Top 5 Bond Cars that are not the Aston Martin DB5

Whenever someone says 'Bond car' I instinctively think of Aston Martin. Specifically the iconic DB5. The converse is true as well.

After 25 movies spanning almost 60 years, James Bond, better known as agent 007, has driven quite a number of other cool and interesting cars. So today I'd like to talk about my top 5 Bond cars aside from the DB5. 

1. Toyota 2000GT

Let’s start with the oldest car on the list, the Toyota 2000GT, driven by the late Sean Connery in 1967’s You Only Live Twice.

The 2000GT may not have missiles or ejector seats, but it is undoubtedly one of the more significant cars to be featured in the franchise. It is also my favourite (and coincidentally Daniel Craig’s) favourite Bond car.

Co-developed with Yamaha in the early ’60s, this front-engined rear-wheel-drive machine was considered to be Japan’s first supercar.

Powering the 2000GT is a naturally aspirated 2.0 L straight-6 producing 150 PS and 175 Nm paired to a 5-speed manual transmission. The whole thing is wrapped in a lightweight aluminium body.

Now unless you’re an astute Bond enthusiast and/or a car nerd, you might be surprised to know that the car featured in the movie was not a production model. Toyota had to make two one-off roadster version of the 2000GT in just two weeks.

Why? Because 6’2” (188 cm) Sean Connery couldn’t fit in the hardtop.

2. Lotus Esprit

Next on the list is the Lotus Esprit S1 from 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me starring Roger Moore. From its cement sprayer to its submarine complete with surface-to-air missiles & torpedoes, the Esprit was the first car since the DB5 that could match 007 for screen presence.

Despite its handling prowesses thanks to its lightweight fibreglass body, the Esprit was generally regarded as being underpowered for the time. However the interesting thing about the Esprit is not about the car itself, but how it actually got into the film.

In the 1970’s, Don McLaughlin, who was the PR boss at Lotus, heard that the people over at Pinewood wanted a car for their next Bond film. Naturally, McLaughlin wanted it to be a Lotus, but it was easier said than done.

Since the films were the most successful franchise at the time, everyone wanted their products in a Bond movie.

So one day, Mr McLaughlin decided to turn up at Pinewood in a Prototype Esprit with all it’s badges removed. When the Bond people saw the parked Esprit they immediately crowded around. McLaughlin then hopped in and drove away hoping that the Bond people would come after it. Sure enough, they did.

3. BMW 750iL

Before you say anything, I'll admit that the BMWs featured in Pierce Brosnan's era were a bit dull.

The Z3 in Goldeneye did absolutely nothing and even though the Z8 in The World Is Not Enough had some cool gadgets, Bond only drove it for a few meters before it got sliced in half.

But things got a little bit better in 1997's Tomorrow Never Dies. Q Branch fitted the car with machine guns, rockets, reinflating tyres, and the pièce de résistance, remote control operation.

In the action-packed 4 minute sequence, 007 controls the car from the back seat dodging baddies as he attempts to escape the carpark.

However, the car doesn't make it out alive in the movie. The 750iL takes a memorable dive off the parking garage and crash lands onto an Avis car rental office.

4. Aston Martin V12 Vanquish

In Brosnan's final appearance as 007, he was reunited with his rightful mark, this time in a Vanish Vanquish. During the final act of Die Another Day, 007 was about to make an escape in his Vanquish.

But as he was preparing to set-off, one of the patrol guards on a snowmobile collided with the back of the Vanquish, prompting one of the most memorable car chase across a frozen lake between 007 and the antagonist's right-hand man, Zao, in a Jaguar XKR

The pursuit ended when Zao crashed after being deceived by 007 with the Vanquish's "adaptive camouflage" feature. Some Bond aficionados will argue that the invisibility feature was a step too far, and it was taking Bond into science fiction. I for one couldn't care less. It was cool and that's all that matters.

5. Aston Martin DB10

Finally we have the latest car on the list, the DB10 from 2015's Spectre. Wow another Aston on the list?

Well, the DB10 is quite a unique Bond car is it was the first-ever car to be made specially for the movie. Director Sam Mendes worked closely with the designers at Aston Martin to make something that was pure, simple & instantly recognisable.

Underneath the new design & sleek bodywork is a modified version of the old Aston Martin Vantage VH II platform. Even the 4.7L naturally-aspirated V8 was carried over from the Vantage.

Only 10 units were ever made, eight of which was used for filming and the remaining two for promotional purposes.

What's your favourite Bond car?