A detail that will have been picked up on by many Bond fans is the fact that the Aston Martin/Jaguar combination seems a direct reference to Die Another Day. 007 and Zao's duel across a frozen Icelandic lake featured two tricked-out vehicles in the form of an Aston Martin Vanquish and Jaguar XKR, and while it would be foolish to expect the same level of gadgetry from a Daniel Craig-era vehicle, the premise of the two specific manufacturers duelling it out in a one-on-one chase is eerily familiar. If deliberate, it seems an admittedly cool touch from Mendes. The car chase was perhaps the only high point of Die Another Day (excluding its ludicrous conclusion, which showcased the Vanquish's farfetched invisibility function), and if Spectre's take on the Aston/Jag battle lives up to its predecessor, fans should be in for a great action sequence. Let's just hope the movie takes no further inspiration from that particular instalment.
