One for the car nuts.....What would the real modern James Bond drive?
Assuming a civil servant could'nt afford an Aston....and a pre-war Bentley with Amherst-Villiers supercharger would stand out a bit ajb007/wink...what do you think he would drive?
I headed my post with this to remind me of the original querie. The "real modern James Bond". Assuming you mean Fleming's Bond, and not Eon Productions Bond, then you are talking about Fleming's tastes in cars, because Bond's preferences were Flemings.
This makes it a little easier to extrapolate since Fleming WAS real and not a fictional film character influenced by the whims of commercial marketing and fan expectations. Also, you said you assumed a civil servant couldn't afford an Aston. This is an oxymoron in a way, for if Bond were real, he could afford a used Bentley or Aston, since he may have had a large enough income from an invested inheritance together with his annual winnings at gambling. Also, he would not own the 4 1/2 litre Blower model now, as this is considered a collectable antique and it's ancient and horrible handling features were superceded long ago by modern mechanics. However, Fleming loved Bentley's, but to clarify for readers why he put Bond in one, here is his response:
“I probably chose the supercharged Bentley because Amherst Villiers was and is a great friend of mine, and I knew something about it from my friendship with him. I put Bond into a Bentley simply because I like him to use dashing, interesting things…I’d like to have a supercharged Bentley myself, but nowadays—I’m fifty-six, after all—I like a car I can leave out in the street all night and which will start at once in the morning and still go a hundred miles an hour when you want it to and yet give a fairly comfortable ride. I can’t be bothered with a car that needs tuning, or one that will give me a lot of trouble and expenditure.
Fleming then goes on to say how he owns a set of Thunderbirds and a Studebaker Avanti and that he does leave them out on the street and that they always start for him. Then he says how he admires the Avanti a little more than the Thunderbirds because of it's handling and how it sounds.
From this it seems to me that Fleming did not own a Bentley (either the old locomotive or the more up to date models) because they were (at the time) not as dependable to "start up every morning" and were too expensive to maintain and this had a lot to do with his age and lifestyle (fifty-six and married and socially busy). Whereas the others cost a lot less yet still had a lot of style and performance and were dependable.
Now he states he put his character in the Bentley because he liked dashing, interesting things and wanted one himself.
Extrapolate this to a real James Bond and put him in this century.
Would he drive a Bentley?
Well.... it sounds like Fleming would have had one if he could afford to maintain it (in other words as Bond did, have a paid mechanic maintain it). The only way this would have been possible is if he had still been single, which would have meant at least one or two less residences and not having a wife spending a good part of his income (and not producing any herself in return), he would therefore had much less expenditures.
Of course, this would put him back in Bond's lifestyle (single and working), yet of course with much more income.
Now we come to a real James Bond. Same tastes, though not as much income. Living today and not in the early sixties. What would he own?
Would he have a used Bentley (which he could more afford) and have it's body customized a bit? I don't mean "pimped up" with all the chrome and bling as the celebrities do. I mean have it's "sparkle" removed, as he did in the novels, having a flat grey finish, removing the emblem on the front bonnet, etc.? Why did Fleming have Bond do this? I've read that he was trying to show part of Bond's personality that had to do with his fondness for formula one racing. He even had him say that he had considered this as a lifestyle at one time. When it came to the racing Bentleys (at that time) and racing in general, it was always about the peformance and the marque and the visual impression it gave and it's sounds like Bond (Fleming) liked cars and the Bentleys in particular because they were aggressive, mechanical monsters with growling exhausts and a total abscence of "bling". I've also read he had his Bentley's "sparkle" removed as a way of thumbing his nose at those who could afford a new one every year or two and that he preferred showing that what he owned was the street equivalent of an all weather "racing machine' that had been at the heart of the Bentley marque.
So there's the question. Would a real Bond (which may mean a real person, but he's still going to have the ficitional character's tastes) have this type of Bentley as he did then, or would he have something more similar to the modern equivalent of a Thunderbird or Avanti, or would he head for a used Aston or Jag? Though I think he might possibly stick with the Bentley's (even though the cost to maintain them probably wipes out the advantage of them being more dependable at leaving them outside and having them start every morning in all weather) because of his fondness for the marque and it's history, I'm not sure given that its not British owned any longer. However, it's still made in Crewe.
I have to admit, given all I've just researched, I'm a little stumped myself, even though in a previous post I was adamant about him being in a Bentley. By the way, has any member ever seen this Bentley concept that did not see it to production? It's was the 1999 Bentley Hunaudières.
Like they say. "A jaguar is a poor man's Aston Martin." So I would say the Jaguar is a perfect fit. But as some people have pointed out, a real-life James Bond wouldn't wanna own a flashy car and wear fancy suits.
Don't know about Bond, but my BMW M5 makes me feel very Bond-like especially when there's a button to give you an extra 107 bhp boost. That's like a Bond gadget in itself! I've been playing around with the gps timer system and have managed three runs of 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds using the launch control and in m mode 192 mph came up in 6th gear with 7th still to go. My BMW specialist says the 2007 onwards cars were not restricted as they should have been giving 204 mph in many models. I know Bond's BMW tenure wasn't loved, but I wouldnt be bothered about a DBS in my mirror. It wouldn't be there long!
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Comments
Reflections in a double bourbon...
Somehow it seems wrong to end your excelllent thread with a bout of bentley bashing...
So forget the tellytubby and rejoice the resurrection of Jaguar...
The is the cx75 concept the displayed at LA autoshow last year... And it looked a lot better in the flesh....
http://www.jaguar.com/gl/en/about_jaguar/project_c-x75/
http://blogs.internetautoguide.com/6699775/auto-news/2011-jaguar-c-x75-concept-car-reveals-some-old-school-magic/index.html
Reason I love this car so much?
It was designed by Ian Callum.... Who designed the aston martin vanquish....
Here jay Leno takes her through her paces..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCMLrWTrv7I&feature=youtube_gdata_player
One for the car nuts.....What would the real modern James Bond drive?
Assuming a civil servant could'nt afford an Aston....and a pre-war Bentley with Amherst-Villiers supercharger would stand out a bit ajb007/wink...what do you think he would drive?
I headed my post with this to remind me of the original querie. The "real modern James Bond". Assuming you mean Fleming's Bond, and not Eon Productions Bond, then you are talking about Fleming's tastes in cars, because Bond's preferences were Flemings.
This makes it a little easier to extrapolate since Fleming WAS real and not a fictional film character influenced by the whims of commercial marketing and fan expectations. Also, you said you assumed a civil servant couldn't afford an Aston. This is an oxymoron in a way, for if Bond were real, he could afford a used Bentley or Aston, since he may have had a large enough income from an invested inheritance together with his annual winnings at gambling. Also, he would not own the 4 1/2 litre Blower model now, as this is considered a collectable antique and it's ancient and horrible handling features were superceded long ago by modern mechanics. However, Fleming loved Bentley's, but to clarify for readers why he put Bond in one, here is his response:
“I probably chose the supercharged Bentley because Amherst Villiers was and is a great friend of mine, and I knew something about it from my friendship with him. I put Bond into a Bentley simply because I like him to use dashing, interesting things…I’d like to have a supercharged Bentley myself, but nowadays—I’m fifty-six, after all—I like a car I can leave out in the street all night and which will start at once in the morning and still go a hundred miles an hour when you want it to and yet give a fairly comfortable ride. I can’t be bothered with a car that needs tuning, or one that will give me a lot of trouble and expenditure.
Fleming then goes on to say how he owns a set of Thunderbirds and a Studebaker Avanti and that he does leave them out on the street and that they always start for him. Then he says how he admires the Avanti a little more than the Thunderbirds because of it's handling and how it sounds.
From this it seems to me that Fleming did not own a Bentley (either the old locomotive or the more up to date models) because they were (at the time) not as dependable to "start up every morning" and were too expensive to maintain and this had a lot to do with his age and lifestyle (fifty-six and married and socially busy). Whereas the others cost a lot less yet still had a lot of style and performance and were dependable.
Now he states he put his character in the Bentley because he liked dashing, interesting things and wanted one himself.
Extrapolate this to a real James Bond and put him in this century.
Would he drive a Bentley?
Well.... it sounds like Fleming would have had one if he could afford to maintain it (in other words as Bond did, have a paid mechanic maintain it). The only way this would have been possible is if he had still been single, which would have meant at least one or two less residences and not having a wife spending a good part of his income (and not producing any herself in return), he would therefore had much less expenditures.
Of course, this would put him back in Bond's lifestyle (single and working), yet of course with much more income.
Now we come to a real James Bond. Same tastes, though not as much income. Living today and not in the early sixties. What would he own?
Would he have a used Bentley (which he could more afford) and have it's body customized a bit? I don't mean "pimped up" with all the chrome and bling as the celebrities do. I mean have it's "sparkle" removed, as he did in the novels, having a flat grey finish, removing the emblem on the front bonnet, etc.? Why did Fleming have Bond do this? I've read that he was trying to show part of Bond's personality that had to do with his fondness for formula one racing. He even had him say that he had considered this as a lifestyle at one time. When it came to the racing Bentleys (at that time) and racing in general, it was always about the peformance and the marque and the visual impression it gave and it's sounds like Bond (Fleming) liked cars and the Bentleys in particular because they were aggressive, mechanical monsters with growling exhausts and a total abscence of "bling". I've also read he had his Bentley's "sparkle" removed as a way of thumbing his nose at those who could afford a new one every year or two and that he preferred showing that what he owned was the street equivalent of an all weather "racing machine' that had been at the heart of the Bentley marque.
So there's the question. Would a real Bond (which may mean a real person, but he's still going to have the ficitional character's tastes) have this type of Bentley as he did then, or would he have something more similar to the modern equivalent of a Thunderbird or Avanti, or would he head for a used Aston or Jag? Though I think he might possibly stick with the Bentley's (even though the cost to maintain them probably wipes out the advantage of them being more dependable at leaving them outside and having them start every morning in all weather) because of his fondness for the marque and it's history, I'm not sure given that its not British owned any longer. However, it's still made in Crewe.
I have to admit, given all I've just researched, I'm a little stumped myself, even though in a previous post I was adamant about him being in a Bentley. By the way, has any member ever seen this Bentley concept that did not see it to production? It's was the 1999 Bentley Hunaudières.
I'm hoping Leno gets a chance to drive or do a video on the C-X16 later this month since the car will be at the L.A. Auto Show.
He will..... He was the only non- jag person to drive the cx75 and he lives in la so I'd bet he will....
Btw he takes his cars and bikes up the same hill in la Canada that I drive... It's a truely breathtaking drive.... Perfect for the new jag.
I just picked up the car on the right about a week ago, so I say Jaguar all the way!
(And of course my requirement for buying a car was that it must be an acceptable "Bond car".)
http://apbateman.com
aren't you concerned to ruin the clutch with multiple runs under launch control?
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
http://apbateman.com