The Best Cars to have Appeared in the James Bond Franchise
When people hear the name of James Bond and discuss the James Bond franchise films, they tend to think of MI6 espionage, sophisticated and elegant suits, and winning poker hands.
But above all, they tend to associate James Bond with prestigious and luxurious cars. Indeed, in all of the franchise’s films, the iconic spy is seen driving beautiful cars built with the latest technological tools and weapons.
The cars featured in the James Bond films have almost become characters of their own, with a central role in the films’ narrative plot and character development.
In this article, some of the best cars to have appeared in the James Bond franchise will be listed and explored in more depth.
What are the best cars to have appeared in the James Bond films?
The following list includes some of the best cars in these films but is by no means an exhaustive list. There are many extraordinary cars in the James Bond franchise which is why ranking these cars is too subjective.
For this reason, the cars will not be ranked in any particular order in this article. It is up to you to decide which car is the best and your favourite off of our list.
The Aston Martin
There are many different types of Aston Martin cars found throughout the James Bond franchise. For some, the brand Aston Martin has now become inseparable from the famous fictional character due to the recurrent presence of its cars in the films.
The first Aston Martin car was an Aston Martin DB5 model. It was used in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger.
That car was actually found by the set designer who noticed the model on his way to the set. He had originally thought of using a Jaguar E-type but decided to invest some of the film’s budget in an Aston Martin DB5 car instead.
Audiences loved the car so much, and were so impressed by it, that Aston Martin cars became regulars on the James Bond sets. Unfortunately, the original Aston Martin DB5 car was stolen at the end of the Goldfinger shoot.
Crew members and production members looked everywhere but were unable to find the car. It was therefore replaced in the later films.
Other Aston Martin cars that followed included the Aston Martin DB10 and the Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante. The former was used in 2015 for the James Bond film Spectre.
The car was designed specifically for the film and amazed audiences due to its elegant design and futuristic shape. Only ten cars were made in total, eight of which were used during the shooting of the film.
As for the Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante, it was actually released to the public in 1977 and was considered, in some countries, to be the first supercar made available to the public. The car appeared in the Bond film The Living Daylights (1987).
The Jaguar
Villains in Bond films also seem to have excellent taste in cars. Many of them drove Jaguar cars such as the Jaguar XKR model and the Jaguar C-X75 one.
The Jaguar XKR model is not only visually stunning, but it is also extremely well-equipped and fast. It is one of the models introduced during the Jaguar XK generation.
The Jaguar XK cars were developed over two generations from 1996 to 2014. They were inspired by the hatchback coupé and convertible car model styles.
The KXR model became known, and noticed by industry professionals, for its supercharged variation of the V8 engine. This variation made the new model Jaguar car faster and more powerful.
These features and attributes made it an ideal car for James Bond villains.
As for the Jaguar C-X75, it appeared in one of the later James Bond films, Spectre (2015). It is a hybrid-electric car with two seats.
Its production phase lasted from 2010 to 2013. Jaguar Cars, the British manufacturer behind the Jaguar cars, had planned on releasing a maximum of 250 Jaguar C-X75 models.
Unfortunately, this project was cancelled due to the economic crisis and the high costs of production required to build this type of innovative car model.
The concept car is believed to have a powertrain of 778 hp (789 PS, 580 kW). The car was described as paving the way towards a new type of automobile design and technology, more eco-friendly than before.
It appears that some of these concept cars are now available for purchase. It was reported that one of the Jaguar C-X75 models can be bought on the market at an extraordinary price.
Of course, these are just a few models and there are many more high-performing cars in the iconic films. Nevertheless, it gives you an idea of some of the best cars in the James Bond films and why global audiences were seduced by these models.
