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IT is well-established that James Bond drives an Aston Martin … but the cars in his next film are going to make the Bond villains cool too.
Jaguar and Land Rover have officially confirmed they are determined to make the bad guys drive straight into the hearts of movie-goers. The Jaguar C-X75, the Range Rover Sport SVR, and the Land Rover Defender Big Foot will all take on starring roles in Spectre, the latest installment in the 007 secret agent fast-action series.
A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organisation. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind Spectre. Directed by Sam Mendes, the film is written by John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade and produced by Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
Auto analysts have speculated for months that the C-X75 concept they first saw in Paris would provide the foil for Bond’s Aston Martin, but Jaguar last week confirmed the burned orange colour and more details of the car’s role, saying its 800-horsepower hybrid would be replaced with a 5.0-litre V8 conventional engine.
The C-X75 follows a distinguished line of British-made Bond villain cars, including the Rolls-Royce Phantom III in Goldfinger and the Jaguar XKR convertible, complete with Gatling gun and mortars, in Die Another Day.
What’s more, earth-wrecking military rigs like the SVR and Big Foot have plenty of precedent in Bond films – despite 007’s general association with the gentility of Aston Martin and Savile Row.
Miss Moneypenny drove a Defender 110 Double Cab truck during the opening sequence of Skyfall. In Tomorrow Never Dies, Elliot Carver chased Bond through the streets of Saigon in a Range Rover P38A; Bond stole a Range Rover Sport in Casino Royale as a last-minute trick to set off car alarms. There was even a Range Rover Classic convertible in Octopussy.
Spectre, the 24th James Bond adventure, from Albert R Broccoli’s EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment, will feature the Jag, Land Rover and Range Rover in spectacular car chase sequences through Rome alongside the Aston Martin DB10.
The C-X75 vehicles have been built in collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering facility in Oxfordshire, England.
Scenes including the heavily-modified cars have already been filmed in Austria. The Range Rover Sport SVR is the fastest and the most powerful Land Rover ever. The highly capable Big Foots were constructed by the Special Operations division with huge 37-inch diameter off-road tyres to tackle the extreme terrain. They also feature bespoke suspension and enhanced body protection.
Managing director of Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations, John Edwards, said: “This is an exciting partnership for Jaguar Land Rover and an opportunity to demonstrate the fantastic capabilities of the Special Operations team.’
