Fiat Panda confirmed for role with James Bond in Casino Royale

Following reports at the weekend that the new Fiat Panda would feature in the latest James Bond film "Casino Royale", the news left a lot of fans stunned that 007 would be seen in such a low-key car, especially considering the car he last drove in "Die Another Day" - the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish.

Confirmation has come today from an Italian report (home of Fiat) that the Panda will indeed feature in the 21st film of the series - shooting begins in January 2006.



According to the report, "The Turin automaker has confirmed the startling news that in his next film, Casino Royale, the legendary seducer and undercover agent will be driving one of its budget utility vehicles. By taking the wheel of one of Fiat's bottom-of-the-range models, the original 007 will be breaking a tradition of flashy, high-performance autos that goes back to the Aston Martin DB5 in 1964's Goldfinger."

"But according to sources close to the production company, it will be a fully armed miniature fortress, as indestructable as the other Bond cars. Details of the special gadgets have not yet been decided."

The news goes against expectations that Ford would be supplying all the vehicles for the 21st official film, following the three-picture contract that began with "Die Another Day" in 2002. Ford Motors paid $35 million to feature three of its cars: Bond drove an Aston Martin Vanquish, Jinx drove a Ford Thunderbird, and Zao drove a Jaguar XKR.

Thanks to `LicenceToKill` for the alert.

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