Junk Bonds: 5 Car companies (unofficially) cashing in on the 007 craze

However, there’s only so much of that licensing to go around, which explains why you’ll also see a handful of companies suddenly start building and pitching not-quite-Official™ secret-agent cars and products as well. This is not to criticize the efforts of these people; after all, the most I’ve managed to build are a couple of LEGO sets and a few derby cars.

So let’s look at these slightly skewed James Bond tributes, all released within just the past month, through that lens. Besides, here’s something even potentially more embarrassing than any of the brands on this list shamelessly joining in on 007 fever: your author, who is generally of sound mind and body, will defend to the death his opinion that the Brosnan-era Bond flicks were good and enjoyable films.

Suddenly, the entrants on this list don’t seem so bad, eh?

BAE Vantare

Perhaps seeking to cash in on the current Bond frenzy, the crew at British Automotive Engineering (BAE) waited until early October to announce they’re taking modern Aston Martin DB9s and redressing them in sheetmetal meant to evoke Bond’s DB5 from the 1960s. BAE (perhaps one of the most unfortunate acronyms) says it uses lightweight materials and bespoke specialist parts to create the car, while continuing to deploy the tasty naturally aspirated V12 engine known and desired by gearheads worldwide.

But does the new styling work? Well — maybe. From certain angles – particularly straight-on – the front looks like a DB5, albeit one that’s suffering an allergic reaction from a bee sting. The front three-quarter view is especially difficult, exposing the challenges when trying to mate sculpted DB5 fender styling with a modern car and all its safety equipment — not to mention making room for the V12. We will posit that the rear styling works better, despite the upright taillamps arguing with the DB9’s flowing C-pillar.

Hey, if you’re going to make a 007 tribute, please put in more of an effort than a bit of paint and wallpaper. This off-road Defender, called the “Tuxedo Black” – billed in the press release as “a car not to die for,” with “special paint [that’s been] shaken, not stirred” – is from an outfit called Heritage Customs, a group which bills itself as a “contemporary studio for carchitecture.” Its design team works on Defenders of all stripes, integrating customer wishes to build a rig which reflects individual ideas and tastes, from subtle details to grand gestures.

As one of its Valiance models, this Tuxedo Black seems to build on other inky offerings like its All Blacks and Mystic Black options. The company installs a set of its own-design wheels, then goes ahead and says ‘yes’ to much of the Land Rover accessory catalog — all of which is dipped in a vat of black paint, of course. No mechanical changes are mentioned as being included in the conversion’s €20,995 (CDN$30,145) price tag, though there are interior upholstery upgrades plus extra bling in the form of new insignia and emblems.

Taking the donor car down to its bones, the company installs an electric powertrain while also upgrading other ancillaries to modern standards. In other words, the driver will be able to stop this thing after quickly getting it up to speed using the instant torque of an electric motor. The new batteries range in size from 80 to 120 kWh and are compatible with fast-charging, meaning you should be able to make a quick getaway with Moneypenny.