A Bond like no other: 007 and his cars - News

"The name's Bond, James Bond…"

Whether it be Sir Roger Moore, Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig, when the suave protagonist utters that ever so quintessential movie catchphrase, villains and movie buffs alike sit up and take notice.

But that's not the only thing agent 007 is synonymous with, as Bond's fleet of flash cars often steal the show - even over the girls, guns and gadgets.

Whether it be an Aston Martin, an airborne AMC Matador, or a submarine Lotus you can be always sure that Bond is driving (or deep diving) in style as he tries to save the world from its most malevolent villains!

So, in recognition of James Bond Day today (Wednesday 5th October), here at TrackDays.co.uk have decided to point the Goldfinger at three of our favourite cars to have appeared in the storied Bond movie franchise.

• Lotus Esprit

But of course, in true James Bond fashion, agent 007 modified the Esprit so he could take his high-speed pursuits and battles to the waters. Indeed, in the 1977 box office hit The Spy Who Loved Me, the Esprit seamlessly turned into a submarine to accommodate his aqua adventures.

And like all the best Bond cars, the Lotus boasted a war chest of weaponry and gadgetry that was designed to fox and foil the enemy, while also helping Bond to another hard-fought victory for Queen and country!

• Cement dispensers, which empty their load at the rear to impede chasing vehicles
• A vertical missile rack that will knock a helicopter out of the sky – from under the water.
• Reinforced bars that make the windscreen and side windows airtight and waterproof

At TrackDays.co.uk, we offer a range of Lotus Driving Experiences - just don't expect a submarine variation!

• AMC Matador

Our next entry to our coveted list is a car not driven by James Bond, but one his adversaries, Francisco Scaramanga.

Jaws dropped when the professional assassin took to the skies in his bronze AMC Matador Coupe in the 1974 blockbuster hit The Man with the Golden Gun. The stylish vehicle transformed into a light plane when wings and flight tail were attached.

Interestingly, the vehicle seemed to set a trend of Hollywood's fascination with flying cars, otherwise known as spinners. Indeed, a flying car featured in 1982's sci-fi classic Blade Runner, while an air-borne DeLorean time machine starred in Back to the Future, which was made in 1985 but set in 2015.

Unfortunately, at TrackDays.co.uk we don't offer flying car experiences – but we do offer a range of weird and wacky packages including Famous Movie Car Experiences, Monster Truck Experiences and Tank Driving Experiences.

• Aston Martin

Where would a James Bond cars list be without an Aston Martin appearing somewhere? Almost half of the 25 Bond films have featured an Aston Martin – more than any other car brand.

But did you know that the author of the James Bond book series, Ian Fleming, initial choice of British car brand for agent 007 was a 1931 5.4 litre Blower Bentley? We at TrackDays.co.uk are glad that the film directors eventually settled on the Aston Martin, and we've chosen the DB5 which first appeared in the 1964 film, Goldfinger.

Famous for its array of gadgets, the film's script initially had the car armed only with a smoke screen. However, the gadgets rapidly increased as crew members began suggesting devices to install in it. For instance, director Guy Hamilton conceived the revolving licence plate because he had been getting lots of parking tickets, while his stepson suggested the ejector seat (which he saw on television).

At TrackDays.co.uk we offer a range of Aston Martin Driving Experiences, so you too can live out your James Bond fantasies!