Eon Productions
Fast & Furious fans may disagree, but there may be no better movie franchise for car lovers than the James Bond films. What the spy series lacks in the sheer quantity of cars—at least compared to the F&F movies—it more than makes up for in quality. After all, the series does feature what is easily the most iconic vehicle in cinematic history: 007’s trusted Aston Martin DB5, which has appeared in eight installments. From the exotic (all those Astons) to the quotidian (a Ford Ranch Wagon) to the downright bizarre (a motorized rickshaw), here are the top 25 vehicles our hero has driven—or been driven in—from the 25 movies that make up the beloved spy series. And no, number one probably is not what you’re expecting.
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J90-Series Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
Image Credit: Eon Productions The prototypical Bond car is one most of us can only dream of owning, let alone driving. Agent 007 repeatedly shows, though, that it’s not only the vehicle that matters but also its driver. Just look at the tan-colored Land Cruiser Prado he drives in 2021’s No Time to Die. Sure, the smaller version of Toyota’s iconic 4×4 looks cool, but you wouldn’t expect it be a match for a group of brand-new Land Rover Defenders and Range Rover Sports, especially since it’s only powered by an inline-four that produces 125 horses. But with Bond’s behind the wheel, things rarely turn out the way his pursuers expect.
Specs:
Engine: 3.0-liter turbo diesel inline-four
Output: 125 hp and 217 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 62 mph: 14 seconds
Top Speed: 99 mph -
1960 Ford Ranch Wagon
Image Credit: Eon Productions James Bond in a station wagon? Okay, we know it sounds strange, but it works. And a big reason why is because the white and chrome Ford Ranch Wagon he drives in 1963’s From Russia with Love is about as sharp as estate cars from the era get. The old-school ride also has a decent amount of pep thanks to its inline-six, though Bond never has to push the vehicle anywhere close to its limits. It’s responsible for one of the film’s continuity gaffes, though. The first time we see the car, it has two doors, the next time, it has four.
Specs:
Engine: 3.6-liter inline-six
Output: 145 hp and 206 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: n/a
Top Speed: n/a -
Mercedes-Benz 250SE
Image Credit: Eon Productions Surprised to see the Mercedes-Benz 250SE crack the top 25 Bond cars? It may not be the sexiest vehicle, but the W108-generation saloon has an elegant yet understated design that’s survived the test of time. It also doesn’t hurt that the vehicle nearly steals the show in 1983’s Octopussy thanks to its involvement in one of the franchise’s most ridiculous set pieces. The sequence, which is probably a tad more cartoonish necessary, ends with the black four-door speeding along train tracks on its rims after its tires were shredded by a road barricade.
Specs:
Engine: 2.3-liter inline-four
Output: 109 hp and 137 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 62 mph: 13.7 seconds
Top Speed: 106 mph -
2002 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish
Image Credit: Eon Productions Look, the V12 Vanquish, which appears in 2002’s Die Another Day, is a cool car, but of the many Aston Martins that have appeared in the Bond franchise, it might be the most forgettable (ironic since it was the marque’s first car to appear in the series following a 15-year absence). The reason comes down to the adaptive camouflage field Q whipped up for the vehicle, a ridiculous gadget that overshadows the rest of the vehicle’s features, even its potent V-12. Sure, it’s easy to see why the ability to “vanish” would be useful for a spy who constantly finds himself in sticky situations, but part of the fun of all the great cars in this franchise is getting to see Bond actually drive them . . .
Specs:
Engine: 5.9-liter V-12
Output: 460 hp and 400 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 4.5 seconds
Top Speed: 190 mph -
1989 Ford Bronco II XLT
Image Credit: Eon Productions As handsome as he may be, James Bond isn’t afraid to get down and dirty—especially if it gets the job done. In 2008’s Quantum of Solace, our hero has finished off a boat chase with General Medrano’s men when he sees this Ford Bronco II XLT just sitting there with its door open. Never one to let an opportunity pass him by, he gets in and continues his pursuit of the villainous Dominic Greene. Sure, it would have been cooler if he’d been driving a classic Bronco—especially since the Bronco II is considered one of the biggest disasters in Ford history—but the compact off-roader is able to hold its own with Bond behind the wheel.
Specs:
Engine: 2.9-liter V-6
Output: 140 hp and 170 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 12.1 seconds
Top Speed: 109 mph -
1981 Citroën 2CV6
Image Credit: Eon Productions The Citroën 2CV6 is as unformidable as Bond cars get. The French compact is more cute than anything else, something that the filmmakers behind 1981’s For Your Eyes Only use to their advantage. The yellow four-door belongs to the spy’s love interest, Melina Havelock, and gets them out of more than a few jams despite only packing a boxer two-cylinder that delivers less than 30 hp. (The vehicle’s mild off-roading capabilities do prove to be quite useful, though.) It also features in one of the franchise’s sillier sequences, where Bond, Havelock, and some local villagers team up to push the vehicle upright after it tips over on its side.
Specs:
Engine: Boxer-twin engine
Output: 29 hp and 28 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 35 seconds
Top Speed: 71 mph -
1985 Renault 11
Image Credit: Eon Productions We know, the Renault 11 looks like any other non-descript ‘80s sedan. It proves itself to be so much more in 1985’s A View to a Kill, though. Bond borrows (or steals, depending on your perspective) from a taxi driver in front of the Eiffel Tower and then sets off on one of the more over-the-top car chases in the franchise. During the shockingly long sequence, the vehicle speeds down a flight of stairs in reverse, jumps on top of a bus, has its roof sheared, and, then, gets ripped in half. Despite all this, the car (and its surprisingly durable inline-four mill) never stops running.
Specs:
Engine: 1.7-liter inline-four
Output: 81 hp and 100 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 10.5 seconds
Top Speed: 106 mph -
1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1
Image Credit: Eon Productions The Ford Mustang Mach 1 is one of its era’s best muscle cars, but it was let down by the filmmakers of 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever. Bond gets behind the wheel of the 266-hp beast in the film’s big Vegas chase scene. What should be a crowd-pleasing sequence instead becomes a moment of comedy, thanks to a continuity error that shows the car entering an alley riding on its right wheels but somehow exiting on its left wheels. Not even someone as well-verse in the impossible as agent 007 could pull that one off. Some moviegoers may not have noticed, but it’s the kind of flub that no car lover can miss.
Specs:
Engine: 5.8-liter V-8
Output: 266 hp and 300 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 6.4 seconds
Top Speed: 123 mph -
1957 Ford Fairlane
Image Credit: Eon Productions Not all Bond cars are involved in jaw-dropping action sequences. Just look at the 1957 Ford Fairlane that Pierce Brosnan borrows to drive around Cuba in 2001’s Die Another Day. The white-and-brown convertible—an unorthodox color combo that works surprisingly well—is smooth and sophisticated in a way that nothing else in this otherwise terrible film is. It’s also the rare car in the franchise that Bond can take his time and enjoy. Another Fairlane appears in 1965’s Thunderball, but that one isn’t driven by Bond.
Specs:
Engine: 4.5-liter V-8
Output: 176 hp and 264 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 9.5 seconds
Top Speed: 111 mph -
Russian T-95 Tank
Image Credit: Eon Productions Golden Eye may have returned a sense of gravitas to the Bond franchise when it premiered in 1995, but that didn’t mean director Martin Campbell was afraid of having fun. Take, for example, the film’s signature chase scene through the streets of Saint Petersburg. In the sequence, our hero steals an unattended T-95 tank and uses it to rescue love interest Natalya from the clutches of the villainous Colonel Ourumov. While it’s not even close to a street-legal car, there’s no denying it’s one extremely cool ride.
Specs:
Engine: 12N360 X diesel engine
Output: 1,650 hp
Zero to 60 mph: n/a
Top Speed: 50 mph -
1983 Bajaj RE
Image Credit: Eon Productions First things first: Bond doesn’t technically drive the Bajaj RE in Octopussy, but he does provide directions and defense from the backseat. The motorized rickshaw is piloted by Bond’s MI6 contact in India, Vijay, during one of the movie’s most over-the-top action scenes. Vijay has little trouble pulling off some pretty remarkable feats in the three-wheeler, including an impossible-to-forget wheelie down a crowded street.
Specs:
Engine: four-stroke engine
Output: 15 hp
Zero to 60 mph: n/a
Top Speed: 40 mph -
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible
Image Credit: Eon Productions The Chevrolet Bel Air holds the distinction of being the first vehicle Bond drives in the franchise. Near the start of series-opener Dr No (1962), the spy is retrieved from the airport by a chauffeur driving the gleaming back-over-red convertible. As tends to happen in Bond films, the driver is not who he claims to be and is instead a hired assassin. Following a scuffle, it’s the chauffeur who ends up dead, leaving Bond to pilot the commanding V-8 all by himself.
Specs:
Engine: 5.7-liter V-8
Output: 350 hp and 365 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 9.9 seconds
Top Speed: 105 mph -
1969 Aston Martin DBS
Image Credit: Eon Productions On Her Majesty’s Secret Service from 1969 is one of the Bond franchise’s more curious entries. Perhaps because it starred George Lazenby, who would only play the role for a single film, the movie is somewhat forgotten at this point. It has its adherents, though, like filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, who praise it for its singular qualities. For all its strangeness, it does have an Aston Martin, specifically a very sleek 1969 DBS. It doesn’t have the gadgets or pedigree of its predecessor (more on that car later on), but the sharp-edged grand tourer is a true beauty more than deserving of its role in the film.
Specs:
Engine: 5.3-liter V-8
Output: 320 hp and 345 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 5.9 seconds
Top Speed: 160 mph -
1999 BMW Z8
Image Credit: Eon Productions The unglamorous BMW Z3 from Golden Eye may not have been the right fit for Bond, but the more sophisticated Z8 certainly certainly was. The retro-styled roadster from 1998’s The World Is Not Enough was a tribute to the German marque’s 507 convertible from the late ’50s. Even if it weren’t so good-looking, the Z8 stands would stand out for its capabilities, both in the real world (it packs a V-8 that produces 400 horses) and the Bond universe (it’s equipped with surface-to-air missiles). Unfortunately, it’s cut in half before the film’s over, but it manages to put on an impressive showing before that.
Specs:
Engine: 5.0-liter V-8
Output: 400 hp and 369 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 4.2 seconds
Top Speed: 155 mph -
1961 Sunbeam Alpine
Image Credit: Eon Productions Here it is, the first official Bond car. The spy may briefly drive a Chevy Bel Air during the first act of Dr. No, but this stunning metallic-blue convertible is the first he doesn’t have to commandeer from someone else. It’s far from the most capable vehicle our hero drives—it’s limited to a top speed of 100 mph thanks to the modest four-cylinder under the hood—but it’s more than potent enough to outrun Dr. No’s henchman on the winding dirt roads of Kingston, Jamaica.
Specs:
Engine: 1.4-liter inline-four
Output: 84 hp and 90 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 18.8 seconds
Top Speed: 100 mph -
2006 Aston Martin DBS V12
Image Credit: Eon Productions Now this is more like it. Aston Martin made its return to the franchise in Die Another Day, but the most notable thing about that car was its ability to disappear. Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace’s DBS V12, on the other hand, is meant to be seen. The grand tourer may not have the gadgetry of some of Bond’s other vehicles, but a 5.9-liter V-12 that can produce 512 hp and 420 ft lbs of torque means it’s not exactly lacking, either. The only reason it doesn’t rank higher is that its biggest moment in Daniel Craig’s first two films in the franchise is a crash in which it flips a record-setting seven times.
Specs:
Engine: 5.9-liter V-12
Output: 510 hp and 420 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 4.3 seconds
Top Speed: 190 mph -
1981 Lotus Esprit Turbo
Image Credit: Eon Productions This is the second of two Lotus Esprits to feature in the franchise, and it’s easy to see why producers brought the angular vehicle back. In fact, two examples of turbocharged sports car appear in 1981’s For Your Eyes Only. The first is a white example that’s blown up after a thief trips its self-destruct system, and the second is the bronze number Bond uses to drive to a ski resort in northern Italy. This Esprit comes loaded with goodies of the non-lethal variety, including a custom ski rack positioned over its engine cover.
Specs:
Engine: 2.2-liter turbocharged inline-four
Output: 210 hp and 199 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 5.6 seconds
Top Speed: 152 mph -
Land Rover Series III
Image Credit: Eon Productions Bond drives a number of off-roaders throughout the franchise, but the best, without a doubt, is the Land Rover Series III from its most recent entry, No Time to Die. Sean Connery is the most iconic Bond, but Daniel Craig is the most stylish. Look no further than the vehicle he uses to get around Port Antonio in Jamaica while attempting to live the quiet life. The two-door convertible isn’t exactly a speed demon—in fact, its real-world top speed is just 66 mph—but its boxy body and military green finish sure do look good. It’s proof that there are more ways to show off one’s sense of style than a crisp outfit.
Specs:
Engine: 2.3-liter inline-four
Output: 69 hp and 120 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 62 mph: 36.4 seconds
Top Speed: 66 mph -
1967 Toyota 2000GT
Image Credit: Eon Productions James Bond doesn’t always get to drive the best car in one of his films. This may sound ridiculous, but it’s true. Just look at the Toyota 2000GT from 1967’s You Only Live Twice. The Japanese automaker built two convertible variants of the curvy grand tourer for the production because star Sean Connery was too tall to fit in the sleek coupé. The car belongs to (and is exclusively driven by) the spy’s girlfriend in the film, Aki, who isn’t shy to show off the might of its inline-six. Despite Connery never getting behind the wheel of the car, Daniel Craig would go on to select it as his favorite Bond car decades later.
Specs:
Engine: 2.3-liter inline-six
Output: 138 hp and 148 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 62 mph: 8.6 seconds
Top Speed: 136 mph -
1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7
Image Credit: Eon Productions Unsurprisingly, as a member of the U.K.’s MI6, 007 spends a lot of his time riding around in British-made vehicles during the Bond series. Of those built abroad, our favorite has to be the 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. There’s something so satisfying about seeing Bond, who’s being driven by his lover Contessa Teressa “Tracy” di Vicenzo, in a genuine muscle car. It gets better, though, because the car ends up right in the middle of an ice race, which it fairs quite well in thanks to its powerful V-8. It’s little wonder this car became the most expensive Cougar of all time when it sold for $481,000 at auction in 2020.
Specs:
Engine: 5.8-liter V-8
Output: 300 hp and 380 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 7.6 seconds
Top Speed: 132 mph -
2015 Aston Martin DB10
Image Credit: Eon Productions It was bound to happen sooner or later. In the lead-up to the 24th Bond film, 2015’s Spectre, Aston Martin announced it would develop a model specifically for the franchise. The bespoke car would turn out to be the DB10. The automaker built just 10 examples of the car, eight of which were used for filming, and two for display. The car wasn’t just for the movie, though. It also served as a concept previewing the brand’s new design language for the latter half of the decade. Unfortunately, those series-production cars, specifically the DB11 and V8 Vantage, didn’t come with the big-screen version’s flamethrower or ejector seat. The DB10’s only flaw was that it didn’t come with a V-12, though lightning-fast acceleration and a 193-mph top speed almost make up for that.
Specs:
Engine: 4.7-liter V-8
Output: 430 hp and 361 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 62 mph: 4.3 seconds
Top Speed: 193 mph -
1973 Aston Martin V8
Image Credit: Eon Productions The 1980s was a nadir for the Bond films. Roger Moore’s last films were more goofy than good, and audiences were anything but won over by his successor, Timothy Dalton. Still, one of the coolest cars in the franchise, the Aston Martin V8, from 1987’s The Living Daylights. The car in the film is actually supposed to be a V8 Vantage, but thanks to a backlog of orders for the model an older example was outfitted with a revised body and used for filming. Although less powerful than the ‘80s version, this example still comes with a 5.0-liter eight-cylinder potent enough to push it to a top speed of 150 mph. Its missile launchers and laser guns are pretty cool, too. The car is so cool producers brought it back for a cameo in No Time to Die.
Specs:
Engine: 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8
Output: 400 hp and 390 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 7.1 seconds
Top Speed: 150 mph -
1935 Bentley 3 ½ Liter
Image Credit: Eon Productions Most people forget, but the first car we learn that Bond actually owns isn’t an Aston Martin; it’s a Bentley. In From Russia With Love, we get a brief glimpse of Bond cleaning his beloved 1935 3 ½ Liter. Later, in 1964’s Goldfinger, it was revealed that the retro drophead was Bond’s first Q Branch vehicle and even came equipped with gadgets—most notably a rare-for-the-time car phone. Although Aston Martin is the defining marque of the film series, Bond’s creator Ian Fleming clearly had a soft spot for vehicles made by Bentley. Both the Blower sports car and Mark VI saloon make appearances during the 14-book series.
Specs:
Engine: 3.5-liter inline-six
Output: 115 hp
Zero to 60 mph: n/a
Top Speed: 97 mph -
1964 Aston Martin DB5
Image Credit: Eon Productions Look, you can make your case for Back to the Future’s DeLorean DMC-12, but the Aston Martin DB5 is the most famous movie car of all as we’re concerned. There’s a reason why the car has reappeared seven times since making its debut in Goldfinger. That means it’s appeared in more Bond films than any actor who’s portrayed the character on the silver screen (Connery and Moore are tied at seven films apiece). It’s easy to see why, too. The car has been a stone-cold classic the moment it rolled off the line six decades ago. In fact, It’s so beloved that earlier this decade Aston Martin produced 25 continuation editions and had no trouble selling them for $3.6 million each. Add in some of Q’s trademark modifications—chiefly its front-wing machine guns, an ejector seat, and a smoke screen—and it’s the kind of car that no movie watcher is ever going to forget.
Specs:
Engine: 4.0-liter inline-six
Output: 282 hp and 288 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 8 seconds
Top Speed: 145 mph -
1976 Lotus Esprit S1 ‘Wet Nellie’
Image Credit: Eon Productions Generations of movie lovers from across the globe may recognize the Aston Martin DB5, but that doesn’t make it the best Bond car. If you came of age watching movies in the ’70 or ’80s, then there’s a very good chance that the Lotus Esprit S1—or “Wet Nellie” as it’s affectionately known—is your favorite vehicle from the franchise and who are we to disagree. That’s because the sports car, which appears in 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me, doesn’t just impress on land; it does so at sea as well. Q whips up several cool gadgets for Bond’s vehicles throughout the franchise, but the Esprit’s “Submersible Mode” is at the very top of the list. The DB5 may be one of the coolest vehicles of all time, but it just can’t match Wet Nellie’s versatility.
Specs:
Engine: 2.0-liter inline-four
Output: 160 hp and 140 ft lbs of torque
Zero to 60 mph: 6.8 seconds
Top Speed: 138 mph