Defender

Make
Land Rover
Segment
SUV

The latest installment in the James Bond franchise, No Time To Die, had people on the edge of their seats with incredible action scenes, and even better car chases. While the 2021 film was Daniel Craig's fifth and final stint as the world's most famous spy, it also granted the Land Rover Defender its cinematic debut.

In the film, the iconic off-roader is joined by a pair of Range Rover Sport SUVs, as it aims to hunt Bond down in his aging Toyota Land Cruiser Amazon/Prado. While it doesn't end too well for the Land Rovers, moviegoers across the world fell head over heels in love with the retro design.

So it comes as no surprise that the movie star Defenders recently sold for a combined total of £352,800 (approx. $383,500), at Christie's "Sixty Years Of James Bond" auction.

Two vehicles were sold at the auction, one of them being an actual stunt car from the movie. The specially modified Defender 110 is one of 10 vehicles used during filming and sports a unique '007' VIN. It was snapped up for £189,000 (approx. $206,000), which is nearly twice the price of a brand new Range Rover. Thankfully, it's all for a good cause, and the money raised will go towards the British Red Cross.

Another Defender was also put up for sale; a 110 V8 created by SV Bespoke. Inspired by the movie itself, just 300 examples of the Bond Edition were made for global consumption - but this particular model boasts a '60 Years of Bond' logo on the exterior trim.

This rare iteration of the 110 sold for £163,800 (approx. $178,000). The funds will go to Tusk, a charity that protects endangered species across Africa.

The Bond Edition wasn't the only unique Land Rover created to celebrate 007. In March, Land Rover unveiled a special Defender 90 in honor of James Bond's 60th anniversary. However, it wasn't made for the general public. This stripped-out, competition-ready off-roader was designed to conquer the 2022 Bowler Defender Challenge.

With stunt driver Mark Higgins at the helm, the Defender 90 thrashed the competition and claimed victory on its first-ever outing. Of course, it's no ordinary Land Rover. The Coventry-based automaker stripped the plush cabin and filled it with racing seats, a full roll cage, and even replaced the rear glass with polycarbonate windows.

Even though it's massively capable, the standard suspension was swapped out for a bespoke setup with Fox dampers. Other changes included a sports exhaust and an upgraded powertrain.

CarBuzz has been lucky enough to sample the Defender 110 stunt vehicles, which surprised us with their toughness, agility, and off-roading prowess. Remarkably, the vehicles used in the film were the first ten cars to leave the production line and were pressed into duty with very few modifications.

P400 variants - powered by a 395-horsepower, 3,0-liter inline-six - were fitted with a roll cage, racing seats (with five-point harnesses), and underbody protection, among other things.

These burly Land Rovers weren't the only JLR vehicles to be auctioned at the Christie's event. Aside from the Defenders, a Jaguar XF and a pair of battered Range Rover Sport models were also up for grabs.