Before it became the lethal extension of a cinematic super-spy, the Aston Martin DB5 was a masterclass in Italian-inspired British engineering produced by a company struggling to make the economics of hand-built perfection work. In 1964, owning an Aston Martin was a membership to a very exclusive club, but the company itself was fighting for…
The Encor Series I is built on the chassis of a Lotus Esprit S4, but for James Bond enthusiasts, the first publicity images — that unmistakable wedge silhouette finished in white — instantly evoke the Lotus Esprit S1 from The Spy Who Loved Me, the car that famously transformed into a submarine. When the first…
When The Spy Who Loved Me hit theaters in 1977, the sight of a Lotus Esprit diving into the sea and transforming into a submarine was unforgettable. In reality, the car-to-sub transformation was done through special effects trickery involving full-size car shells and miniatures to show every stage of transformation. But, after transformation, that submersible…
Frank M. Rinderknecht has built a career out of transforming cinematic fantasy into physical engineering. Few designers have embraced the playful, futuristic spirit of James Bond gadgets as wholeheartedly—or as credibly—as the founder of Rinspeed. His creations have long hovered at the boundary of science fiction, and none illustrate that better than two of his…