Only James Bond can save the world and turn the fortunes of a British car maker around, starting as he did with the Aston Martin DB5 and later with Lotus, and when not in either he was usually sat in the back of a Rolls-Royce. Best of British indeed, but why were Land Rovers so rarely seen on screen? It wasn't until Roger Moore drove a convertible Range Rover in 1983's Octopussy that '007' got behind the wheel of Solihull's best. Four years later, Timothy Dalton landed on the back of a stolen army Land Rover in an action scene that gave plenty of screentime. By 2006 and with Ford owning Aston Martin, Land Rover and Jaguar, the screen debut of Daniel Craig's James Bond featured cars from all three brands but it wasn't until the high-octane chase scene through a Turkish market in a 'farmer-spec' Defender 110 in 2012's Skyfall that Land Rover fans were finally satisfied. However, for the following film, Spectre, Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations department threw everything they could to aggressively winterise the 'baddies' black Defenders, examples of which we have proudly sold since.

When filming began for Craig's final outing in 'No Time to Die' in 2019, a spectacular and, for a Bond film, very muddy, chase sequence was scheduled for Norway featuring a trio of all-new Defenders with their 518bhp supercharged 5.0 litre petrol V8s. However, due to demands for multiple cars and the fact that car production had only just begun, they weren't quite ready. Shot later, with Aviemore in Scotland impersonating Norway, we were treated to the magnificent introduction of three airborne 110 Defenders finished menacingly in black. Whilst we naturally cheered for Bond, the Defenders' speed and endurance were to be the best advert for the new car.

Launched in September 2021, the Land Rover Defender V8 Bond Edition was an exclusive take on the most powerful production Defender ever made, created by Land Rover's SV Bespoke and inspired by vehicles on screen in No Time to Die. It represents a meeting of two great British brands and is a unique celebration of Land Rover's 38‑year association with James Bond. Based on the Defender V8, the Bond Edition is powered by a 5.0 litre supercharged petrol engine, which produces 525PS, 625Nm of torque and drives through an eight‑speed automatic transmission. The Defender V8 accelerates from 0‑60mph in just 4.9 seconds with a top speed of 149mph. It delivers new levels of performance and driver engagement by combining the V8 with unique suspension and transmission tuning, including bespoke spring and damper rates and a new electronic active rear differential. The Defender V8 delivered a more agile and engaging handling with heightened body control all accompanied by a characteristic V8 supercharged soundtrack. With a limited worldwide run of just 300, strictly allocated, they could be ordered as either a 90 or 110. They were finished in all-black with 22" black alloy wheels paired with a rear 'Defender 007' badge and blue brake calipers. The infotainment system was fitted with a custom start-up screen to commemorate Land Rover's long-lasting relations with the Bond franchise and the interior featured 'Defender 007' treadplates and all-black seating. The car also sports exterior 007 graphic puddle lights. We understand that just 15 examples were delivered to selected UK dealerships, after customers were carefully selected to place an order. This very special car was one of the ten examples supplied as a 110 to the UK, the other five being the 90.

This 'as new' with little over delivery mileage example is collectors' grade and being one of just 10 110 editions it is believed to be the lowest if not one of the lowest mileage examples in existence. Priced competitively with the new OCTA and V8 Land Rover 110's on the market, this represents not only a well-priced 'new car' but also a fantastic Bond or Land Rover collector example. Full details can still be found online here with Land Rover;

https://media.landrover.com/news/2021/09/new-land-rover-defender-v8-bond-edition-inspired-no-time-die

A rare opportunity to own what is a fantastic car, with a fantastic engine and produced in such numbers it will surely be a very collectable example of an appreciating asset. Consigned by Mathew Priddy

Lot details
Year: 2021
Make: Land Rover
Model: Defender 110 V8 Bond Edition
Registration: YN71 WLR
Chassis No: SALEA7AE4N2089906
Engine No: 21060152171508PS
Mileage: 384

* One of ten UK supplied examples
* Created by Land Rover SV Bespoke
* Offered directly from the first owner
* Inspired by 'No Time to Die' the 25th James Bond film