The 5 Best James Bond Cars Throughout The Years
The James Bond series of spy films is one that has spanned six decades and counting. Throughout the 60-year history, nine actors have played Bond in 25 official EON productions (including No Time To Die).
Each actor who has portrayed our beloved British super spy has his own interpretation about what 007 should be—from being more aggressive to being more refined, from being darker to being funnier. And each of these interpretations is not bad at all because it gives us different feels for this legendary character.
For the purpose of this article though, we’ll just focus on how his cars have changed throughout the years.
As Bond movies are not primarily car movies, let’s just pinpoint the James Bond cars that have always appeared in every single film since Casino Royale 2006.
This is a list of the best 007’s cars:
Table of Contents
1. Aston Martin DB10 (Spectre 2015)
The Aston Martin DB10 is a unique car that was first seen in Spectre. It’s built specifically for the film, making it one of the rarest cars ever made by Aston Martin. Because this car doesn’t have an official model name yet, it will be called DB10 from now on.
What makes this car really stand out is that not only are there ten units of this car available for purchase but its design resembles characteristics of both an old and new DB5 (the 1967 movie Goldfinger). This way, the EON Productions wanted to pay homage to six decades of Bond films while also adopting Aston Martin’s latest technology. And oh boy did they succeed!
For instance, you’ll see a rectangular grille similar to those found on DB7s and DB2/4s, but the overall silhouette is quite sporty compared to its predecessors. The rear of the car has rounder lights more typical on Aston Martins, and there are small winglets at both ends of the rear end that remind of mid-60s classics.
2. Lotus Espirit S1 (The Spy Who Loved Me 1977)
Bond’s Lotus Espirit S1 is another car that has made a strong impression in the James Bond franchise. This amphibious vehicle not only looks good—it also goes underwater with ease!
The amazing thing about this car isn’t its power but its ability to sink all the way underwater while protecting its passengers, including 007 himself. How deep can this car go? It can withstand depths of a few feet below sea level.
When it comes to extra features, there are no other cars better than the Lotus Espirit S1. You have an electronic license plate that changes when the headlights do, front ends that slide down for underwater driving, and even wipers to remove seaweed from the windshield!
3. BMW Z8 (The World Is Not Enough 1999)
One of the best sports cars ever made by BMW, this vehicle is an absolute beauty. The first time we see it in the movie, Bond was looking for Elektra King then he later used it to chase her.
What’s special about this car? For one thing, it has a retractable top like all convertibles do (or at least should!) but what makes the Z8 stand out is its engine—a 4.9-liter V8 with 400 horsepower! And if you ever wanted to drive this beauty underwater, feel free to do so because even though there are no doors or windows that can close, you’ll be safe inside!
4. Citroen 2CV (For Your Eyes Only 1981)
What could be more inconspicuous than a car that can easily blend into big crowds?
No, this isn’t the only vehicle that Bond used in For Your Eyes Only but it’s one of them (he also has a Peugeot 504). It doesn’t sport any gadgets as most other cars do—there are no missiles or machine guns attached to it—but there’s something about the Citroen 2CV that makes it memorable. Perhaps it’s its appearance: all black with white stripes on top and at the back, looks like an old-fashioned hearse? Or perhaps people just remember how 007 drives this car to escape from two men who were chasing him.
Nonetheless, what you should know is that James May of the British TV show, Top Gear tried to drive one of these cars. Tough luck for May, he failed!
5. Aston Martin DB5 (Goldfinger 1964)
What makes this car stand out is its gadgets. It has a bulletproof shield, an oil dispenser for making your tires slippery in an instant, and of course, the famous ejector seat that turns into a bed!
The unique thing about this vehicle (among others) is that even when James Bond isn’t around, it still looks good. After Goldfinger uses this car to lure women to his place and then kills them after they lay on the bed above the trunk—Q takes control of the vehicle to prevent further damage from being done by criminals who could try to use it themselves.
