Jalopnik: James Bond

Bond Girls And Bond Cars: Then And Now

Raphael Orlove — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST

A week ago, England's National Motor Museum brought out four Bond girls to open its "Bond In Motion" exhibition showing off vehicles from the movie franchise. More »

Boston police arrest real James Bond on DWI

Justin Hyde — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:00:00 EDT

When Boston police pulled over a suspected drunk driver Thursday night and asked for his name, he replied "Bond, James Bond." Which was his actual name. Way to confuse your licenses there, secret agent. More »

For $650,000, Mr. Bond, I expect you to buy

graverobber — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EDT

Toyota is like Marion the Librarian, whose staid demeanor is punctuated by occasions of raw, unbridled passion simply by letting down her hair and casting off her glasses. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe 2000GT happens to be one of those occasions. More »

Where is James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5?

Tom Joslin — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST

It took less than 13 minutes of screen time to earn James Bond's 1964 Aston Martin DB5 the title of "the most famous car in the world." On the 46 year anniversary of Goldfinger's American release, where is it now? More »

Aston Martin DB5 From "Goldfinger" Sells For $4.1 Million

Justin Hyde — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:15:00 EDT

The 1964 Aston Martin DB5 used in the James Bond classics "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball," preserved by radio star Jerry Lee for 40 years in mint condition, sold at auction in London today for $4.1 million. [RM Auctions] More »

James Bond Car Museum Planned For Rural Illinois Town

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:30:00 EDT

There are only 3000 people in the small town of Momence, Illinois, but they'll soon be joined by a host of James Bond fans coming to visit the Museum of Bond Vehicles and Espionage. Land of Lincoln, meet Q Branch. More »

James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 Up For Auction

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:15:00 EDT

For $5 million, James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 better get you Pussy Galore. [Reuters] More »

An Aston Martin DBS On Blocks

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 28 May 2010 13:45:00 EDT

This poor Aston Martin DBS suffered a cruel fate when some ham-fisted criminals butchered the body of the sleek $270,000 car to steal the wheels. Here's hoping James Bond makes them drink motor oil. [Daily Mail] More »

Russians Building James Bond-Inspired Golden Car

Ben Wojdyla — Mon, 03 May 2010 10:30:00 EDT

The Ruskie wildmen at Dartz, not content resting on their formerly-whale-penis-leathered laurels, are prepping a James Bond-inspired, gold-encrusted armored SUV complete with seats from Boris Yeltsin's plane. Act now and they'll throw in an actual golden gun with gold bullets. More »

Lotus Evoras Spied Filming New Bond Flick?

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:30:00 EST

These photos of a Lotus Evora on an unidentified film set in the French Alps show the same skis and gold-on-copper paint job as the Lotus Esprit Turbo from For Your Eyes Only. UPDATE! More »

A Video Peek Inside BMW's Secret Motorsport Warehouse

Sam Smith — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST

One week ago, I rediscovered pictures I took inside BMW's closed-to-the-public motorsport museum. Those images were four years old, however, and their pron was limited. Now someone has YouTubed an off-the-cuff video tour of the same building. McLaren overload, anyone? More »

REPORT: Investment Dar Financial Instability Could Hurt Aston Martin

Ray Wert — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:10:00 EDT

Investment Dar's financial turmoil could hurt Aston Martin's ability to build Bond's, anyone's cars. [Autoblog] More »

Roger Moore's Daughter Confounds The Baddies In Her '89 Oldsmobile Trofeo

Murilee Martin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EDT

Oldsmobile apparently had a policy of hiring the daughters of famous actors for their ads of the Bush I Era; there's Julia Nimoy in this '91 Silhouette ad, and here's Deborah Moore in the Trofeo. More »

James Bond's New Submarine: The Acura NSX

Peter Orosz — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:30:00 EDT

Any cinephile petrolhead worth his salt will tell you underwater motoring requires the possession of a Lotus Esprit. But in the real world? As you see above, and in the epic video below, choose the Acura NSX. More »

James Bond's Lotus Esprit Turbo Goes Under The Hammer, Again

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:30:00 EDT

The Lotus Esprit Turbo from the lesser James Bond film For Your Eyes Only will go under the hammer in London at the end of this week. Roger Moore fans rejoice! More »

Aston Martin DBS Volante: Perfect Summer Grand Tourer?

The Auto Insider — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:45:00 EDT

It's summer time. Our thought is it doesn't get better than listening to the glorious baritone note of the Aston Martin DBS Volante's 510 HP, 6.0-liter V12. Is it the perfect summer grand tourer? More »

Mercedes AMG Releases Cool Runnings Simulator

Andrew Didorosi — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:30:00 EST

Have you ever thought about buying an AMG, but needed to know how it does in the ice luge? Now you can act out those urges with AMG's newest flash game! More »

Bond Bad Guy Car Of Choice: Ford Edge Is The New Explorer, Escalade Or Suburban

Ray Wert — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:45:00 EST

We just saw Quantum of Solace this weekend. While most might get all googly-eyed at the Aston Martin DBS, gushing over it's sleek sexiness even after it's taken into a wall of a quarry, we took something else away from the new Bond flick. We noticed a Black Ford Edge (with odd hydrogen power stickering) playing the role of the basic bad-guy vehicle of choice rather than a Huge-UV. It's a strange change for us to have to wrap our minds around. More »

Lotus Esprit Submarine Car From The Spy Who Loved Me Heading To Auction Again

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST

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James Bond's transforming Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me is up on the auction block again, so if you've got $175,000 and an appreciation for the Giugiaro-designed 1976 Lotus Esprit we recommend booking a flight to London next month for the Bonhams auction. What makes the Esprit so famous is that, at the touch of a button in the film, it turned into a submarine. We're fairly certain the Lotus up for auction, though from the film, will not actually turn into a submersible. If you want one of those you'll have to wait for the Rinspeed sQuba or invest in a blue screen. Happy bidding. Hit the jump for "official" specs on the Esprit from the movie. More »

Bond Star Daniel Craig Lands Lifetime Aston Martin Privileges

Andrew Stoy — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:30:00 EDT

Despite his record of Aston abuse, current James Bond actor Daniel Craig has been granted lifetime privileges to swing by the Aston Martin factory any time he likes and take the car of his choice out for a spin. Want to borrow the test track for a bit? No problem. Of course, Craig says he has no interest in actually buying an Aston since parking in London is such a bear. Best to take the Tube. While we admire AM's PR gesture, we wonder if it wouldn't have been more laudable to pick someone lesser from the movie crew, like a key grip or best boy. You know, someone who can't afford to buy pretty much any Aston Martin he wants already. [Motor Authority] More »

Manic James Bond Fan Pays $350,000 For Wrecked Aston Martin DBS

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:00:00 EDT

If you'll remember, back in April a stunt driver for the latest James Bond flick, Quantum of Solace, lost control of a brand spankin' new Aston Martin DBS, plunging it into Italy's Lake Garda. According to Daniel Craig, the actor playing 007, a rabid fan has snapped up the remnants of that car for a cool £200,000 — about $350,000 in 'merican play money. Keep in mind a DBS off the showroom floor runs about $200 grand, so that's a whopping pile of change to claim the rights to a wrecked and waterlogged automobile which won't even show up on the silver screen. We've seen fit to toss in the video of the leftovers, just to rub salt in the wound. [Luxist] More »

Aston Martins Look Lame In New James Bond-Flavored Coke Zero Commercial

Mark Arnold — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:20:00 EDT

With everyone looking forward to the new James Bond movie, Quantum Of Solace, there isn't a brand out there that doesn't want a slice of juicy cross-promotion. We can't imagine Bond to be the type that would prefer a sugar-free cola over a normal Coke, but that doesn't matter right now. We're just let down by how cheesy the CG Aston Martins look in this otherwise cool, stylized opening-credits-like ad. [via CarDomain] More »

Full-Size Cardboard Aston Martin DB5 Comes Complete With Cardboard Spy Gadgets, Machine Guns

Ben Wojdyla — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EDT

Built by Chris Gilmour, an English artist with a penchant for working with cardboard, and titled "Aston Martin," this full-sized replica of James Bond's venerable Aston Martin DB5 comes complete with all of the brilliant gadgets seen in the movie Goldfinger. A close inspection reveals the car is equipped with cardboard machine guns, oil slick spray nozzle, radar tracking screen and bulletproof plate at the rear, among others. It even has a flip top shifter knob with the red ejector seat button. The parachute on the ejector seat? Unfortunately, we're pretty sure it too is made entirely of totally useless cardboard. More »

Quantum Of Solace Trailer Hits Web, Shows Off Hot Aston Martin Action

Ben Wojdyla — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:30:00 EDT

What's that? Sony Pictures released the first trailer of the upcoming James Bond flick "Quantum of Solace" today? Oh, they did it online for two hours only? Well, how about that buzz building. Also, it's a good thing we managed to snag it for you. With this 22nd entry into the world of Bond, we see James going out for revenge following the death of Vesper Lynd. And by revenge we mean the ass-kicking, bad guy-stabbing, motorcycle-jumping, Aston Martin DBS-racing kind of revenge. Yeah, the good kind. Hope that pretty Aston doesn't go into the drink... oops. [AOL Video and Sony Pictures] More »

Daniel Craig Crashes Aston Martin DBS Into Quarry

Wes Siler — Tue, 27 May 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Filming a sequence that's believed to form the climax of a chase scene for the new Bond film "Quantum of Solace," Daniel Craig and the rest of the Bond crew deliberately crashed an Aston Martin DBS into an Italian quarry. That crash should conclude a 15-minute pre-title credits scene in which Bond is pursued through the Italian Alps by bad guys in Alfa Romeos. All of the previous inadvertent crashes, the degree to which the Aston appears destroyed in these photos and the elaborate filming taking place at dramatic locations across Italy point to this chase sequence being a doozy. More »

Second Car Accident Befalls Bond Film Stuntmen

Ray Wert — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:40:00 EDT

It's not easy being a stuntman on the set of the new James Bond movie, "Quantum of Solace." If you'll remember, earlier this week we told you about that stunt driver taking Bond's Aston Martin DBS into the drink (and the subsequent video aftermath) in what's being described as a highly dangerous "delivery-related" stunt. Now they've seen another car accident. Although this time it wasn't the DBS, it was double trouble as two of the men all about stunts were involved. Reportedly,

"the accident happened when the car used by two stuntmen rammed into a filming lorry and then into a wall on set near the picturesque Lake Garda in northern Italy..."

The Wreckage Of The HMS Aston Martin DBS

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:50:00 EDT

We know this has to be as painful for you to look at as it is for us to write about. Footage has surfaced of James Bond's Aston Martin DBS after the Italian police fished it out of Lake Garda. If you recall, the driver of the car lost control while in transit to the set, sending both he and the car plunging into the murky depths, falling to a depth of 150 ft before our anti-hero was able to rouse himself and make his way, frog-like, to the surface. That sounds like some serious James-Bond-like action, but unfortunately, it won't be relegated to the "bloopers" reel as no one was around to record the action. Well, except for this gruesome post-mortem. Oh Aston Martin DBS, you are beautiful, even in death. [CarDomain Blog] More »

James Bond's Aston Martin DBS Swan Dives Into Italian Lake

Ben Wojdyla — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:20:00 EDT

It seems the lusty power of the Aston Martin DBS, a rain-soaked night and an over-zealous stunt driver conspired to result in James Bond's car taking a swim in Lake Garda in Italy. According to the Daily Telegraph, a stunt driver for the latest film Quantum of Solace, lost control while bombing along some narrow roads and managed to fly off the road. While the car was a quantum of sogginess, the driver managed to escape a similarly water-soaked fate, but probably decidedly less marketable as a stunt driver. We're thinking it's excusable to lose a car when you're rehearsing or performing a stunt in front of the camera and crew. It's probably less acceptable when you're merely attempting to deliver the car to the set. Even less acceptable is that it's the only car available for filming. More »

Tires With Retractable Studs Take A Note From Bond

Travis Hudson — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:30:00 EDT

Anybody that has ever tried to put those damned tire chains on can smile and know that the age old midwest winter traditional may soon be extinct thanks to Q Celsius, a new tire that has retractable studs. The Q Celsius takes its name from James Bond's gadget man, Q, and operates with a switch inside the vehicle. More »

Mexican Police Nab James Bond-Style Jeep Grand Cherokee

Ben Wojdyla — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:15:00 EDT

In a daring bit of cartel violence, drug runners in northern Mexico smashed into a military vehicle, jumped out, lobbed a grenade and then made their escape on foot. Daring! Audacious! But it's what they left behind that's really insane. More »

New Ford Ka To Be Shaken, Not Stirred In New Bond Film "Quantum Of Solace?"

Wes Siler — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:30:00 EDT

We've got a chance to check out some exclusive video from the set of the new Bond flick, "Quantum of Solace." Yes, it's a silly name for a movie. But you know, the "Ka" is a silly name for a car — except for, you know, in Boston. So it seems like the two would work well together, which, if the video's right, will be just the case. The clip appears to show the new, and as yet un-revealed, Ford Ka hitting the silver screen in the new 007 movie, complete with some strange graphics running down the side. Well, we'd have preferred a new Mondeo like the last movie, but beggars Ka-n't be choosers. Ha. We slay ourselves. But what do you think? Is that the new Ka-Ka? Video after the jump. More »

Cannonball Lambo or Bond's Lotus? Which Is Cooler?

Mark Arnold — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:00:00 EST

Each week we'll let two silver screen automotive icons face off and let you decide which stays and which one goes home, tailpipe between their legs. That's right, it's like an online Thunderdome — except without the death thing. We call it the "Star Car Shootout." Let's get ready to rumble. More »

Rinspeed sQuba: Bond's Lotus Submarine Made Real

Mark Arnold — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 11:45:00 EST

Of all the Bond films over the years, one the most memorable gadgets to emerge from Q-branch was the Lotus submarine-car from The Spy Who Loved Me. Of course that was all just movie magic special effects— until now. Rinspeed has taken an ordinary Lotus Elise, and turned it into a real working vehicle that drives on land and "flys" underwater. Though you're not going to stay dry if you want to go diving, because theres no airtight canopy to enclose you. To breathe, you'll have to wear a scuba mask connected to the car's integrated compressed-air tank. But who cares?! This is a car that goes underwater! And if that isn't enough, the sQuba is a zero-emissions vehicle powered by rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries, so you don't have to worry about polluting your lake (or getting water in your intake). The only thing it lacks is a surface-to-air missile launcher. More »

Meet the New Bond Car: The Aston Martin DBS

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:30:00 EST

According to the lads at Motor Torque, the newest entry to the Bond stable will be the Aston Martin DBS &mdash the last car added to the Bond stable. Aston Martin is understandably delighted to continue its association with the film series (especially since Casino Royale wasn't a melange of bad writing, unnecessary tech and weak plot lines). According to Aston CEO Dr. Bez: "Aston Martin is Proud of our long association with James Bond. The DBS has its own unique character which equals that of James Bond. It is explosive power in a black tie." More »

No Mr. Bond, We Expect You To Drive!

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 10:15:00 EDT

Obviously, Friday’s Question inspired a lot of good chatter. Sadly, missing from the choices for best Bond car, is the 2CV from For Your Eyes Only (UPDATE: Beluga got it). Yeah, it is one of Moore’s better movies, but… Moore < Connery. Still, what a great chase. And what a hot mama. Enjoy! More »

Name The Best Bond Car

Jonny Lieberman — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:00:06 EDT

Special Agent 007 and cars go together like Britney Spears and poor decisions — you have one, you have the other. Davey G and I were doing the IM the other day and trying to figure out which car is Commander Bond's best. Herr Johnson immediately slammed the kibosh down on the DB5 from Goldfinger arguing that it's just too obvious. Then, 4 seconds later, we both agreed that the Lotus submarine is the bomb digity. However, this being a QOTD, we're curious as to what you think. And before you start flappin' yer yaps, check this out: Wiki Bond Cars. That's right, an AMC Hornet! More »

Crash Another Day: 007's Cracked-up Aston Martin DBS Clone

Mike Spinelli — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 07:12:26 EDT

Although the new Aston Martin DBS won't arrive in dealerships before later this year, 007's already had his way with one. Like any other audience member who'd come to "Casino Royale" for the car, not the man, we'd cringed when Bond barrel-rolled his prototypical Aston flagship as if it were just another hoopty from the Hollywood motor pool. Thanks to Evo, we know the crash car was just a gussied-up DB9, one of three such development hacks turned into DBS replicas. Evo tells the story of the stunt, and how one of the crashed vehicles ended up hanging around the office for a photo shoot instead of being crushed for the VAT reclamation (silly Euro tax laws). Actually, we're feeling a bit more jilted that the scenes of Miami were all just a digital ruse. – Mike Spinelli More »

Complicate and Add Ballast: 007's Lotus Sub

Davey G. Johnson — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 22:00:00 EST

It's funny, because it's not been that long since The Spy Who Loved Me last crossed the television screen at the abode of Jalop Johnson. But we constantly romanticize the Lotus submarine, when in reality, the scene is kind of wooden and lame. Still, it's a Lotus submarine! We've always been perplexed at how the fish got into the car, though. – Davey G. Johnson More »

Daniel Craig Can't Park His Escalade?

Ray Wert — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 08:29:49 EST

Daniel Craig recently bought a 2 1/2 ton Caddy Escalade, and due to the luxe-UV's long length (16 1/2 feet), the Brit Bond star's been having a bit of a problem parking the vehicle. According to his Hollywood next-door-neighbors,

"the star has been leaving his wheels jutting out at crazy angles or bumped up on the pavement...I've driven past it three times recently parked awkwardly, hanging off the pavement. It's become a real talking point in Hollywood."

It just goes to show you, whether you're a secret super double-0-agent, it's not always the size of your car that matters, sometimes it's also how you park it. Also, Hollywood driveways are really tiny. – Ray Wert More »

Spy Photos: 2009 Jaguar XF

Ray Wert — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 10:34:45 EST

There's so much black tape and cardboard on this test mule, this could be Jag's S-Type replacement scheduled for launch this fall or it could be the next Ford Mondeo. Ok, it's probably not the Mondeo, but the folks at TCC claim it's code-named X250 and it's aimed at not only old S-Type buyers but also buyers of the BMW 5-Series. The new replacement for the no-longer-SexyType is expected to be powered by a slew of engines, including the new 3.2-liter six-in-a-row powering the Volvo S80. On the top end engine we're told it'll receive an 0.8-liter upgrade from the 4.2-liter V8 currently found in the S-Type. We've not got much else to say — except we've also heard FoMoCo plans on using this vehicle as the next ride for James Blonde. We can't wait. – Ray Wert More »