`Quantum of Solace` stacks up in The Times greatest car chases

Real car chases are a bit dull: they generally feature either OJ Simpson driving at moderate speed in an SUV or two dimmer-than average teenagers in a hot hatch aimlessly circling a supermarket car park for the edification of Alistair Stewart.

Movie car chases are altogether different. Challenging the Highway Code, the laws of physics and good old fashioned common sense they celebrate the strange destructive love/hate relationship we have with the mechanical beast that lives on our doorstep.

10: Quantum of Solace

The Man With the Golden Gun and Thunderball were both considered for this list but variety is the spice of life, so we elected for just one example from the rich Bond heritage: The adrenalin-soaked opening sequence of Quantum of Solace features Daniel Craig’s Bond transporting a captured criminal mastermind from Lake Garda to Siena while pursued by agents of the shadowy Quantum organization. It’s a thrilling object lesson in how to capture the sheer danger of high speed driving and show it to people who are far too sensible to ever do it themselves. Apart from the destruction on camera one unlucky Aston Martin employee wrote off a £160,000 DBS while delivering it to the set, driving it into Lake Garda in poor weather conditions. To add insult to injury he was also fined £400 for dangerous driving.

Click here to see the complete list of 20 (at TimesOnline)

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