22/03 2014, updated 24/07 2016 by PS
The Land Rover Defender Double Cab 110 is seen in the opening sequence of Skyfall driven by Eve (Naomie Harris) with James Bond (Daniel Graig) as passenger. They first chases Patrice (Ola Rapage) trying to escape in his Audi A5. When James Bond catches his train, Eve drives besides it, reporting to M. Two Defender 110 are seen later in the film in the scene where the first wave of Silvas mini army arrives at Skyfall.
A stunt driver in a custom build pod on the roof of one of the seven Defenders, is doing the driving during closeups for the pretitle chase. The stunt driver was Ben Collins former known as The Stig - The mysterious white clad driver of the BBC TV series Top Gear. This arrangement allowed the actors to concentrate on acting, leaving the driving to The Stig. Normally close ups in cars are filmed when either towing the car or it's on a trailer. But due to the narrow streets the pod solution was selected.
Seven cars was modified for the filming by Berkshire Land Rover, Maidenhead. One was built to a special specification for a single use and was offered for sale on eBay in 2012 after filming. Start price tag USD 85.000. That car was so modified, that is not allowed on the roads. But only for display. The model includes these modifications besides the damages and bullet holes:
- factory 2011 puma auto built by Berkshire to movie spec.
- up-rated suspension and strenghtened bumpers.
- New shocks and springs.
- Uprated intercooler and exhaust.
- New brake discs, pads and calipers.
- New exhaust and all hardware.
- all new Black XS half leather/cloth interior.
- Factory air conditioning.
- N.A.S. rear lights.
SPECTRE
For SPECTRE a special equipped Defender Double Cab models called 'Big Foot' are seen in the snowy Alps. These highly capable cars are custom made for the film by Jaguar/Land Rovers Special Operations division with large 37-inch off-road tyres to tackle the extreme terrain. Equipped with a 180 hp turbo.
Production of the Land Rover Defender ended December 2015, after 67 years.
The eBay auction details. (auction ended 2012)
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