James Bond's Best: Five Iconic Cars Featured In '007: Road To A Million
Throughout the years, James Bond has driven and been chased by dozens of iconic cars. Some have even been made famous by simply getting Bond's stamp of approval. So, it is only fitting that the new reality show that pays homage to the series, "'007: Road to a Million," features some of Bond's best cars. However, you won't find '007 behind the wheel, as this show has real people competing for £1,000,000 in spy-themed challenges that take them across the world.
On more than one occasion, the contestants had to drive through the same locations the on-screen agent did, albeit without an evil henchman chasing them. For example, participants drive through the Atacama Desert in Chile from "Quantum of Solace" and cross the Ponte Madonna della Stella in Gravina, Puglia, Italy, featured in "No Time to Die." There are also a few vehicles from classic Bond movies that don't get driven, and you may have missed them on your first watch.
Rolls-Royce Phantom 3
We start the series out with a cameo from not one of Bond's cars but one of his villains, the iconic black and yellow Rolls-Royce Phantom 3. This vehicle famously took center stage in 1964's "Goldfinger" as the main baddie's drive of choice. By the time this luxury vehicle hit the silver screen, it was already vintage, with its production years spanning 1936 to 1939. The Rolls-Royce Phantom 3 is often considered one of the best Rolls-Royce ever with its aluminum-alloy twin ignition V12 engine and four-speed manual transmission. Notably, Rolls-Royce would not return to a V12 engine until the Solver Seraph, over 60 years later.
The car features anywhere from 165 to 180 bhp (brake horsepower), depending on the model. Of course, it wouldn't be a Rolls-Royce without a luxurious interior. One aspect of this car that some would consider lacking is its speed, with its top speed of 87 mph and a zero to 60-time of 16.8 seconds. But Goldfinger didn't need a fast car.
Bond first runs into the vehicle at a golf club when he puts a homing device in its trunk. Later, after trailing the car, Bond discovers that Goldfinger was using the vehicle to smuggle gold out of England by hiding it in its bodywork. The exact model used in the film is said to be a custom-built 1937 model built for Lord Fairhaven of Anglesey Abbey.
Range Rover Sport
In episode four, we get treated to a vehicle that Daniel Craig's Bond has driven more than once. The Range Rover Sport was featured in "Casino Royale," "Quantum of Solace," "Spectre," and "No Time to Die." It's not the same model in every movie, however, as after debuting in 2004, the vehicle underwent facelifts and upgrades. One of the reasons Bond comes back to this vehicle is that, like the spy himself, it's a U.K. original.
An upgraded version of the Range Rover Sport, the Range Rover Sport SVR made a particularly memorable appearance in "No Time to Die." The film has an off-road chase scene where Bond is tailed by two of these vehicles, but as expected, Bond gets away while the goons aren't so lucky. The 2024 Land Rover Sport SVR was chosen for the film because of its eight-speed 567-horsepower twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 engine that can hit zero to 60 in 4.3 seconds and a top speed of 176 mph.
Volksawgen Beetle
The iconic '60s Volkswagen Beetle appears in episode six of "007: Road to a Million." Fans of old-school Bond will remember that a VW 1300 model Beetle was featured in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." However, it wasn't driven by George Lazenby's Agent 007 but by his MI6 backup, Shaun Campbell. The agent follows Bond on his way to Blofeld's Allergy Clinic in Switzerland. A Beetle also briefly appears in "Octopussy" and "Quantum of Solace."
The Volkswagen Beetle was all the rage back in the '60s. But it was around longer than that, with the rear-wheel drive VW 1300 remaining in production until 1980. Although, if you've ridden in one, you know it's not a sports car with its top speed of 82 mph and four-cylinder engine.
Bond also had a run-in with the VW Beetle outside of the mainline films via an old-school commercial. In the promo, Robert Moore's Bond tries to start up a Delorean but can't get it to work. So, with the aid of his high-tech watch, he calls in a VW Beetle to pick him up and take him where he needs to be.
Aston Martin DB5
It wouldn't be a Bond-inspired series without the Aston Martin DB5. It's one of the most iconic Bond cars, first appearing in "Goldfinger" before returning for eight more films, including Daniel Craig's last installment, "No Time to Die." Notably, author Ian Fleming had Bond driving the DB Mark 3 in the novel, but the studio decided that the then-newest model would be a better fit for the product placement.
The fictitious version of the car was equipped with various devices, including a revolving number plate, a GPS dashboard, a tire slasher, and a smoke screen. When the vehicle returned for "No Time to Die," it was a bit more lethal, with its two M134 miniguns housed behind the vehicle's headlights.
Despite sporting a legacy as long as Bond's, this vehicle was only produced from 1964 to 1965. Unlike the Rolls-Royce Phantom 3, however, this vehicle isn't slow. Its 282 HP 4-liter incline-six engine paired with a four-speed manual transmission allows the vehicle to achieve speeds up to 145 mph and a zero to 60 time of 7.1 seconds.
Jaguar XKR
Another vehicle we could spot was the Jaguar XKR. You may remember this car being driven by one of Gustav Graves's henchmen in "Die Another Day" across a frozen lake in pursuit of Pierce Brosnan's Bond in their Aston Martin Vanquish V12. The particular XKR in the film features a 400 bhp 5.0-liter V8 engine that can hit zero to 60 in 5.2 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. But as it's a spy vehicle, this one didn't stock.
In his pursuit of Bond, the driver employs all sorts of spy gadgets to thwart the agent, like the not-so-conspicuous rear-mounted minigun that lays fire on our hero. The sequence is a back-and-forth between the two characters, with them both launching rockets at each other. The chase eventually comes to an end when Bond fools the baddie with his Aston Martin's camouflage feature. After driving right by the invisible car off a cliff, the XKR finds itself at the bottom of the frozen lake.