It has been 53 years since Sean Connery uttered the famous words "The name's Bond. James Bond" in the first Bond movie, Dr No. There have been 22 Bond films since, and with the latest instalment, Spectre, with Daniel Craig as 007, opening in UAE cinemas today, we look at the iconic cars that have added to the spy's mystique.
Aston Martin DB5
This is one of the most recognisable cars in the history of cinema – a quintessential James Bond car. It has featured in Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Casino Royale and Skyfall (2012). The special-effects team added a large array of gadgets to the car, including an ejector seat, machine guns and a smoke screen.
Fact: The Goldfinger DB5, complete with gadgets, was sold in 2010 for US$4.6 million (Dh16.9m) to the car collector Harry Yeaggy.
Aston Martin DB10
This is the latest Bond machine. It features in Spectre, and according to Aston Martin, Bond's new car showcases the new design direction for future models from the British manufacturer. It has been deemed the most aggressive-looking Aston yet.
Fact: The DB10 isn't available to buy. Ten models were created and used exclusively for filming.
Aston Martin V12 Vanquish
This car was introduced in the film Die Another Day, as part of a seven-minute chase sequence, and had the usual stack of tech – an ejector seat, torpedoes and bonnet-mounted shotguns. Its most remarkable feature, however, was the ability to become invisible.
Fact: Aston Martins featured in 11 of the 23 Bond films to date. Spectre is the 12th.
The Jaguar XKR
This car was driven by the Bond villain Zao in Die Another Day (2002). The car was equipped with a gun mounted between the seats, missile-launchers in the front grilles, rocket launchers in the doors and mortars in the boot, making it one the most dynamic villain's cars in the history of the Bond franchise.
Fact: Eight of these vehicles were used during filming. All were formerly Jaguar fleet vehicles converted into special-effects cars.
Aston Martin DBS
This car was seen in Casino Royale (2006), equipped with a spare gun and a defibrillator. Daniel Craig's sleek machine was later destroyed by Bond's pursuit of Le Chiffre. A second DBS made an appearance in Quantum of Solace (2008) in a car chase through Italy.
Fact: Casino Royale's car barrel roll stunt featuring this car broke the world record for the most barrel rolls assisted by a cannon – the car completed seven full rolls.
Lotus Esprit S1
In The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), the producers paired Bond, played by Roger Moore, with a Lotus Esprit S1 in a chase sequence that covered land, air and water. The Lotus had the ability to transform into a mini-submarine, and was fondly referred to as Wet Nellie.
Fact: Lotus delivered two street-legal vehicles for filming; one was converted into a camera car. Lotus also provided six Esprit bodyshells, one of which was sealed for underwater scenes.
Aston Martin DBS
This car featured in the dramatic opening scenes of Quantum of Solace, starring Daniel Craig as 007. It is remembered for the way Bond skilfully navigated the winding roads in it.
Fact: The car was sold at a Barnardo's children's charity event at Christie's International in London in 2012 for Dh1.4m.
Bajaj RE Taxi
This auto rickshaw, or tuk-tuk taxi, was used in Octopussy (1983), starring Roger Moore as 007. The car was featured in an iconic scene that saw Bond jump in a taxi with the ally agent Vijay, and speed off on two wheels through the streets of Udaipur, being chased by another tuk-tuk.
Fact: One of the black-and-yellow tuk-tuk taxis from the film is among the Bond vehicles kept in a warehouse in Kankakee, Illinois, in the United States.
Rolls-Royce Phantom
This car featured in several scenes in Goldfinger, and played a significant role in the film, with Bond putting a tracker in the Rolls, owned by the villain Goldfinger, which allowed him to follow him to Switzerland. The number plate is AU1 – Au being the periodic-table symbol for gold and the first two letters of Goldfinger's first name, Auric.
Fact: The Phantom's licence plate was offered at auction in 2008, but wasn't sold – bids didn't reach the reserve price.
Aston Martin DB5
This car first made its debut with Sean Connery at the wheel in 1964, but this particular version from Daniel Craig's Casino Royale had Bahamian number plates and was left-hand drive.
Fact: Leonardo DiCaprio was seen driving a DB5 in his hit movie Catch Me If You Can (2002), during a scene in which he imitated James Bond.
BMW Z8
This car featured in The World Is Not Enough (1999), starring Pierce Brosnan as Bond, and features titanium armour and a multitasking heads-up display. Unfortunately, this sleek Bimmer reached its demise when it was cut in half by a helicopter with a very large saw.
Fact: Two kit cars and one shell were made for The World Is Not Enough. The shell was destroyed during filming.
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Result:
1. Cecilie Hatteland (NOR) atop Alex - 31.46 seconds
2. Anna Gorbacheva (RUS) atop Curt 13 - 31.82 seconds
3. Georgia Tame (GBR) atop Cash Up - 32.81 seconds
4. Sheikha Latifa bint Ahmed Al Maktoum (UAE) atop Peanuts de Beaufour - 35.85 seconds
5. Miriam Schneider (GER) atop Benur du Romet - 37.53 seconds
6. Annika Sande (NOR) atop For Cash 2 - 31.42 seconds (4 penalties)
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
All about the Sevens
Cape Town Sevens on Saturday and Sunday: Pools A – South Africa, Kenya, France, Russia; B – New Zealand, Australia, Spain, United States; C – England, Scotland, Argentina, Uganda; D – Fiji, Samoa, Canada, Wales
HSBC World Sevens Series standing after first leg in Dubai 1 South Africa; 2 New Zealand; 3 England; 4 Fiji; 5 Australia; 6 Samoa; 7 Kenya; 8 Scotland; 9 France; 10 Spain; 11 Argentina; 12 Canada; 13 Wales; 14 Uganda; 15 United States; 16 Russia
Bio:
Favourite Quote: Prophet Mohammad's quotes There is reward for kindness to every living thing and A good man treats women with honour
Favourite Hobby: Serving poor people
Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite food: Fish and vegetables
Favourite place to visit: London
FIXTURES
Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup
Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.
Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place playoff
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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The Transfiguration
Director: Michael O’Shea
Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine
Three stars
RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner Thabet Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Blue Diamond, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6.30pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Shoja’A Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Heros De Lagarde, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia on October 10
Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
Step by step
2070km to run
38 days
273,600 calories consumed
28kg of fruit
40kg of vegetables
45 pairs of running shoes
1 yoga matt
1 oxygen chamber