James Bond is one of the most famous fictional spies in the world, and chances are that you associate his name with explosions, expensive cars, classy suits, luxury hotels, shaken martinis, Bond Girls, and, of course, the signature phrase, “The name’s Bond, James Bond.”
Perhaps the biggest criticism of James Bond movies is that they are unrealistic. But just how true is this? We set out on a mission to show how much it would really cost to live like James Bond in Dubai.
His car…
If you have ever watched a James Bond movie, you’d know he’s no stranger to luxury cars – and that he’s had his fair share of accidents! In fact, in 2006, Casino Royale won a Guinness World Record for the most cannon rolls in a car – his Aston Martin flips and rolls a total of seven times in the movie!
James bond’s preferred car, the Aston Martin, isn’t the cheapest of cars – but just how much would it cost to insure? High end cars usually require bespoke quotes from insurers. A 2017 Aston Martin Vanquish would cost a whopping AED 1,300,000 to buy, and would cost at least AED 28,900 to insure with a fully comprehensive insurance policy! However, things could get more complicated as James Bond’s cars are usually modified so standard rates would not apply.
James Bond would probably need to go to an insurer to get the car inspected. Insurance companies would be unlikely to want to insure the car if they feel that the modifications make the car more likely to have an accident and an actual Bond car would require a much higher premium. When it comes to renewing car insurance in Dubai, insurers are very reluctant to renew the own damage coverage if the client previously totalled their car, which would be a common occurrence with Mr Bond! However, by law, UAE insurance companies would have to offer third party liability insurance as long as the car is street worthy. This means, that in an accident, Bond would be responsible for costs associated with damage to his own car.
Did you know:
– One of the Aston Martin DB5s used in the Goldfinger movie was stolen in 1997 and the insurance company paid off a claim of $4.2 million. The car was never found.
His home…
Bond spends most of his time travelling around the world. However, in Skyfall, Bond returns to his family home, Skyfall Lodge, located in Scotland. Unfortunately, during the events of the movie, the lodge is destroyed! Whether or not Bond’s family estate was insured is unknown, but how easy would it be in reality for Bond to insure his not so standard home?
Home insurance in Dubai is typically a straightforward product, however, each policy has its own terms and conditions. A home insurance policy typically covers belongings up to a specified limit and you need to declare the total value of your belongings in advance. In case any individual item is worth more than AED 20,000 it would need to be specified individually and you would need some sort of proof of its value such as a receipt or an independent valuation. Considering all of James Bond’s expensive suits and gadgets, it is not unrealistic to assume that the value of many of his belongings would exceed AED 20,000 – and he may be reluctant to have a surveyor over to value the goods! Storing the goods in a safe way (such as storing large sums of money or gold in a safe) is also a typical requirement in most insurance policies – but James Bond’s high tech security should pass this condition.
Many insurance policies are only applicable if the home is not left unoccupied for more than 60 consecutive days in a year, and considering James Bond is always on the move, it’s likely he would need to get a custom policy. He would also need to declare all claims from the previous year when applying for home insurance – and this could put off many insurers from taking the risk! It surely wouldn’t as simple for Bond to get his home insured as it is for you or I, however, the alternative accommodation cover would surely come in handy!
Did you know:
– The Scottish Skyfall lodge shown in the movie was actually a replica constructed from plywood and plaster stone and the film set was in south west Surrey!
His travels…
Bond is much more than just a spy, he is the quintessential world traveller – and he doesn’t stick around the same place for long.
The finest hotels, ski resorts and superyachts are a given for James Bond. Hotels he has visited include Hotel Cipriani in Venice (Casino Royal), Fontainebleau Miami Beach, Florida (GoldFinger), and Hotel Cala Di Volpe, Italy (The Spy Who Loved Me). But this luxury comes at a price – the cost of a basic room in the Hotel Cipriani starts from $1,500 per night!
When he travels; he travels in style. You’ll never see Bond in economy class or waiting at baggage claim – he packs light with everything he needs in his carry on. But what about his car and gadgets?
Wherever Bond is, he always has his Aston Martin at hand. But shipping cars around the world is neither cheap nor quick. To give you an idea, to ship a Bond car from Dubai to London would cost around AED 8,000 to 9,000 excluding taxes and would take 4-7 weeks. Since James Bond would need his car faster, he would have to ship the car via air which would cost considerably more.
Moving high tech gadgets around the world would also be rather challenging. Each country has its own list of prohibited items, and Bond wouldn’t be able to carry many of his gadgets through airport security. He certainly would not pass through airport security carrying any sort of weapon. When he reaches the country, MI6 would need to find a way to hand him his gadgets. In the movies, these are sometimes personally delivered by Q, other times they are handed to him by a “Universal Exports” front company.
Did you know:
– In the 24 Bond films, the spy has visited a total of 49 countries!
How would he afford it?
As a MI6 Field Agent, his basic salary would be somewhere in the range of USD $37,000-50,000, and it’s unlikely that MI6 would take on the cost of James Bond’s extravagant lifestyle. Fortunately for Bond he comes from an independently wealthy family and he’s not in it for the money!
How would he find the time?
Bond has a certain elegance about him and manages to make everything look so simple. We never see James Bond doing his own laundry, or cleaning up after himself, so it’s likely that there are a number of behind-the-scenes staff helping him to pull it all off. If you’re looking to live like Bond, we have a simple solution for you. Use ServiceMarket to tick off all your home chores, leaving you time for the fun things in life!
If you’re a James Bond fan then check out the James Bond exhibition happening now at Burj Khalifa and presenting more than 500 original objects for an amazing journey in the most famous spy’s world.
