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Bond's Beater Beats Bond's Beasts!
22 Nov
Summary
- A battered yellow Toyota Land Cruiser outshone new Defenders in a Bond film.
- The Land Cruiser's appearance in 'No Time To Die' was unplanned by Jaguar Land Rover.
- Toyota's new mild hybrid Land Cruiser offers smoother performance with reduced seating.
The recent James Bond film 'No Time To Die' featured an unexpected automotive star: a beat-up yellow Toyota Land Cruiser. During a key chase sequence, Daniel Craig's Bond commandeered this classic Japanese 4x4, which then proceeded to theatrically dismantle several new Jaguar Land Rover Defenders and Range Rovers. This cinematic triumph for Toyota occurred despite a multi-million pound promotional deal between Jaguar Land Rover and the film, showcasing their new Defender.
Sources indicate that Toyota did not pay for the Land Cruiser's prominent, and damaging, screen time, a fact that reportedly disappointed Land Rover representatives present at a pre-screening in London. The article highlights the Land Cruiser's established reputation for rugged reliability, often seen in challenging environments globally, suggesting its on-screen dominance was unsurprising.
Toyota has since introduced an electrified mild hybrid version of the Land Cruiser. This updated model features a lithium-ion battery and electric motor, paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox. While promising a smoother performance, this iteration becomes a five-seater and experiences a slight increase in its 0 to 62mph acceleration time due to added weight.
