Bond Edition Defender V8s Ready for Duty on Her Majesty’s Secret Service

• Land Rover will offer 300 Defender V8 vehicles in Bond Edition spec, patterned after the SUVs seen in the upcoming film.

• No Time to Die will feature a number of Land Rover vehicles, including Defender V8s, Range Rover Sport SVRs, Land Rover Series IIIs, and Range Rover Classics.

• The Bond Edition Defender V8s will feature Extended Black Pack and 22-inch Gloss Black alloy wheels, in addition to other custom details.

The James Bond franchise may be firmly associated with Aston Martin, even if took some detours to Bavaria in the past few decades, but if you've seen the films of the Daniel Craig era you know that one other British marque has been front and center in the films, almost rivaling Aston Martin itself in screen time.

Just weeks ahead of the US release of No Time to Die stateside on October 8, the automaker took the wraps off the Bond Edition Land Rover Defender V8s, with the vehicles slated to be offered in both 90 and 110 versions.

The custom elements of the Defender V8s, created by Land Rover's SV Bespoke division, were based on the vehicles set to appear in the film. The Defenders were prominently seen in the film's trailer, staying airborne for prolonged periods, as if trying to reenact the Wright brothers' experiments at Kitty Hawk. (But do we even know if they're driven by the protagonists, rather than the villains in the film?)

The Bond Edition Defenders will be patterned after those vehicles, optioned with the Extended Black Pack and 22-inch Gloss Black alloy wheels, in addition to Xenon Blue front brake calipers. The interiors, meanwhile, will feature sill plates with Defender 007 logos, and projected puddle lamp graphics. A unique Pivi Pro infotainment system start-up animation will also be among the custom details added to the Defenders, as will rear badges.

Land Rover plans to produce just 300 examples of the Bond Edition Defenders, and only paired with the V8 engine.

"The Land Rover Defender V8 Bond Edition is an exclusive take on the most powerful production Defender ever made, inspired by vehicles on screen in No Time To Die. It represents a meeting of two great British brands and is a unique celebration of Land Rover's 38-year association with James Bond," said Finbar McFall, Land Rover Brand Director.

Early next month it'll be time to find out just why the Defenders in the film were airborne for that long, and how well they landed. The stunts in the film's trailer certainly suggested some warranty-voiding events and some insurance events as well.

But the Defender V8s won't be the only Land Rovers in the film, it seems.

"Defenders are at the heart of the action in No Time To Die alongside two Range Rover Sport SVRs," the automaker said. "A Range Rover Classic and Land Rover Series III are also in the film, which will be released in cinemas around the world from 30 September 2021."

The price for looking like you're on Her Majesty's Secret Service? It'll be a sobering $115,950, but the upside is that it'll be yours to keep instead of having to return it to Q.

Who should play James Bond in future films after Daniel Craig exits the role following this film? Let us know in the comments below.