While James Bond is known for his affinity for Aston Martin, over his years of espionage, he’s piloted some other cool rides, too. One of them was a copper-colored 1981 Lotus Esprit used in the 1981 movie, For Your Eyes Only. Roger Moore was behind the wheel cruising snow-covered Italian Alps. Besides the retro-cool shape and distinct two-tone color scheme, the car was made even more unique with its rear deck mounted ski rack.
David Brown Automotive, the UK-based manufacturer of low-volume but high-quality Mini Coopers has just built a special vehicle paying homage to the wedge-shaped classic.
Retro Looks
The exterior of the car is finished in Lotus Copper Glow paint, accentuated with black wheel arches and roof. Down low on the rocker panels are dual stripes and ‘Turbo’ graphics. Both are handpainted in Sahara Gold paint. Mimicking the screen-used Lotus, this Mini sports 13″ alloy wire wheels, also painted gold. Tucked behind them are black brake calipers.
Other exterior additions include triple Cibié bumper-mounted auxiliary driving lights and LED front headlights.
Cabin Upgrades
Inside there’s a panoramic sunroof and white leather upholstery that matches the white Alcantara headliner and ivory LED dials. The glossy dash features a Dark American Burr Walnut veneer, surrounding a 7″ touchscreen infotainment system complete with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth capabilities.
A British Idol
The company didn’t announce who commissioned the one-off wonder but released a photo showing Simon Cowell behind the wheel. They also didn’t provide any kind of pricing but figure it’d be slightly more than the car’s $100,000 or so base price.
