Face Off: James Bond's Aston Martin vs. Back to the Future's DeLorean

Face Off: James Bond’s Aston Martin vs. Back to the Future’s DeLorean

March 13th 2014, 5:26pm

Last Updated on August 3, 2021

Last week’s Face-Off column featured actor Gerard Butler going up against Karl Urban, and by a wide margin, you agreed that Urban was the asskicker in that particular contest.

Something a bit different for this week: since this weekend’s big release involves “Breaking Bad” star Aaron Paul driving cars at ridiculous velocity in NEED FOR SPEED, it seemed like a perfect opportunity for a demolition derby between a couple of the most iconic vehicles in cinematic history — James Bond’s Aston Martin and the time-traveling DeLorean from the BACK TO THE FUTURE trilogy. Start your engines!

DRIVER

James Bonds (Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig)

Brilliant but frazzled scientist Emmett “Doc” Brown (Christopher Lloyd), skateboarding teen Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and, briefly, Old Biff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson, butthead)

INTRODUCTION

Bond visit’s Q’s gadget lab in the basement of MI6.

Bond: “Where’s my Bentley?”
Q: “Oh, it’s had it’s day, I’m afraid.”
Bond: “Well, it’s never let me down.”
Q:”M’s orders, 007. You’ll be using this Aston Martin DB5.”

Q then lists off the numerous offensive and defensive gadgets installed in the car before arriving at his favorite.

Q: “Now, this one I’m particularly keen about. You see the gear lever here? Now, if you take the top off, you’ll find a little red button. Whatever you do, don’t touch it!”
Bond: “And why not?”
Q: “Because you’ll release this section of the roof and engage and fire the passenger ejector seat.”
Bond: “Ejector seat? You’re joking!”
Q: “I never joke about my work, 007.”

Marty: “Wait a minute, wait a minute. Doc… Are you telling me that you built a time machine… out of a DeLorean?”
Doc: “Yes, the way I see it, if you’re gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?”

To demonstrate, Doc loads his faithful dog into the vehicle and, via remote control, revs the engine and sends the DeLorean hurtling up to 88mph… at which point it disappears into the spacetime continuum, leaving only flaming trails on the pavement.

USEFUL UPGRADES

– twin .30 caliber machineguns

– bulletproof windscreen and rear shield

– tire-shredding blades

– passenger ejector seat

– oil slick

– smoke screen

– revolving number plate

– GPS dashboard

– water cannons

– flux capacitor that allows vehicle and its occupants to travel through time

– hover conversion

– Mr. Fusion home energy reactor

– whitewall tires

FUEL

standard petrol

gasoline and plutonium (but later improved to accept garbage)

appearances

Six James Bond movies (GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL, GOLDENEYE, TOMORROW NEVER DIES, CASINO ROYALE) and two videogames

(The Aston Martin DB5 was also driven on screen by Roger Moore and George Lazenby, but in non-007 roles)

The BACK TO THE FUTURE feature film trilogy, plus four videogames, an animated series and a theme park ride

ROADS REQUIRED?

Yes

FINAL FATE

blasted to smithereens by helicopter gunfire, courtesy of rogue MI6 operative Raoul Silva

obliterated into scrap metal by an oncoming locomotive

DELOREAN

Sure, the Aston Martin has been responsible for getting our favorite secret agent out of his fair share of scrapes, and almost nobody else is as suave as our man 007 behind the wheel of any vehicle.

But a DeLorean that can travel through time? AND fly? The biggest nerd in the world would immediately become supercool in that stainless steel wonder of engineering and questionable science!

Agree? Disagree? Which do you prefer?

POST YOUR CHOICE BELOW!