Upcoming Spy DVDs: Top Gear: 50 Years of Bond Cars

TV Shows On DVD provides the cover art for BBC's upcoming Region 1 DVD of the Top Gear special 50 Years of Bond Cars. The special, presented by Richard Hammond last fall to tie in with the theatrical release of Skyfall, is one of the best James Bond TV specials I've ever seen. It's a must-see for fans of Bond cars especially, and I'm so glad that it's getting a DVD release because it's one I definitely want to own for posterity. Not only does Hammond interview a number of 007 production personnel (including Guy Hamilton, Roger Moore and Daniel Craig) and test drive some original Bondmobiles, but he also pilots an actual working Lotus submarine car! Top Gear's version is based on an Excel rather than an Esprit, but unlike the production version(s) used in The Spy Who Loved Me, this one actually functions as both a street car and a submarine! The run time for the DVD is listed as 135 minutes, which is substantially longer than the TV version. According to the BBC America blog, extended interviews account for some of that extra length. Best of all, it's a real steal with a bargain SRP of just $9.95... and it's available to pre-order on Amazon for even less than that!