Top Gear: 50 Years of Bond Cars

A special from the BBC's popular Top Gear series, this entertaining survey of the tricked-out cars driven by Agent 007 himself, James Bond, during the 50-year-old action franchise based on the spy novels of Ian Fleming is presented by co-host Richard Hammond. Beginning, quite fittingly, with the sleek, silver Aston Martin DB5 that Bond (definitively played by Sean Connery) drove so memorably in the third movie, 1964's classic Goldfinger, we're reminded of the fact that the DB5 is Bond's most iconic vehicle (so much so that director Sam Mendes brought it back in the 2012 Bond blockbuster Skyfall), but told that the producers had also considered a Jaguar, a Jensen, and even (gasp!) a Chevrolet. Interweaving stunt-laden film clips and interviews with Bond veterans such as Guy Hamilton (director of several of the most popular Bond movies), Connery's successor Roger Moore, and present-day Bond actor Daniel Craig (who cites the Toyota 2000GT from You Only Live Twice as his favorite Bond car), 50 Years of Bond Cars presents each vehicle in chronological order, with highlights including the spiral-jumping AMC Hornet in The Man With the Golden Gun; the Lotus Esprit that transforms into a compact submarine in The Spy Who Loved Me; and the red Mustang, driven on two wheels in Diamonds Are Forever (which also provides the most conspicuous blooper in franchise history). The program hits all of the highs (Aston Martin) and lows (BMW Z3) over the decades, with Hammond delivering some sarcastic zingers when talking about lesser cars before testing a real Lotus submarine car. As a tribute to Fleming's superspy—and the stuntmen, mechanics, and technicians who have helped bring Bond's automotive action to the big screen—this is easily recommended. Aud: P. (J. Shannon)