craig-era movies. It will forever embody what James Bond is known for – being just as classy as he is lethal.
