James Bond is among the most famous movie characters of all time. Audiences were introduced to the legendary MI6 agent in Dr. No in 1962, starring Sean Connery. Fast forward to today, and there are 25 official James Bond movies, with six actors stepping into 007's shoes over the years.
Bond movies have multigenerational appeal, and he is a unique character because there is no 'best' version. For many fans, their favorite Bond will always be the one they grew up with, as each actor imprints on the character in a unique way.
Audiences expect certain things from a James Bond movie. 007 must be charming and charismatic, but he's only one part of what fans look forward to. The movies are famous for James Bond's gadgets, often courtesy of Q Branch. The vehicles are another major highlight, with Aston Martins sure to thrill any car enthusiast.
Cars are a big part of any Bond movie's DNA, but they aren't the only vehicles 007 uses on his missions. In fact, some of the franchise's most memorable scenes feature vehicles with no wheels at all. With that in mind, here's a selection of fantastic James Bond vehicles that aren't just cars. We're not ranking them by power, but by how memorable they are and how iconic they've become in the franchise.
The Crocodile Submarine in Octopussy starts our list because it's a wild vehicle for James Bond, and so oddly specific to the mission. The movie shows us crocodiles earlier on, foreshadowing one of the franchise's strangest vehicles.
During Octopussy, Roger Moore's Bond has to infiltrate Octopussy's (Maud Adams) Floating Palace in India. Rather than cause a commotion, Bond opts for a stealthy approach with a submarine which looks like a crocodile. It's a wonderfully silly contraption, though it does do the job.
The submarine isn't extravagant, and it looks ridiculous when Bond peers over the visor installed in its mouth. Still, it's lighthearted and on-brand for Moore's adventures.
The Soviet tank ranks lower on the list because, strictly speaking, it's just a regular armored vehicle. However, it remains the centerpiece of one of GoldenEye's most memorable scenes, as Brosnan's Bond tries to catch up to Colonel Ourumov's (Gottfried John) car.
Ourumov is holding Natalya (Izabella Scorupco) hostage, but Bond pursues in a tank. He's like an unstoppable force, and whenever Ourumov tries to outmaneuver the tank, Bond simply smashes through whatever obstacle stands in his way.
The chase becomes even more chaotic when the authorities try to intervene. The highlight of the chase is when Bond smashes through a drink truck, picking up a giant winged horse statue on top of his tank. It may not be a vehicle from Q Branch, but it's an unforgettable moment in GoldenEye.
The Glastron Carlson Speedboat in Moonraker is the highlight of a great chase scene, packed with all sorts of gadgets. It's an intense part of the movie, as Moore's Bond attempts to escape his pursuers.
The speedboat seems to have a bulletproof shield at the back, and ejects mines that blow another vessel sky-high. Bond's boat can also launch seeking torpedoes, and it's fast and mobile enough to avoid many threats from the water.
As Bond is about to drive the speedboat down a waterfall, he opens the roof, revealing a fold-out glider. He uses it to evade the final boat chasing him as he floats through the air to safety.
The moon buggy is part of an unforgettable chase sequence in Diamonds Are Forever, with Connery's Bond at the wheel. It's an oddly charming vehicle because it looks so silly, complete with wobbly metal arms hanging off the sides.
While the moon buggy is a bizarre vehicle with no offensive capabilities, it's perfectly suited to the Nevada Desert where the chase occurs. The buggy is nimble on the rocky, uneven terrain, which is good news because his pursuers attempt to follow in regular cars.
Bond tries to escape rather than incapacitate his foes. By the time they bring vehicles better suited to the environment, Bond has given them the slip and taken an off-road bike for himself.
We're bending the rules slightly for this entry, but the Lotus Esprit Submarine is an iconic Bond vehicle from The Spy Who Loved Me. It is a car, but it can also transform into a fully functioning submarine, complete with all the fancy gadgets you'd expect from a 007 vehicle.
The vehicle makes the list because it's not just a car that can function underwater. The wheels tuck in, the dash and controls change, and it even has a radar that can pinpoint threats above the water.
That radar isn't just for show, either, and we see Roger Moore's Bond use the display to fire a missile at a helicopter hovering above, trying to confirm a kill. It also has front-mounted launchers and can create an underwater smokescreen, making it perfectly capable of dealing with other underwater threats.
The Iceberg Submarine in A View To A Kill deserves a special mention because it's so oddly specific and seems to have no combat capabilities. It's certainly stealthy, even with the Union Jack on the hatch, and it has a unique focus we don't see in other Bond vehicles.
Bond is fleeing from soldiers across the snow, even destroying a helicopter with a flare in the process. He enters the submarine, and we immediately notice it's built for comfort. Inside, it's cozy, with a luxurious sofa that becomes a bed at the flip of a switch.
There's not much room, but the Iceberg Submarine's interior looks more like an extravagant suite than a spy vehicle. It's silly in all the right ways, and quite different from most other vehicles in the franchise.
The Gondola in Moonraker is part of an intense river chase. Bond is attacked while taking in the sights. He defeats an assassin who attempts to throw a knife at him and presses a button on his unassuming vessel.
A propeller appears beneath the Gondola, giving it a huge burst of speed. Bond's pursuers give chase in speedboats, but the Gondola is impressively nimble, though it gives 007 little chance to fight back.
The Gondola makes the list because it does have one brilliant upgrade. Bond presses a few buttons, and the boat rises as a large red-and-white striped air cushion appears underneath. Like a hovercraft, that cushion lets the Gondola travel on land, to the shock of everyone watching.
It should come as no surprise that James Bond has used a jetpack before, and we see Connery's 007 fly one at the start of Thunderball. It lacks offensive capabilities and offers no protection, but it's still a great, unconventional vehicle.
The intro to Thunderball is wild. Bond discovers that a colonel he is targeting is masquerading as a grieving widow. Bond kills him during a scuffle, and flees as armed guards rush in. 007 escapes the house and takes to the skies wearing a jetpack.
It's a short scene, but Bond lands near a getaway car by the road. He quips, "No well-dressed man should be without one," as he escapes in an Aston Martin, complete with a bulletproof shield over the rear windscreen.
The World Is Not Enough is action-packed from the start. An explosion at MI6 kicks things off, and Brosnan's Bond chases the person he believes set it off in a speedboat.
The chase itself is a fast-paced race down the Thames. Bond discovers the boat can dive, and even takes the time to straighten his tie while submerged. The vehicle can fire seeking torpedoes, but is also strong enough to skate along the ground, which makes for a brilliant moment when Bond takes the boat onto the streets.
Q (Desmond Llewelyn) is unimpressed with the boat's condition after the chase. He also reveals it was his fishing boat, and he planned to use it when he retired. Bond's exchanges with Q are always highlights of Bond movies, and this is arguably among Brosnan's best.
Little Nellie is a brilliant James Bond vehicle in You Only Live Twice. At first glance, it looks like a flimsy gyroplane, with just enough room for a single pilot. However, there's far more to this plucky flying vehicle than meets the eye.
As Bond is airborne, he notices shadows on the ground, indicating he is being tailed. Four far more traditional armed helicopters close in and open fire, but a quick glance at the cockpit shows that 007 has a few tools at his disposal.
Little Nellie has a rear-mounted flamethrower that instantly destroys one of Bond's attackers. The gyroplane also holds a payload of aerial mines and has machine guns and even rocket launchers mounted on the front. 007 defeats the last remaining helicopter with a volley of AA missiles. Despite its size, Little Nellie is a formidable flying vehicle, and the extended dogfight is a massive highlight of the 1967 James Bond movie.
