The James Bond franchise loves some good car action and sometimes manages to push the envelope for car stunts. There’s one moment in the franchise that’s especially silly, but we can crank up the funny even further.
Jason wrote about when henchman Jaws beat up a poor Sherpa in the film The Spy Who Loved Me. I’ve never heard of this scene before, so I need to watch some old Bond. Anyway, Ash78 has some funny ideas:
If you want more car action, you need to go deeper into the Bond Catalog — you could try On Her Majesty’s Secret Service Department, Volkwagen Quantum of Solace, No Time to Daihatsu, Diamantes Are Forever, and the epic love letter to TVR, Tamora Never Dies.
Zeppelopod:
I’m partial to The Man with the Holden Gun, myself.
Rad Barchetta:
Don’t forget From Marussia With Love and Nevera Say Nevera Again.
MaximillianMeen:
The Alfa Spider Who Loved Me.
Die Another Daewoo.
Zeppelopod:
The Alfa Spider Who Loved Me.
Ah, a convertible enthusiast! What are your opinions on the epic duology of A Quantiac of Solstice followed by Saturn Skyfall?
In other news, police departments are scooping up V8 Ford Mustangs to chase the goobers who drive recklessly for clout. Abdominal Snoman:
I think they should be buying Altimas instead… We already know they’re the fastest thing on the road, and no amount of body damage keeps them from running. Plus being able to use 4 spare tires is both cheaper to replace and more fuel efficient.
David wrote about how unsafe brakes used to be. Autonerdery has an edge-of-your-seat story:
Back when I was in high school, I worked weekends and holidays at Legoland. The employee parking lot at the time was—maybe still is, I don’t know—accessed at the top of a steep hill, at the bottom of which was a busy, six-lane road (Palomar Airport Road).
Leaving at the end of a shift one day in my ’65 Corvair, I only discovered after turning out of the lot and starting my downhill descent that I had no brakes. Again, I am hurtling down the hill toward a major road, gaining speed at an alarming rate. The car’s an automatic, so engine braking wasn’t really on the menu. Thankfully, I had a green light and clear road ahead when I reached the bottom of the hill, and my little green deathtrap flew into a left turn onto Palomar Airport Road, me clinging to the skinny plastic steering wheel in terror.
A mile or so down the road, I pulled into a gas station and was able to time it right to pull into a parking spot in front of the mini-mart and pull the hand brake to bring it to a stop. Pop open my single-pot master cylinder—fortunately easy to access in the trunk, just below the base of the windshield—and, of course, it was dry as a bone.
Fun times. But, here we are more than 20 years later, and the car still has its original single-circuit master cylinder, so I guess I learned nothing.
Have a great evening, everyone!
Topshot graphic image: United Artists
The headline immediately made me think of what my 15yo son decided his YouTube channel should be: “Parodies/Nutz!” I didn’t NOT laugh at this…with my wife within earshot.
Reminds me of something: just down the street from Galpin mega-dealers is a barber shop called “Deez Cutz.”
Thanks, Mercedes! And thanks to Ash78!
The span of time between now and 1965 (when we joke of bad brake design) is longer than the span of time between 1965 and 1925 – a time when the ModelT used a metal band around a metal shaft on the transmission output of a “brake” pulled “tight” by mechanical means.
Wanna good james bond factoid? Kenworth released a special edition kenworth as a tie in for the Timothy Dalton film, the W900L. Which became so popular it became the top trim Kw for 20 years
I still get angry watching that movie. It wasn’t a Q branch vehicle, how could it pop that wheelie while the Bond theme blares triumphantly.
Complete sidebar, but Mercedes has taken the torch of Torch of writing all of the most interesting articles on the site. Everything that I see that I go “whoa, that’s niche/bad-ass/exactly what I’m looking for” it’s Mercedes in the byline.
She is a treasure.
Torch still wears the crown.
Nobody needs to see Roger Moore-era Bond.
I mean Moonraker has the epic space marine laser gun battle so…gonna have to disagree there.
Live and Let Die is magnificent. Jane Seymour is still, whoo, *shiver*
I love Baron Samedi, I love New Orleans, I love running across alligators. It’s so so good.
Plus, I hear Jane Seymour is in that one.
The best part for me is the Corvado that Whisper drives in New York. Well that and the best bayou boat chase ever filmed!
There’s only one truly good Bond, and that’s George Lazenby.
And he got to star alongside the best Bond girl, Diana Rigg, and the theme song was by Louis Armstrong. What’s not to like?
A chacun son gout. I’ll die on the Rog Bond hill.
Roger Moore has the perfect name for a Bond film. It’s basically the male equivalent of Pussy Galore.
OMG..Mind blown.
Roger Moore was the current Bond when I was growing up and I love his movies. He’s also great parodying himself in The Cannonball Run.
Moore was responsible for some of the best as well as the worst Bond films. His first three are among my favorites. Moonraker, Octopussy, and View to a Kill, on the other hand, range from groan inducing to absolute shite.