By Moses Akaigwe
As the latest James Bond movie, No Time To Die, makes its staggered debuts in different parts of the world, one of the cars that connoisseurs are likely to look out for is Aston Martin’s DB5, probably the most famous Bond car of all, having first starred in Goldfinger in 1964.
The new DB5 is joined by three sisters: Aton Marton V8 Vantage, DBS Superleggera and the Valhalla.
But very remarkable is the debut of Jaguar’s XF, which features alongside a special edition of the new Land Rover Defender in No Time To Die released in the United Kingdom on September 30, 2021; three days ago (October 8) in the United States; and scheduled for November 11 in Australia.
To mark the eagerly anticipated UK release of the spy movie, Jaguar’s latest XF sedan found itself involved in a thrilling chase across London, as Jaguar Racing’s Formula E driver Mitch Evans aimed to be among the very first to see the film.
The action was set against some of the capital’s most iconic landmarks including the Shard, Tower Bridge, City Hall and Millennium Bridge. Mitch, who is at the wheel of the Santorini Black XF R-Dynamic HSE, is unaware he is being pursued by free runner and Parkour athlete Lynn Jung. The reason for their chase? He has unwittingly dropped his tickets to the screening and Lynn is determined to ensure his wait to see No Time To Die is over.
The six-mile chase started in Laffone Street, close to Tower Bridge, and wove its way across the city with Lynn running, jumping and somersaulting in pursuit of Mitch, who is enjoying the XF’s luxury, comfort and serenity thanks to its Active Noise Cancellation and Cabin Air Ionisation technology.
Distanced from the noise and chaos of the city around him, Mitch focuses on the drive, making the most of the XF’s precise, intuitive steering – and the responsive, refined performance of its 221kW Ingenium engine. The action concluded in London’s famous Baker Street, where the tickets are returned in spectacular style, allowing Mitch to finally enjoy No Time to Die.
Throughout the race across town, 007 fans spotted a few familiar faces along the route, including a bullet-holed XF from No Time to Die as well as notable Jaguar models that appeared in past films, including the C-X75 from Spectre (2015) and the XKR Convertible from Die Another Day (2002).
Anna Gallagher, Jaguar Brand Director, said: “The Jaguar XF is a car designed to tackle any journey with an unrivalled balance of luxury, comfort and refinement. Whether it’s a high-speed pursuit through twisting streets and piazzas of Matera where the car filmed it’s No Time To Die chase sequences, or the bustling streets of London – the XF really is a car for every occasion.”
In the movie, two Jaguar XF cars were filmed in Matera, Southern Italy. However, these cars were used to chase James Bond, who is seen driving his favourite DB5.
The latest model from the Land Rover also plays a key role in the movie. The trailer of the movie also showcased a series of Defender SUVs in a high speed chase where one of them flips over Bond before landing on its roof.
In September, Land Rover launched a special Bond edition model of Defender just before the release of the movie. It was specially developed by Land Rover SV Bespoke to celebrate Defender’s role in the 25th James Bond film.
Powered by a V8 engine and available in both 90 and 110 body designs, the Defender SUV Bond Edition can pack a punch of 525 PS and 625 Nm of torque. The Defender V8 Bond Edition can accelerate from zero to 100 kmph in just over 5 seconds with a top speed of 240 kmph.
Beside the Defender, Range Rover Sport SVR also made appearance in the movie. The SUVs shown in No Time To Die feature specially tuned suspension developed by engineers at Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations. The suspension helps to deliver more responsive handling and tighter body control.
The Range Rover Sport SVR comes with a supercharged V8 engine that can generate maximum output of 575 PS. It can accelerate from zero to 100 kmph in just 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 283 kmph, making it the fastest ever Land Rover.
Interestingly, both Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover brands are respresented in Nigeria by Coscahris Motors.