James Bond has a lot to do with him, but without the gadgets cooked up in Kew’s lab, he would never have lived to see death another day . And of all the Q gadgets, some of the most coveted and most hilarious have been hidden away in many of Bond’s iconic vehicles.
Headlight-mounted rockets, hubcap-mounted lasers, and ejector-powered seats probably won’t hit factory showrooms anytime soon, but a surprising amount of futuristic Q automotive technology has already made the transition from the silver screen to your everyday driver.
How many of those James Bond spy kits are in your car right now?
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Connected Cars
Bond showed us the dangers of cell phones decades before we had to deal with being always available.
Screenshot / MGM, USF / Gina Randall
What we like
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Call from almost anywhere.
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Applications are designed for drivers.
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Voice commands are possible.
What we don’t like
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May cause distracting driving.
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Using the speakerphone is difficult
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Communication isn’t always perfect.
Technology: Cell phones
Movie: From Russia with Love (1963)
What was in the movie
The second installment in the long-running 007 series featured the first instance of Bond’s car gadget ever caught on film. Although Bond never actually drives the iconic Bentley featured in » From Russia with love» it is equipped with a car phone.
What do we have today
While the idea of car phones dates back to 1946, the world’s first car phone service wasn’t available until 1971. Service analog cellular communication was not launched until 1984 and Bond did not use it. his cell phone to drive until the 1990s, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
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In-Dash Navigation & Tracking
Bond’s take on GPS navigation and tracking arrived decades ahead of schedule.
Screenshot / MGM
What we like
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Useful GPS navigation apps available.
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Paper cards are no longer needed.
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Asking for directions is a thing of the past.
What we don’t like
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GPS trackers are not always accurate.
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GPS tracking requires an enabled device.
Technology: GPS navigation
Movie: Goldfinger (1964)
In film »
Goldfinger» two automotive technologies were introduced that we almost take for granted today: vehicle tracking and navigation.
While the analog navigation pad in Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 dashboard, with its green hues and manual knobs, doesn’t look much like today’s GPS navigation devices in our cars, she was pretty far-sighted for her time.
Combined with a built-in navigation device, Bond uses a small «Homer» to track Rolls Royce Phantom 337 aurica Goldfinger .
What do we have today
In-dash GPS navigation devices have become the norm with the proliferation of factory-built infotainment systems. For old car owners portable GPS navigators available and you can even use smartphone for GPS .
Today law enforcement and private investigators use devices vehicle tracking means in much the same way that Bond used his «masters» in 1964. You can even install a GPS tracking device on your own vehicle, to keep an eye on your teenage driver or help with vehicle recovery. if it gets stolen.
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High tech tires
The run flat tires we have today are not made for high speed racing, but self-inflating tires can keep you on the road.
Screenshot / MGM, Carspotter2000 / CC-BY-SA-3.0, BMK / CC-BY-SA-3.0
What we like
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Avoid towing costs.
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Improve driver safety.
What we don’t like
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Run-flat tires have mileage restrictions.
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Very expensive.
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Limited availability.
Technology: Run-Flat Tires, Self-Inflating Tires
Movie: Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
What was in the movie
Run-flat tires are often referred to as real Bond technology, but the BMW 750iL 007 actually had something much cooler: self-inflating tires. In the midst of a wild car chase in the garage, Bond led his pursuers through a blanket with lollipops . The tires were inflated on both vehicles, but the 750iL automatically inflated itself.
What do we have today
Run-flat tires are the real deal and can be found as original equipment on some cars today. In particular, BMW continues to have a certain affinity for technology. You can also buy running tires for your car if you want some Bond in your life.
Self-inflating tires are harder to come by, but this is another one of the Q gadgets you can get in your own car. Central Tire Inflation (CITS) is available from the Hummers factory, but you can also install an aftermarket kit yourself.
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Advanced driver assistance systems
Titanium armor didn’t save Bond’s car from honking saws, but a display in the windshield could save you from an accident.
Screenshot / MGM, Navdy
What we like
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Comfortable.
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Becomes more common in new vehicles.
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Mobile HUD apps are now available.
What we don’t like
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Not as noticeable as in the movies.
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Limited functionality.
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Using daylight can be difficult.
Technology: one one shows
movie: the world is not enough (1999)
What was in the movie
R John Cleese’s informs Bond that his newest vehicle includes «titanium armor, multitasking heads-up display and six drink cup holders» before most of us knew what advanced driver assistance system .
It’s unclear how good the armor is, given the end that Bond’s BMW Z8 came to at the hands of a cunning sawmill, but the windshield displays are as useful as they are cool.
What do we have today
Despite the fact that heads-up displays were already on planes, when landed in 1999 «The World Isn’t Enough» it took automakers two decades to catch up.
Today, you can find factory-equipped displays from every major automaker, and you can even install your own from the aftermarket, such as the Navdy block, shown above.
