Cramming the new gadgets into the cars caused some interesting problems for the Bond production team, as MI6 can now reveal when we lift the bonnet on the true cars of "Die Another Day".

Bond Car Secrets From "Die Another Day"
14th November 2002

Ford, owners of Aston Martin and Jaguar, supplied dozens of cars for use in the film. More crucially however, they also supplied twenty of their top engineers to help the production crew get to grip with the latest car technology.

Aston Martin Vanquish The £150,000 two-tonne monster of a car is Bond's first Aston Martin in 15 years, and with the 40th anniversary, some special features have been added to 007's latest car. Twin auto-aiming machine guns pop up from the bonnet air-vents, four rockets and two forward firing machine guns appear from behind the front grille, and the ejector site disposes of any unwanted passengers.

This created some big problems for the technicians that turn Bond fantasy into reality - where do you put the gadgets in a car that is crammed packed already? Simple - take out the engine. The Vanquish seen on screen in "Die Another Day" features a lower powered Mustang V8 engine instead of the 380 BHP Aston Martin V12. The shorter engine allowed the crew to pack the bonnet with machine guns and rockets, and to keep things sporting, fitted the same engine into the Jaguar XKR.

The film calls for the cars to perform a balletic chase across an ice lake, which would have proven perilous for the two-wheel drive cars. £1.5 million pounds, 20 technicians and 8 months later, the cars were converted to full 4-wheel drive, giving the vehicles crucial control on the slippery surface. The Vanquish's steering-wheel flipper gear changes were also scrapped, in favour of a traditional automatic gearbox.

Jaguar XKR The modifications were even more drastic on the Jaguar XKR. Unable suitably modify the chassis for the four-wheel drive system, the Jaguar was ditched in favour of a shortened Ford Explorer 4x4. The body shell and trimmings from the XKR were transplanted a total of six times - just in case the ice broke.

No expense was spared on creating a unique look for the car either. Special paint was used to create the shimmering green look, which mixed green paint with pure gold at a cost of £2000 a litre.

The only car in the film to remain unmolested is Jinx's Ford Thunderbird - which manages to avoid any action sequences and angle grinders.

In an age where computer generated images are the norm for such high-cost action sequences, the Bond production crew should be applauded for keeping up the tradition of doing things "the old fashioned way".