Alfa Romeo 159

In the spectacular opening sequence of the movie Quantum of Solace (2008), Bond in his Aston Martin DBS is chased by villains in two black Alfa Romeo 159 sedans.

The thrilling chase was filmed on the roads near Limone around Lake Garda in Italy. The driving was done with high speed, taking many risks on the dangerous roads which once resulted in a serious accident involving two stunt drivers and two Alfa Romeo's. Both drivers luckily recovered. Several Alfa's were completely destroyed during fiming.

In the United Kingdom, Alfa Romeo released a James Bond Limited Edition Alfa Romeo 159 to celebrate its appearance in Quantum of Solace. This special 159 looked the same as in the film: black, with a lowered base, and the same red Brembo brake calipers and 19-inch wheels. The 1.9 litre JtdM diesel engine produces 150hp, not quite enough to keep up with a DBS but it will easily take you to illegal speeds on the curvy roads around Lake Garda. The interior features black leather seats and red illuminated dashboard details. The special edition was limited to 250 units only for the English market, and sold for £22,000 (approximately €27,000 or $37,000).

The Alfa Romeo 159 was included in the James Bond Car Collection (issue 63, find on eBay) and was also part of the Quantum of Solace Scalextric set, together with a model of the Aston Martin DBS.

This is not the first Alfa Romeo prominently featured in a Bond film. In Octopussy (1983) James Bond himself 'borrows' a GTV6 from an innocent German lady so he can make it to the circus in time to dismantle the nuclear bomb.