Site MapThe 5 Best James Bond Car Chases Without Dispute
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5. The Living Daylights (1987): Aston Martin V8 Volante
In the first of Timothy Dalton’s two James Bond movies, 007 finds himself in hot water while being pursued by KGB agents in Czechoslovakia. Or actually, very cold water – as Bond races through the snow with cellist Kara Milovy (Maryam d’Abo).
The pair then ends up at a frozen lake. At first, things aren’t looking too good for Bond (he crashes into a shed and drags it across the ice), but that’s where his driving skills and Q Branch gadgets come in handy. Bond uses the Volante’s wheels to cut through the ice and sink a police car, then deploys spiked tires and hydraulic outrigger skis for a little extra support. Finally, a jet-engine booster propels the car through its impressive final jump.
4. The Man With The Golden Gun (1974): AMC Hornet
Roger Moore’s Bond steals this AMC Hornet from a showroom so he can pursue hitman Scaramanga (Christopher Lee) through Bangkok, but the chase eventually leads Bond out of the city and onto a riverbank. When 007 sees that a rickety bridge is the only thing standing between him and his target, the Hornet crosses the bridge with a stunning 360-degree spiral jump, which was carefully planned and filmed in a single take. Innovative for its time, this chase would be higher up on the list if it weren’t for the insufferable presence of Sheriff J.W. Pepper (Clifton James), the cartoonish Deep South lawman who first appeared in Live And Let Die (1973).
3. Quantum Of Solace (2008): Aston Martin DBS
This otherwise forgettable Bond film starts off with a bang, catching up with Daniel Craig’s 007 while he’s in the middle of delivering a captive for interrogation. However, part of what makes this opening so memorable is that it doesn’t reveal Bond’s passenger until the very end, focusing instead on the high-octane chase. It certainly looks as though Bond’s Aston Martin DBS is taking a beating, but don’t worry – the filmmakers used seven of them for the four-minute sequence, each with varying levels of damage.
2. Die Another Day (2002): Aston Martin Vanquish
1. Diamonds Are Forever (1971): Ford Mustang Mach 1
Number one has to go to a Connery film, right? This chase takes Bond to Las Vegas, where he is pursued by lackies of billionaire Willard Whyte (Jimmy Dean) while driving a Ford Mustang Mach 1. Bond leads a cohort of hapless policemen through a casino parking lot, where the Mustang jumps over several other cars to make its escape.
And that’s not even its most impressive feat – 007 also squeezes into an alley and leans the Mustang against a wall, driving it on two wheels until he’s home free. It’s a flashy stunt, but Connery’s Bond pulls it off with a stylish, gentlemanly lack of fanfare.
