Ways James Bond influenced your driving and what you need to know

When we see fictional movies, we are often curious about some of its elements. We often think and wonder if it will ever take place in the real world. Some fictional film favorites often involve flying cars, UFOs, amazing technology, and so on.

James Bond - Quantum of solace opening

Many of the films that are associated with the future of technology are the James Bond franchise. In fact, if you’re a fan, you’d see that there are tons of resemblance between the automotive-related technology featured in the films, to the technology that’s present in our cars today.

Now, we’re not saying that they’re connected. But it is fun to think that James Bond’s cars may have had an influence on the tech of the cars that we’re using today. Curious as to which features and ideas we’re talking about? Check out Philkotse.com's neat compilation below:

1. James Bond and His Cars

The fictional character, James Bond, always seems like there’s a lot going on for him in the movies. But let us be honest. Without all the amazing and techy gadgets prepared for him in Q’s lab, it would be impossible for him to even “Die Another Day.”

Among all the complicated gadgets, most of the coolest ones are tucked away into Bond’s iconic rides. One example is the rockets that are mounted on the vehicle’s headlights. There are also hubcap mounted lasers and even ejector seats.

These types of features are not likely to exist in marketed cars in the near future. But doesn’t stop us from eyeing on other features that bear the most resemblance to the features we know today. In fact, a lot of the car-related gadgets invented by Q in the movies aren’t so far-fetched after all. Some of these inventions are actually in modern cars we know today. Take a look at this for the best James Bond-like car tech:

2. Connection in Cars

• The Tech We Saw: Mobile Phone
• The Film: (1963) From Russia with Love

What They Showed in the Movie: This was the second movie from the 007 series. Here, they exhibited the use of the first James Bond car gadget ever shown on film. Mr. Bond was never shown actually driving the Bentley in the movie. But the scene with him using the car phone became iconic.

The second movie from the 007 series exhibited the use of the first James Bond car gadget ever shown on film

What We Now Have Today: The car phone concept was started way back in 1946. But the car phone that was actually used in service didn’t exist until the year 1971. So based on that timeline, you can imagine how “high-tech” the car phone was from that many years ago.

>>> Check out: [Movie cars] A list of 8 iconic James Bond cars.

Pros of the Concept

• One can make calls from almost anywhere
• The apps available are tailored for the drivers
• Voice command is made possible

Cons of This Concept

• It causes distractions while driving.
• Hands-free use is hard
• Connectivity isn’t guaranteed

2. In-Dash Tracking and Navigation

• The Tech We Saw: GPS Navigation
• The Film: (1964) Goldfinger

What They Showed in the Movie: The Goldfinger movie showcases two of the most helpful car features today. Although we take it for granted nowadays, navigation and vehicle tracking were actually one of the most coveted in-car techs at the time.

One of the noticeable differences, though, is how Bond’s “GPS” looked like in the movie. The Aston Martin DB5 featured in the film had manual knobs and green hues. This representation varies largely from the GPS we are familiar with.

The Goldfinger movie showcases two of the most helpful car features today: the navigation and vehicle tracking

As seen in the movie, James used a small “homer” device in tracking the Rolls Royce Phantom 337. This was the iconic vehicle that belonged to Auric Goldfinger.

What We Now Have Today: The GPS concept is now a common everyday item for us. In fact, the GPS that can be found in a lot of cars is usually just part of the infotainment system. So that means the GPS today has more options to offer.

You can even use your own smartphone in place of a GPS unit. If you want one in your car but you have an old vehicle, get an OEM GPS head unit.

The GPS concept is now a common everyday item for us

>>> Also check: 

• 5 other smart things you can do with your GPS.
• [Philkotse pick] Top 7 best GPS trackers for cars in 2020. 

Pros of the Concept

• Paper maps are no longer necessary
• Asking directions is archaic

Cons of This Concept

• The trackers aren’t always accurate

3. High-Tech Tires

• The Tech We Saw: Self-inflating tires and run-flat tires
• The Film: (1997) Tomorrow Never Dies

What They Showed in the Movie: The run-flat tires showcased in the movie have long been perceived to be an actual thing. It’s the self-inflating tires that have gotten a lot of people’s attention.

In the movie, there was a scene where Bond was in a parking garage caught in a car chase. He led the bad guys chasing him to a bunch of caltrops. He blew out his own tires but managed to blow out those on his pursuers as well. After the incident, he managed to drive his car still and inflate them back as if by magic.

James Bond led the bad guys chasing him to a bunch of caltrops

What We Now Have Today: We all know run-flat tires are the real thing. You can get them as stock if you buy any of the available luxury vehicle manufacturers that use them on their vehicles. BMW is the leading automaker for this. So if you want a cool car with a touch of James Bond 007, you have to prepare for the price you need to pay for.

BMW is the leading automaker of run-flat tires

However, if you don’t need the “BMW” brand, you can get the run-flat tires from an original equipment manufacturer. You can then install them on your car by following the manufacturer’s suggestions.

Self-inflating tires, on the other hand, are harder to find. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find one. Apart from Q’s lab, there are other places where you can get this amazing invention. You can get an aftermarket kit of the CITS (Central Tire Inflation) from the Hummer’s factory.

>>> Read more: Benefits & drawbacks of tubeless tires, Run-flat tires & self-inflating tires.

Pros of the Concept

• Can improve the safety of the driver
• Avoid the need for a towing budget

Cons of This Concept

• Run-flat tires are limited by distance
• Extremely expensive
• Availability is scarce