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James Bond may be forced to drop Aston Martin
for the 22nd 007 film due in 2008, but his car is
likely to stay British with a new Jaguar XF... |
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Jaguar For James Bond 22?
8th January 2007
No sooner had fans acclimatised to a new actor
in James Bond's tuxedo, news is reaching MI6 that his equally
famous car marque is about to undergo a change for the next film.
Daniel Craig debuted as 007 in "Casino
Royale" (2006)
and co-starred with the new Aston
Martin DBS, so new in fact
that the car will only go in to production later this summer
when 300 units will made (for those tycoons out there, the DBS
will cost between £150,000 and £170,000 if you can
make the shortlist).
But the association with one of Britain's most famous car brands
is unlikely to continue in the 22nd film in the series, which
is due to start shooting in January 2008. US giant Ford Motor
Company - who own Aston Martin - put
the company up for sale late last year as part of an attempt to restructure its balance
sheet.
Ever since, the UK firm based in Gaydon and Newport Pagnell has
attracted a long line of potential suitors. Industry watchers
expect Ford to offload Aston Martin sometime in 2007 for over
$1 billion.
This leaves Q Branch in a quandary
- which car do they issue 00-agents in 2008? Despite the planned
Aston Martin
sell-off,
Ford will still have the exclusive rights for vehicle product
placement in the 22nd film due to their $100m three-picture deal
which began with "Die Another
Day" in 2002.
MI6 understands that Ford is lining up Jaguar as Bond's next
marque. Despite the film being in the early stages of script
development by regular scribes Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, MI6
has been tipped off that the new Jaguar XF model - also due out
in 2008 - is being groomed for 007.
Above: The Jaguar C-XF concept car |
Jaguar recently unveiled the "C-XF" concept
car at the press preview of the Detroit Motor Show this weekend.
The
C-XF is tipped as a preview to the new XF four-door sedan which
is being shrouded in secrecy and will not be publicly unveiled
until the Frankfurt auto show in September.
Positioned in the luxury mid-size segment, the new Jaguar XF
will replace the S-TYPE saloon in the Jaguar model line-up. Designed
and developed at Jaguar's Product Development Centre at Whitley
in Coventry, UK, the new Jaguar XF will be built at Jaguar's
Advanced Manufacturing Centre at Castle Bromwich in Birmingham,
UK.
Above: The Jaguar C-XF concept car |
"The Jaguar XF is a new sports saloon that will challenge
people to think again about Jaguar as daring and different," commented
Bibiana Boerio, managing director of Jaguar Cars. "Our new
XK sports car has been very well-received and is enjoying great
success. We are now moving on to the next stage of Jaguar's exciting
new design era - and if you like the new XK, just wait
until you see the new Jaguar XF!"
The C-XF concept is powered by the same 400 horsepower 4.2 litre
V8 as the current S-Type R. It delivers in excess of 420 horsepower
and 368 pound-feet of torque and could, in theory, power the
concept to 180 mph. Behind the engine is the same six-speed automatic
transmission that partners with the V8 in the XKR.
Designed by the same teams that produced the award-winning Jaguar
XK sports GT range in 2005 - headed by Jaguar Director
of Design Ian Callum and Head of Advanced Design Julian Thomson - the
C-XF concept is a precursor to cars that will become recognised
for their ground-breaking exterior looks and innovative interiors.
Above: The Jaguar C-XF concept car |
The C-XF concept car signals the onset of a new era for Jaguar.
A stunning, four-door sports saloon which blends design purity
with unmistakable dynamism, the C-XF is a clear indication of
the design direction that the next generations of Jaguar saloons
will take. Even though 007's days with Aston Martin may be numbered,
the future looks bright for Bond in a British-made luxury car
that would make any secret agent proud.
Briefing
Produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli (Eon
Productions), QUANTUM OF SOLACE was released in the
UK on October 31st 2008 and is directed by
Marc Forster. Principal photography started on January
3rd
2008 at
Pinewood Studios and around the UK, and foreign locations
including Italy, Panama, Chile, Peru and Austria.
Paul Haggis completed the script based on a first draft
screenplay developed by regular scribes Neal Purvis & Robert
Wade, with later polish by Joshua Zetumer. The story
is a direct continuation of the events of Casino
Royale. 007 faces off against
villains Mathieu Amalric (Dominic Greene), Anatole
Taubman (Elvis) and Joaquin Cosío (General Medrano).
Olga Kurylenko (Camille) and Gemma Arterton (MI6 Agent
Fields) play the Bond Girls. Dame Judi Dench (M), Jeffrey
Wright (Felix Leiter) and Giancarlo Giannini (Mathis)
reprise their roles as Bond's allies. It is British
actor Daniel Craig’s second outing as James Bond,
following his debut film Casino Royale released November
16th 2006.
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