JLR in fine spirits as it lines up support for 007’s SPECTRE
THE exciting range of cars being produced by Jaguar Land Rover’s new Special Vehicle Operations division are set to give a helping hand to another British icon – superspy James Bond.
JLR has signed a deal with the producers of the latest film in the Bond canon, SPECTRE, which will see three very special vehicles vie with 007 himself, Daniel Craig for star billing.
These will include the aborted Jaguar C-X75 hypercar, Range Rover Sport SVR and Defender Big Foot.
The Jaguar C-X75 will feature in a spectacular car chase sequence through Rome alongside the Aston Martin DB10. The C-X75 vehicles used in filming have been built in collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering facility in Oxfordshire.
It is not the first time Aston Martin and Jaguar have gone head-to-head in a Bond film; the 2002 Pierce Brosnan starrer Die Another Day featured a memorable scrap between an Aston Martin Vanquish and a Jaguar XKR in an icy wasteland.
Returning to SPECTRE, scenes involving the heavily modified versions of the Land Rover Defender and Range Rover Sport SVR have already been filmed in Austria. The Range Rover Sport SVR is the fastest and most powerful Land Rover ever, while the specially-adapted Big Foots were constructed by the SVO complete with huge 37-inch diameter off-road tyres to tackle the extreme terrain. They also feature bespoke suspension systems and enhanced body protection.
The film promises to be something of a last hurrah for the Defender, which ends its 67-year production run this year. The new film also marks something of a return for the model after a rugged Defender 110 Double Cab Pick Up was heavily featured in the opening sequence to the last Bond film, 2012’s Skyfall.
John Edwards, managing director of Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations, said: “This is an exciting partnership for Jaguar Land Rover and an opportunity to demonstrate the fantastic capabilities of the Special Operations team.’’
SPECTRE, the 24th James Bond adventure, from Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, is set to be released in cinemas in November.
