James Bond
 A Jaguar XKR made a spectacular debut in the James Bond film “Die Another Day” which was released in the UK in November 2002 and staring Pierce Brosnan as 007. Starring alongside an Aston Martin Vanquish and a Ford Thunderbird it appears the XK was chosen because of its looks and sporty character. Unfortunately on this occasion the Jaguar was not driven by Bond himself but by the villainous Zao (played by Rick Yune). The XKR was fitted with a serious array of modifications that included a Gatling Gun centred behind the driver and passenger seats, missiles that emerged from the front grille, concealed door mounted rocket launchers and a rack of mortar bombs in the boot. It also featured a bullet-proof screen to keep those bullets at bay. The car was designed by Jaguar’s Advanced Design Team in collaboration with Eon Productions.  All eight XKRs used in the film were built at Jaguar’s HQ in Coventry (UK) and then worked on at Pinewood Studios by a special effects team. Four of the cars were used in icy terrain scenes, having been converted to four-wheel drive using Ford components and fitted with a Ford 5-litre V8 engine producing 400 bhp. Two further “Cannon Type” cars were used (shells only) for those scenes requiring ultra-light vehicles. Following the film a number of stunning die-cast models were made and are now quite collectable.
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