“BOND’S GARAGE HAS DISPLAYED EXCEPTIONAL TASTE. MOSTLY”
The quality of the car chase in any Bond movie is at the core of how much I enjoy the film. And, naturally, the enjoyment of the chase is driven by the choice of Bond’s motors; 007, having started his fictional life in a Bentley, has a back catalogue of mostly exceptional taste. For many, Connery in the DB5 is a combination so utterly peerless it remains unrivalled... and it was no surprise that the franchise revisited it in Skyfall. The narrative of welcoming an old friend back into the fold was repeated in SPECTRE and is set to continue in No Time To Die – testament to the strength and depth of the iconography. Dropping into the driving seat of a pristine DB5 during our photoshoot was a bucket-list moment I shall never forget, and driving the iconic Aston didn’t disappoint.
But for the venerable and pristine DB5 to put up with the stunt requirements of a modern-day blockbuster, it’s needed a little re-engineering. Drop into the bucket seat of the actual No Time To Die DB5 stunt car, created appropriately enough by Aston Martin’s Q brand, and you’re slotting yourself into a purpose-built drift chariot... and the most amusing car I’ve driven all year. What it can do with a professional lunatic behind the wheel (aka Bond stunt driver Mark Higgins) will definitely be a highlight of the new film.
Next, I hop forward a decade and surround myself with the wonderfully, ridiculously tartan interior of the 1977 Lotus Esprit... I’m immediately transported into a whole other Bond era.
I grew up with 007 in Esprits and would argue Roger Moore – in an Esprit turbo with skis mounted on the roof arriving in Cortina d’Ampezzo – is the peak of the Bond car and fashion interface.
Whatever your favourite Bond car is, if you’re a petrolhead, 007 and his wheels will have played a significant part in your car narrative. No doubt this will continue long into the future, and I hope you enjoy the issue as much as we enjoyed pretending to be Bond when we created it.
Carry on, 007.