Showing posts with label 007 Cars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 007 Cars. Show all posts
Monday, August 15, 2011
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Driving 007: A History of Bond Cars [Infographic]
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
James Bond’s famed Aston Martin for sale
AP James Bond's actual Aston Martin DB5 as driven by Sean Connery in the "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball" movies is for sale for the first time.
LONDON — James 
It is the first time the distinctive silver-colored car has been available to the public to buy.
It is one of two, and the sole remaining, of the original "007" DB5s that appeared on screen with Sean
The model comes complete with its "Q-Branch" gadgets including machine guns, bullet-proof shield, revolving number plates, tracking device, removable roof panel, oil slick sprayer, nail spreader and smoke screen.
Several of the gadgets are fully operational, although the machine guns are not real.
The car is being sold by U.S.
It has remained in his possession and has rarely been seen publicly over the past 40 or so years. Lee plans to use the proceeds from the sale for the Jerry Lee Foundation.
It will be auctioned on Oct. 27.
Copyright 2010 Reuters
Friday, March 26, 2010
'69 GTO controlled by an iPod touch
The Parrot AR.Drone quadricopter was probably the coolest thing ever controlled via iPhone or iPod touch... until this. Dave Phipps has hooked up a '69 Pontiac GTO to his iPod touch -- he's been rebuilding these cars for a long time, and this particular one was picked up out of a farm for just $400. It's worth a lot more than that now, though, because he's replaced all of the wiring in the car and remotely connected it to his iPod, so he can start the engine, open up the doors, put the top up or down, and even control the radio all from the iPod touch.
There's a video of Phipps showing the system off after the break (sorry iPhone users, it's in Flash). He originally used Bluetooth, but now has the car set up on its own wireless network and he's got it working with a RedEye IR system, so he can even do macros and open all of the doors with one button and so on. He can't actually drive the car, but he can turn on the ignition, start the motor and even rev it up, all from the iPod touch. Very, very awesome.
[Via Make]
Friday, December 5, 2008
Just Think ‘007’ and Add $269,993
2009 Aston Martin DBS.
STARTING in 1965 with the DB5 in “Goldfinger,” Aston Martin has been linked at the tuxedoed hip with James Bond; gadget-packed Astons have been driven by Connery, Lazenby, Dalton, Brosnan and Craig.
But given the economy, anyone who can still afford a $270,000 Aston Martin DBS might inspire a real-world film, with enough supervillains and world domination to make 007 quiver. Call it “The Man with the Golden Parachute.”
Wafting above the crowd is certainly the point. With 510 burbling horsepower from the V-12 power plant, angry stockholders vanish in the mirror. Seething mobs of the unemployed are drowned out by the 1,000-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system.
The shift lever is placed a bit too far rearward on the console for ideal shifting, but the lever itself is easy and precise.
C.E.O.-envy aside, the roughly 300 Americans who will drive home a DBS this year need to know the score. First, ignore the self-appointed accountants who have questioned why the DBS costs $100,000 more than the Aston DB9. I mean, these people drive Hondas.
The DBS and DB9 share a lightweight aluminum chassis and the 5.9-liter engine block under their stretched hoods. But the DB9 has been around six years, a virtual eternity for people who want the latest and greatest. Second, the lovely DB9 — designed by Ian Callum before he cribbed from himself to create the Jaguar XK — looks even more Jaglike next to this muscled-up Adonis.
The DBS isn’t just one of the world’s prettiest cars. It pulls off the tricky feat of looking insanely fast and expensive without rubbing everyone’s nose in it. For all its power — a 4.2-second eruption gets you to 60 m.p.h.; top speed is 191 — the Aston is a classic GT, a proper Brit with a noblesse oblige you won’t find in a flaming yellow Lamborghini.
That Aston heritage dates to 1914, but it took Ford to revitalize the moribund company. After 13 years of full ownership, Ford sold out last year to a consortium backed by Kuwaiti oil investors and led by David Richards, a British motorsports entrepreneur.
I spent my first day with the DBS balancing euphoria with skepticism. I figured it would drive like any traditional Aston: a buttery high-speed cruiser with a concert-hall V-12, but too soft and gentlemanly to sully itself on twisty roads.
Inside and out, the DBS sets a serious tone.
Instead, after a warm-up, the Aston sliced through the countryside like an English football hooligan, but with a better singing voice.
A dashboard switch maxes out the computer-controlled shocks for high-speed duty, keeping the Aston’s body pinned to the ground like a manhole cover. The standard ceramic composite brakes — which can cost up to $15,000 extra on other exotic cars — could stand a bit more initial bite, but were triple-espresso strong.
An honest-to-God manual shifter — increasingly rare in cars of this caliber — amplified the fun. The lever is placed a bit too far rearward for ideal shifting, and the clutch’s iffy take-up requires practice for smooth starts. But the lever itself is easy and precise, topped with a slab of cool metal. A paddle-shifted automatic is an option.
Then there’s that engine, which sounds like money being torn in two. A valve in the exhaust system cocks open under heavy throttle to release the battle cry of the V-12. On that note, the DBS got a dismal 12 m.p.g.
On this car, pretty much everything that isn’t lightweight aluminum is even more expensive carbon fiber, from the featherweight hood and interior door trim to the angry-looking aerodynamic diffuser at the rear. It adds up to a relatively svelte 3,737 pounds, about 100 fewer than the main competitor, the $310,000 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.
Swan doors swing open on a slightly upward angle, clearing curbs that would gouge the typical low-slung sports car. High sills make for body-scrunching entry and exit, but it’s worth it once you’re inside. Semi-aniline leather and a suede headliner were a perfectly matched deep red, making the cabin look like a boutique bordello.
Gauges look as fine as a Swiss chronograph. But while I’ve gotten used to the strange tachometer that spins counter-clockwise, there’s still no red line to show peak engine speed. How much could it cost to paint a red stripe on that thing?
Other nitpicks, just to make clear that I’m not a total sucker for beauty: lumbar controls are buried between the seats and console in a “Where’s Waldo?” arrangement. A cheap-looking navigation screen rises from the dash like a ghoul from the crypt of Kia. And the key is called the Emotion Control Unit, which is appropriate since it forced me to keep my temper in check. This fiddly chunk of genuine sapphire and stainless steel must be inserted into a slot just right or the car won’t start.
There’s a small parcel shelf in the rear but owners can opt for a tiny back seat instead — for children who haven’t been sent to boarding school.
Buyers seeking unrivaled GT performance may choose the 612-horse Ferrari. The 599 GTB is decisively faster than the Aston and its handling is a bit purer. But in my view, the 599 GTB — which even zealots wouldn’t cite as an all-time great Ferrari design — can’t beat the Aston’s looks.
Such fantastical comparisons tend to embarrass me anyway; it’s like asking which superhero would make the best and fastest sushi chef. (My money’s on Aquaman.)
Still, most car fans, including auto writers, keep a fantasy list of cars we imagine we’d buy if we struck it rich. For what it’s worth, the DBS is the first Aston GT to make it onto my mental bedroom wall. Surely there’s no harm in wondering how much a used DBS will fetch in 10 years.
The Top 7 Most Ridiculous Car Accessories
Car makers go to great strides to offer the latest in useful gadgetry and customization options in their cars. For whatever reason, some people out there feel like those manufacturers just didn’t take it far enough. These misguided souls ravenously seek gear to put in, on, and around their cars - perhaps in hopes of standing out in the crowd. But it’s pretty doubtful that the kind of attention these accessories get is the sort they’re seeking.
by Brad Iger
The following article does not represent the opinions of Spike TV or its affiliates.
7. French Fry Cup Holder
At what point does unhinged gluttony hit critical mass? If French fries have been such a staple in your daily routine that you need a device for your car designed specifically to chow down on the go, it might be time to reevaluate your dieting habits. Here’s a great holiday gift for the guy who in the senior yearbook who was voted “Most Likely to Get Diabetes.”
6. Neon Anything
Okay, seriously – what is the appeal here? Are you pretending your car is a spaceship? A flying saucer from the planet Auto Zone? To me, it just looks like a hoopty with a bunch of raver paraphernalia glued to it. I mean, I like Tron as much as the next guy, but a Scion is not a lightcycle, and the amount of neon crap you put on it is inversely proportional to its cool factor.
5. Fake Hood Scoops
Forty years ago, hood scoops were totally badass. By putting a vent in the hood to catch cold air, the engine could create more power by colder, denser air forced into the engine via the carburetor mounted atop the engine. Not only did it serve a purpose, it looked awesome.
That was then. Your typical modern air induction systems pull in air from the fender wall instead of from the center of the engine bay. So now, hood scoops are in nearly all cases, totally useless. Which is why most modern ones are fake – simply a plugged vent on the hood or, even worse: a fake scoop that is actually glued on top of a normal hood. For shame.
4. TVs
Can someone tell me who thought it was a good idea to put TVs into cars? This guy needs a donkey punch of biblical proportions. When you’re piloting a 2 ton chunk of metal at high speeds, the last thing you should doing is catching up on season 3 of Heroes. This is brain surgery compared to talking on the phone while driving. And we wonder why traffic sucks all the time. Turn off the TV and drive.
3. Lambo Doors
Back in the '80s, crazy doors were all the rage because of cars like the Delorean and the Countach, which looked new and futuristic at time. Now, even Lamborghini is over it. But some people still haven’t gotten the message.
More than anything, I just can’t figure out what the draw is here. This makes getting into and out of your car ten times more of a pain in the ass because now you not only need clearance on the side of your car, but also above it as well.
That’ll be a fun conversation to have on a first date. And that’s aside from the fact that Lambo doors look laughably ridiculous on anything other than a Lamborghini.
THEY SPINNIN’, THEYYYY SPINNIN’!!!
Ya dude, they’re spinning. It’s blowing my mind.
Actually, what’s blowing my mind is how much money you wasted on those gimmicky wheels. Call me crazy, but putting $5,000 rims on a $1,500 car seems like top shelf stupidity. Trying to draw attention away from the fact that you drive a clapped-out ’89 Buick Riviera by slapping big shiny things on it seems less effective than just buying a nicer car.
1. Whistle Tips
When this little piece of metal started getting welded to mufflers, it really became a metaphor for just how far narcissism within modern society could go. Mercifully a pretty short-lived trend, the whistle tip is without a doubt the most ridiculous automotive accessory ever conceived.
Having no practical function, the whistle tip’s sole purpose was to annoy people. I suppose in that regard it was pretty brilliant, since all it does is emit a loud, constant, screeching whistling sound from the muffler while the car is in motion. Good times.
Friday, November 14, 2008
The 007 Hottest Cars from the James Bond Legacy
By Mike Payne
Across 46 years, 22 films and six leading actors, the James Bond film legacy has featured some of the world’s most luxurious and iconic sportscars. From the signature Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger to the Lotus Esprit Turbo in For Your Eyes Only, 007 has spared no expense in choosing his wheels. To celebrate the release of the Quantum of Solace, here’s a list of the 007 hottest cars from the James Bond Legacy…
001: the BMW Z8
In the 1999 film The World Is Not Enough, James Bond piloted this bad little Beemer before it was officially produced by BMW. Apparently, those are the kind of perks that accompany a license to kill. During filming, the crew actually used a series of working mock-ups of the Z8 that vary a bit from the official production car. After the first model rolled out of the factory, all 5,703 of the original BMW Z8’s sold out, going for a starting price of $128,000.
002: the Alfa Romeo 159
The Alfa Romeo 159 is among the latest James Bond sportscars, as featured in the 2008 Bond film Quantum of Solace. This one, however, isn’t driven by 007– but a chase scene rival pitted against Bond’s Aston Martin. During the production of the film, the set was closed down due to a third and terrible accident where a stuntman driving the 159 crashed into a wall. The stuntman was airlifted to a nearby hospital where he lay in a coma for days– the same hospital in which he was treated for injuries in shooting the same scene days prior. If you perform your own stunts and want a piece of the Bond villainy action, you can get your hands on an Alfa Romeo 159 for around $33k before import costs…
003: the 1971 Mustang Mach-1
In 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever, 007 took to the streets of Las Vegas in a Ford Mustang Mach-1– in hot pursuit of the Las Vegas Police. Diamonds was Sean Connery’s last film, but also the first film in history to feature the now-famous “two-wheeled stunt”, where a car is lifted off the ground, balancing on two wheels on one side of the car. The ‘71 Mach-1 featured plenty of muscle in its 429hp V8 option, which will fetch you around $25,000 well-restored on today’s market.
004: the Aston Martin DBS
Bond’s Aston Martin finally got itself a facelift. Like the BMW Z8, the Aston Martin DBS was featured in a Bond film before it hit the public. This $265,000 Aston Martin features a 6.0L V12 pushing 510 horses to hit 62mph in 4.3 seconds. The DBS was pitted against that Alpha Romeo 159 above, and this one didn’t escape without bruises either. During filming, a stuntdriver reportedly lost control of the Aston Martin– which wound up in Lake Garda in Italy…
005: the Toyota 2000GT
Produced between 1967 and 1970, the Toyota 2000GT was built in very limited numbers, designed to show that Japanese autos could compete with the sportscars of Europe. Apparently James Bond took notice, as the 2000GT was famously featured in 1967’s You Only Live Twice. However, Bond’s 2000GT had a slight problem– Sean Connery was too tall to fit in the Toyota, so a convertible version was made to compensate. While the original 2000GT sold in the U.S. for $6,800, it can be found at auction today for as high as $200,000.
006: the Lotus Esprit
In 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me featuring Roger Moore, the Lotus Esprit became one of Q’s most impressive sportscar mods. In a long chase scene between 007 and the infamous Bond-villain Jaws, Bond’s Lotus Esprit makes a cunning escape by transforming into a fully-diveable submarine. While a submersible version featuring that bikini blonde above are not available today, a similar Lotus Esprit could be originally purchased for around $16,800 at the dealer in 1977.
007: the Aston Martin DB5
Last but certainly not least– the original Bond-mobile, the 1963 Aston Martin DB5. In the 1964 film Goldfinger, 007 was provided with a weaponized DB5 by Q Branch himself. Aston Martin, however, wasn’t so keen on the deal. After much negotiating, Aston Martin finally agreed to a product placement deal that made automotive history for the brand. The DB5 was the latest-and-greatest sportscar to be produced in the UK, initially selling for $13,000. Its inline six engine produced 282hp to hit 62mph in 8.1 seconds. Bond’s version, however, was outfitted with an array of gadgets from smokescreens to heavy machine guns. Its not the weaponry that makes the Aston Martin DB5 a legend– it is its design which symbolizes the class and cool that has made James Bond the legend he is today. If there is one car that fully explains what StyleCrave is about, you’re looking at it, front and center.
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