50 YEARS OF BOND CARS

Top Gear

50 years of Bond Cars: A Top Gear special

Aired BBC2 29/10/2012:  9.00PM GMT

Available in the UK on BBC iplayer until 9:59PM 5/11/2012

Richard Hammond documented James Bond’s incredible line up of cars throughout each decade that MI6’s finest has been on screen, in a one off Top Gear special last night.

Hammond systematically went through every make and model to feature over the past 50 years using Top Gear’s exquisite approach to the style of filming automotive royalty.

Of course the Aston Martin brand featured heavily and I have my own personal memories to add to this, as I have sat in the very Aston that was used in the film Goldfinger.

Hammond spent time interviewing crew members of past Bond films in order to meticulously analyse the creativity, skill, technological wizardry and bravery of how the cars were utilised in certain action sequences. These scenes used many tributes to Fleming’s original approach within his writing of 007’s automotive experiences. Fleming would often describe specific manoeuvres, engine notes and the skill of Bonds' driving in great depth.

And great programming like this does get your creative juices flowing …

Obviously I want to be James Bond as I am a bloke and that's a bloke's parogative......

But for my James Bond car chase scene, I’ve often pondered my weapon of choice.

I now think, I have it:

I am left-field kind of guy and I don’t like to discount anything. In my mental storyboard I have visualised tractors, Russian jets, Lamborghini’s, Aston Martins, Bentley’s and Jaguars to name but a few.

But I think I’m going to go for the white Lotus, which first made an appearence in the 1977 Bond: 'The Spy Who Loved Me'.

Lotus cars to me are claustrophobia on four wheels. This is because I’m massive and don’t fit in them and therefore adding to the total unrealistic ever after of this fantasy that I am snow balling by the second.

So, the car: 1977 Lotus Esprit – Essex whiiiite

The Settinng: Naples – I’ve always wanted to go there: – Archaeology, the birth place of pizza AND volcanoes – who wouldn’t?!

The plot: A car chase starting through the busy streets and possibly through a busy market square. Its important to note that my Bond would be doing the chasing as he would be certainly going back to his harder than hard nails SBS routes just like the way Danial Craig portrays him.

The Lotus would be up against a modern car of around equal horsepower: Possibly the new Subaru BRZ, to add the Japanese sports car link to Bond's automotive heritage. There would probably be a fleet of badies to go after too. One would certainly be in an articulated lorry and this would involve the Lotus being strategicaly driven under the trailer at some point.

This Lotus will have no tech and feature me with a golden Desert Eagle gun, shooting my way through the henchman. The seventies references end there. I hate guns. But Desert Eagle’s are sexy -you can’t deny.

The white vibe is integral to this. Maybe it was an 80’s theme party a super villain was having on his yacht on the Naples harbour, with mount Vesuvius towering over the situation, menacing yet seductive in the background....

Oh man I’m in the wrong job...

The outcome:

….Any way as the chase progresses and the tundra starts to undulate somewhat, the lotus opens up. Then we can engage in some long fast corner panning style cinematography, mercilessly defining the timeless look of the Lotus brand whilst promoting the latest Japanese pseudo sports car.

Needless to say I win and kill everyone - the story’s got scope. And Lotus cars are brilliant.

http://www.lotuscars.com/