Some of you James Bond fans may recall the term “Q Car”, which was used to describe a car that kept it’s secret abilities under wrap. They usually came in the form of gadgets and gizmos of sorts, and perhaps the peak of Q Car design came with Die Another Day. Those cars were perhaps a little extreme, with active camouflage and hood-mounted point defence shotguns.
And it may have left James Bond aficionados with a sour taste in their mouth. After all, this wasn’t discreet spy work- this was a very American take on a problem that needed subtlety. The overall theme of the James Bond movies had become a little too outrageous to believe, and so with Casino Royale it was decided that a restrained approach was necessary.
This came in all aspects of the movie. It felt more sober, more British. Less gadgets and gizmos, less outright flair, and more subtlety and restraint. The past 3 movies have been masterpieces, managing to deliver on the promise of action and adventure while staying classy throughout.
Cars have also taken a back seat in the films. The last James Bond film resorted to using a classic Aston Martin as the “hero car”, for an extraordinarily short period of time. This time around, we see that Bond gets the DB10 concept car, and it’s packed with a few tricks. At the very least from the trailers, one can expect some flamethrower antics during Bond’s car chase with Mr Hinx.
