Quantom of Solace is a 2008 film directed by Marc Forster and starring Daniel Craig and Olga Kurylenko. It is the 22^nd James Bond film and the direct sequel to the Casino Royale movie in 2006. Quantum of Solace is Daniel Craig’s 2^nd performance as James Bond. The story revolves around Bond seeking revenge for the death of Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) a former lover. He is assisted by the beautiful Camille Montes (played by Olga Kurylenko), who is also exacting revenge.

Two black Alfa Romeo 159 appeared in the beginning scenes of Quantum of Solace. It featured in the car chase scene with Bond’s Aston Martin around Lake Garda in Italy. Initially, the car used in the scene was supposed to be a Ford GT, but was replaced by the more sophisticated Alfa Romeo.

Quantum of Solace premiered in October 2008 at the Odeon Leicester Square, with mixed reviews from critics. They praised in Craig’s gritty acting performance but noted that the sequel is not as impressive as Casino Royale. It grossed more than US $580 million worldwide, one of the highest grossing Bond films to date.

James Bond’s Aston Martin vs the Alfa Romeo 159

Movies have the tendency to succeed due to great casting, good direction, and an interesting plot. Some films, on the other hand, succeed because of an iconic scene. Bullitt (1968) is one of those films that reached fame due to a single scene, although the plot is very interesting on its own. How can this movie frame bag awards from the international community and win the hearts of so many fans?

This can be due to the nature of that scene. Since Bullitt is an action/crime movie, a car chase will be a key part of the film. This car chase brought all the attention to this movie. The producers used a 1968 Mustang GT390 and a 1968 Dodge Charger 440 to do the trick, along with some other cars from Ford. Due to the length of this part of the movie and the endless action in it, these cars are designed to keep them ready for any jumps in the hills of San Francisco or for car races on the small streets of the same city. The protagonist uses the Mustang while a minor antagonist drives the Charger.

This famous car chase ultimately led to the climax of the movie: where Bullitt killed the hit man who shot one of his colleagues. Moreover, it led this film to be on the list of all-time favorite movies in history.

Chase Scene

The Aston Martin DB5, James Bond’s signature car, is the most popular Aston Martin car ever produced. Its fame was wholly attributed to James Bond, and the car first appeared in the 1964 Bond film Goldfinger.

Goldfinger is the third action film in the James Bond series and based on the Ian Fleming novel of the same film. It stars Sean Connery as James Bond, Shirley Eaton and Jill Masterson. The movie is about Bond following the Gold smuggler Auric Goldfinger, whose evil plans include detonating a nuclear bomb inside the Fort Knox Gold Depository. Along with the mission, he is issued an Aston Martin DB5 modified with gadgets and the latest technology such as the ejector seat (which Bond uses on a chase scene, much to his amusement).

In the original novel, Ian Fleming initially placed Bond to drive a DB Mark III model. However, at that time the latest model by Aston Martin was the DB5, so they used the DB5 prototype instead. The rest is history.

The Aston Martin DB5 also appeared in other James Bond films: Thunderball, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and Casino Royale.

James Bond Receiving His First Aston Martin DB5

Vehicles don’t have to be small to be fuel efficient. With today’s progressive technology, the auto industry is incorporating hybrid technology and lighter building materials into SUVs allowing them to get excellent fuel economy. So if you want to be environmentally friendly by owning a vehicle that is fuel efficient that can comfortably carry your family, you can always choose an SUV.

Best Gas Mileage SUVs in the U.S. – Top 10 List:

1. Ford Escape Hybrid: 34 City/31 Hwy (32 Avg.), Base Price: $30,570. 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with 177 hp. Reaching 0-60 mph in 9.5 secs. The Ford Escape Hybrid is sure to turn heads with the progressive styling of an SUV. Scoring high on safety tests and obtaining the best gas mileage for an SUV makes this vehicle a great buy.

2. Lexus RX 450h: 32 City/28 Hwy (30 Avg.), Base Price: $45,235.
3.5-liter V6 engine with 295 hp. Goes from 0-60 mph in 7.8 secs. The stylish and luxurious Lexus RX 450h is the second most fuel efficient SUV. Improving on the looks and overall driving performance of this model brings Lexus to the forefront of the Hybrid SUV category. The vehicle is considered a Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle meaning that it is 90 percent cleaner than the current average year’s models.

3. Mazda CX-5: 26 City/35 Hwy (30 Avg.), Base Price: $20,695.
2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with 155 hp. A compact crossover SUV with SKYACTIV® TECHNOLOGY that promised to deliver the efficiency in fuel economy as well as the driving experience.

4. Nissan Juke: 27 City/32 Hwy (29 Avg.), Base Price: $19,990.
1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine with 188 hp. Accelerating from 0-60 mph in 7.3 secs. Fast, fuel efficient and affordable sports like SUV. If you prefer a crossover between a sports car and an SUV, go with the Nissan Juke unique design.

5. Toyota Highlander Hybrid: 28 City/28 Hwy (28 Avg.), Base Price: $38,540. 3.5-liter V6 engine with 280 hp. Reaching 0-60 mph in 7.4 secs. Toyota has always produced great vehicles and the Highlander Hybrid is no exception. If you are willing to spend more than $37k, you will love this SUV due to its great gas mileage, great cargo space and a powerful engine.

6. Mitsubishi Outlander Sport: 25 City/31 Hwy (27 Avg.), Base Price: $18,795. 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with 148 hp. Reaching 0-60 mph in 8.4 secs. Costing less than $19k, the Outlander Sport is a great bargain with amazing fuel efficiency that will top many competitions.

7. Hyundai Tucson: 23 City/31 Hwy (26 Avg.), Base Price: $19,145.
2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with 165 hp. Accelerating from 0-60 mph in 10.2 secs. A smaller SUV, the Hyundai Tucson is sometimes considered a CUV (Crossover) and is a lot easier to maneuver and park in tight situations. Even though small, the cabin has been designed in a way that provides plenty of room for passengers and cargo. So, for the combination of having a rugged SUV that drives like a compact car, the Hyundai Tuscon might be just the vehicle for you.

8. Honda CR-V: 23 City/31 Hwy (26 Avg.), Base Price: $22,495.
2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine with 185 hp. Able to reach from 0 to 60 mph in 9.2 secs. The newly redesigned CR-V looks like a sports car in an SUV body.

9. Chevrolet Equinox: 22 City/32 Hwy (26 Avg.), Base Price: $23,530. 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine with 182 hp. Reaching 0-60 mph in 9.3 secs. With five passenger seating, a stylish design, and excellent performance makes the Chevy Equinox very appealing for those looking for an SUV with great gas mileage.

10. GMC Terrain: 22 City/32 Hwy (26 Avg.), Base Price: $25,560.
2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine with 182 hp. Able to reach from 0-60 mph in 9.2 secs. The GMC Terrain is a quality built SUV offering excellent mileage and clean emissions. The Terrain is a full SUV with a decent price tag and you won’t have to sacrifice space or a smaller engine for the 26 mpg combined fuel efficiency.

More Fuel Efficient SUVs You Might Want to Consider:

Chevrolet HHR: 22 City/32 Hwy (26 Avg.), Base Price: $18,720.

Jeep Patriot: 23 City/29 Hwy (25 Avg.), Base Price: $15,995.

Jeep Compass: 23 City/29 Hwy (25 Avg.), Base Price: $19,295.

Safest Cars on the Market

Safety is one of the major features most people want in a car. It provides a sense of relief knowing that you have purchased a car that an organization like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has performed a variety of tests on to provide some information about how the car handles different crash situations. This list provides ten individual vehicles that have ranked high with these tests to give you an idea of what is out there in terms of safety conditions.

1) Scion xB: A relatively small sedan is the Scion xB starting at around $15,000 that ranks high with safety features. According to the NHTSA Crash-Test Results, the Scion gets five stars for Frontal Driver, Frontal Passenger, Side Driver, and Side Rear Passenger collision tests, all conducted at around 35miles per hour.

2) Honda Accord: Honda places heavy emphasis on safety and the Accord is no exception. With Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering structure, six air-bags, and electronic stability control, this car consistently ranks high on all the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests. Honda is a very safe sedan with an average price of $20,000 – $30, 0000.

3) Toyota Tacoma: For a mid-sized truck, the Toyota Tacoma scores the highest in this category on all the governmental safety tests. The truck scored five out of five stars for driver and front passenger protection in both frontal and front-side crash tests, as well as a rollover rating of four stars. The Tacoma comes standard with anti-lock brakes, front, side and side-curtain airbags as well as stability and traction control.

4) Toyota Camry: Starting at $20,000 is the Toyota Camry scoring very high on the federal government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration side and front impact testing. The 2010 version features seven airbags that totally surround the driver and passengers with complete protection in the event of a collision. With the acceleration problems the 2011 version has been completely redesigned and so far have had no problems.

5) Volvo XC60: Receiving top scores from the insurance industry for frontal offset, side impact and rear crash protection tests, the Volvo XC60 expertly uses technology to create one of the safest cars on the road. Utilizing a new safety feature called City Safety; this Volvo will reduce low-speed impacts by automatically braking if it senses an imminent collision at speeds less than 18mph. There are many other safety amenities that will also help keep you and your passengers as safe as possible in the event of a collision.

6) Honda Fit: According to government tests, the Honda Fit performs very well on both driver and passenger safety in a front-end crash as well as for driver safety in a side collision. The possibility of the car rolling over in a collision is only a 12 percent chance. Standard features of the Fit are anti-lock brakes, six airbags and active front head restraints.

7) Mazda CX-7 Sport: When it comes to safety, the Mazda CX-7 Sport is a very well rounded vehicle. The car gets five stars from government crash tests in all seating positions in frontal and side crash tests, as well as a four-star rollover score, helping keep all the passengers within the vehicle safe.

8 ) Toyota Highlander: A mid-sized SUV, the Toyota Highlander is one of the safest vehicles in this class. Starting at $25,000, the Highlander makes a great family vehicle with many features like three-row roll-sensing side curtain airbags and a driver’s knee airbag to keep everyone safe. Other features include Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control, Brake Assist and Hill Start Assist Control. A backup camera is standard on Sport and Limited models.

9) Honda Odyssey (Minivan): Out of the seven mini vans on the market today, the Honda Odyssey is considered to be the safest. The smooth driving van feels like a car when traveling down the highway with its 3.5-liter V6 engine that creates 244 horsepower.

10) Subaru Impreza: For the affordable small car class, the Subaru Impeza ranks 13 out of 30. One stand-out safety feature this car offers is standard All-Wheel Drive, making it a great choice for people who live in areas where winter weather can make roads slick. Others features include Vehicle Dynamic Control and a Traction Control System, making it better equipped than most of the cars in this class.