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Well it’s Friday so that means it’s time for the next installment in the “Best of Bond” series. Today we are going to discuss something that is always a hot topic of conversation among both Bond fans and automotive enthusiasts in general and that is the cars driven by Bond in the various films. When I started to write this post I already had in mind which vehicle that I was going to deem “Best of Bond.” I thought it would only be prudent to do a little research for this post so I did some looking around and had a change of mind.
Initially I was going to go with the Lotus Turbo Esprit from “The Spy who Loved Me” which could, on demand, could turn into a submarine. My first impulse to go with this car, believe it or not, was not because it was poised to become amphibious, but because I simply thought it looked like a badass car. But then I did some looking and decided that I really liked the V-12 Vanquish by Aston Martin as seen in “Die Another Day.” I decided to restrict my vehicle selection based upon looks and how well I thought the vehicle actually fit the character. Because there were simply so many of them, and some were utterly ridiculous, I decided to throw special effects and gadgets out of the equation.
I thought it more important, at least in my rationale, that we focus on not just the character James Bond himself, but instead on the overall nuance that the franchise itself instills among fans. During my research, which I can assure you was more than I had initially intended, I learned that a lot of the diehard fans feel that any time Bond is seen in anything other than an Aston Martin they have been somewhat slighted. It seems that Bond devotees fell in love with the DB5 used in “Goldfinger” and from that point on a great many fans felt that it was the quintessential ride for our man James.
But the best thing about term “best” is that in this context it is entirely subjective. There really are no right or wrong answers and everything is merely opinion based upon whatever criteria the reader feels is most relevant. So while I like the Vanquish, always remember… Your mileage may vary.
Initially I was going to go with the Lotus Turbo Esprit from “The Spy who Loved Me” which could, on demand, could turn into a submarine. My first impulse to go with this car, believe it or not, was not because it was poised to become amphibious, but because I simply thought it looked like a badass car. But then I did some looking and decided that I really liked the V-12 Vanquish by Aston Martin as seen in “Die Another Day.” I decided to restrict my vehicle selection based upon looks and how well I thought the vehicle actually fit the character. Because there were simply so many of them, and some were utterly ridiculous, I decided to throw special effects and gadgets out of the equation.
I thought it more important, at least in my rationale, that we focus on not just the character James Bond himself, but instead on the overall nuance that the franchise itself instills among fans. During my research, which I can assure you was more than I had initially intended, I learned that a lot of the diehard fans feel that any time Bond is seen in anything other than an Aston Martin they have been somewhat slighted. It seems that Bond devotees fell in love with the DB5 used in “Goldfinger” and from that point on a great many fans felt that it was the quintessential ride for our man James.
But the best thing about term “best” is that in this context it is entirely subjective. There really are no right or wrong answers and everything is merely opinion based upon whatever criteria the reader feels is most relevant. So while I like the Vanquish, always remember… Your mileage may vary.
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