The best James Bond cars that aren’t Aston Martins

James Bond, the world’s greatest spy (albeit, in fiction only) has had more than his fair share of incredible cars over the years. Bond is best-known for his connection with iconic British brand Aston Martin, of course, but that doesn’t mean he’s not tried his hand behind the wheel of some other vehicles too.

In fact, Bond’s driven everything from Renaults and Citroens to Triumphs and Toyotas – and appearing in a starring role is something sought-after by many manufacturers. So much so, that new Lotus CEO Phil Popham has spoken of his desire to get Bond back into a Lotus.

A tough job? Definitely. But just to remind you of Bond’s ‘other’ cars, here are eight of our favourites…

BMW Z8

It’s a sad fact that the BMW Z8 was nowhere near as sharp to drive as it was to look at – but its rakish silhouette and concept-car looks meant it was by far the most interesting of the three BMWs Bond drove.

Sadly, its appearance in The Spy Who Loved Me was fairly short – a pretty underwhelming chase, at the end of which the Z8 met its fate at the hands of a circular saw-wielding helicopter. A sad end for one of the series’ most interesting motors.

Citroen 2CV

Not every Bond car is a high-tech, high-speed sports car. In fact, For Your Eyes Only saw one of the most achievable car chases around – a lowly Citroen 2CV, piloted by the indomitable Roger Moore and chased by a fleet of Peugeot 504s.

The little 2CV survived being shot at and rolled down a hill, and proved so popular that Citroen even produced a special edition model, complete with fake bullet holes.

Toyota 2000GT

While the Toyota 2000GT may be a special car regardless of its Bond connections, the Japanese sports car driven by 007 in You Only Live Twice takes that to a new level.

Bond actor Sean Connery was unable to fit in the regular coupe due to his 6’2” height, meaning two examples of the 2000GT had to be made into convertibles especially for the film — and remain the only two drop-top examples of the car in existence. Current Bond Daniel Craig even described it as his favourite 007 car ever.

AMC Hornet

The Man with the Golden Gun saw a plethora of unusual cars, as Bond drove through Bangkok on his adventures. The AMC Hornet Sportabout hatch, nicked showroom-fresh from an AMC dealer, is best remembered for one thing — its insane spiral jump.

The jump was actually accomplished in real life, and was one of the first stunts configured by computer before being attempted. The end result was nothing short of spectacular.

Sunbeam Alpine

The first Bond movie, Dr No saw a humble Sunbeam Alpine transport the brilliant Sean Connery to rendezvous with the enigmatic Miss Taro in Jamaica. It’s significant as the first time we saw Bond driving his ‘own’ car on screen.

Though the Alpine began with a leisurely cruise, it was soon roped into a hectic car chase, where its sporting credentials were challenged. The little Sunbeam held up remarkably well, and forever holds a place in our hearts as Bond’s ‘first’ car.

Lotus Esprit S1

Perhaps the most iconic car on this list, Bond’s all-white Esprit S1 was impressive enough on its own – but it’s what happened when Roger Moore drove it off the end of a jetty that really mattered.

Turning into a submarine was one of the most impressive cinematic feats of the time, and cemented the car’s place in history.

Bentley 4.5-litre

Bond may be completely synonymous with Aston Martin now, but in the early days that wasn’t the case. In fact, when Ian Fleming wrote the first Bond books in the 50s, Aston Martin wasn’t anything like the powerhouse it has become today – and so in those early books, Bond’s motor of choice was a 1931 4.5-litre ‘Blower’ Bentley.

According to Fleming, Bond purchased the Bentley in 1933 and stored it away safely during WWII. With a remarkable 240bhp from its supercharged four-cylinder engine, the Blower Bentley was one of the finest cars of its day, and well suited to James Bond.

Ford Mustang Mach 1

James Bond may usually be associated with elegant, luxury machines, but his machine of choice for a chase through Las Vegas for 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever is arguably anything but.

The Ford Mustang Mach 1 was a brash, brutal muscle car that was the antithesis of anything the agent had driven before — yet proved to be one of the most effective getaway cars 007 ever laid hands on.