Defender goes to extremes for new Bond film

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The new Land Rover Defender in action for the Bond movie No Time To Die.  

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Stunt driver Jess Hawkins in a Defender as she prepares for an off-road car-chase sequence.  

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The Defender shows its ability on the set of No Time To Die.  

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 Steep descents, river crossings and plenty of mud were among the challenges for cast and crew.  

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Stunt co-ordinator Lee Morrison says the movie required an ‘unstoppable vehicle’.  

The new Land Rover Defender is joining actor Daniel Craig to become one of the stars of No Time To Die, the 25th official James Bond film.

A teaser video of the vehicle in action on the set of the film, which is due to be released in April 2020, is part of the marque’s continued partnership with EON Productions.

Footage captured during filming provides a rare, behind-the-scenes view of stunt co-ordinator Lee Morrison and stunt driver Jess Hawkins at work for an extreme off-road car-chase sequence.

“Designing and co-ordinating the action sequences for the Bond franchise requires a non-compromising mindset,” Morrison says. “We needed an unstoppable vehicle to help us battle against the elements, steep descents and river crossings so we chose the new Defender.”

Land Rover’s design team worked with the special effects and action vehicles supervisor Chris Corbould on the specification of the Defenders in the film. Based on the Defender X model in Santorini Black, with darkened skid pans, 20-inch dark finish wheels and professional off-road tyres, they were the first Defenders to be built at Jaguar Land Rover’s new production facility in Nitra, Slovakia.

Richard Agnew, global communications director for Land Rover, says: “No Time To Die is a brilliant way to showcase the new Defender’s capabilities in the latest jaw-dropping James Bond car chase. It’s been hugely exciting to continue our relationship with EON Productions and work with their teams to deliver a spectacular sequence.”

The vehicle manufacturer has a long-standing partnership with EON Productions on the Bond films, which began in 1983 when a Range Rover Convertible appeared in Octopussy. Alongside the Defenders, No Time To Die also features the Range Rover Sport SVR, Series III Land Rover and Range Rover Classic.

Closer to home, New Zealand interest in the latest Defender has seen more than 70 Kiwis making a first instalment payment to secure one ahead of its arrival in the market from May 2020.