The James Bond franchise and the automotive world have a truly distinct connection. From insanely beautiful Aston Martins to the best of BMW, Bond films are just as much about the cars as they are about a super spy.
Among enthusiast favorites and probably one of the most legendary Bond cars is the Aston Martin DB5. This car has made more appearances than any other car though many other great Aston Martin cars, such as the Vantage V8, were featured in Bond films as well. BMWs were another staple idolized by the franchise as a BMW 750iL and a BMW Z8 were both featured cars in the 1990s. Some of the lesser recognized cars include a Mercury Cougar, a Toyota 2000GT Roadster, and a Ford Mustang. Claiming the title as the oddest selection is a Citroen 2CV. However, one of the wildest of all of the Bond cars has to be the Lotus Esprit S1 from the 1977 film, The Spy Who Loved Me.
In the movie, Bond, played by Roger Moore, drove the car in a legendary car chase that started off with a villainous motorcyclist wielding an explosive sidecar. After disposing of a feathered bad guy that lacked the ability to fly, a car full of antagonists chases down the Lotus. As they try to gun down the superspy, Bond covers their windshield in a thick substance that is deployed from one of the Lotus’ many hidden weapons and like their biker friend, they too drive off a cliff and the chase is picked up by a spy in a helicopter. In an effort to dodge a shower of bullets from the fly foe, Bond drives the Lotus into the ocean where it converts into a submarine and fires a rocket out of its roof hitting the helicopter and leaving the spy and his lady passenger free to roam the ocean floor.
Vicari auctions is now offering this James Bond Lotus Esprit Replica from the movie the spy who loved me. Unfortunately, not all of the features that were displayed in the movie are real though, as this is just a shell of a car. The doors are props and do not open, we are assuming there is no engine, and this is definitely not a functional submarine. Still this James Bond Lotus Esprit Replica would make an awesome addition to any Bond memorabilia or car collection. For more information on this car and how to place your bid click here.
