Airdate: Top Gear: Fifty Years of Bond Cars special

Richard Hammond hosts a new Top Gear special coming to Nine, Top Gear: Fifty Years of Bond Cars special, undoubtedly a boy’s own adventure.

He even gets the chance to play with the amphibious Lotus from The Spy Who Loved Me.

The turbo-charged 50 Years of Bond Cars: Top Gear Special premieres Tuesday, November 27, at 7.30pm on Channel Nine.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the classic James Bond films that have captivated generations of filmgoers with the exploits of 007: the sexy cars, hi-tech gadgets, evil nemeses, spectacular stunt sequences – and so many glamorous women.

No hero in cinema history is as well known for his ultra-cool wheels as James Bond, and in this Top Gear special Richard Hammond meets two 007s – Roger Moore and Daniel Craig – as well as the men behind 50 years of fabulous Bond cars and incredible car chases.

Richard Hammond looks back at the Bond films to see how the concept of the Bond car made the Aston Martin synonymous with 007. It all began in 1962 with the first film, Dr. No, starring Sean Connery as Agent 007 and featuring the first car chase – with James Bond not in an Aston Martin but a Sunbeam Alpine, chased by … a hearse.

It wasn’t until the third Bond film, Goldfinger, that 007’s flash Aston Martin DB5 made its famous screen debut. Hammond goes behind the scenes with the director, Guy Hamilton, to find out how the great Bond-Aston Martin relationship developed.

In each film the car is delivered to James Bond, customised with special weapons and features by Q, MI5’s design genius. Hammond checks out these gadgets vital to every spy saving the world, and the stunts behind the thrilling car chases.

With Bond fever setting in at Top Gear headquarters, and inspired by some of the greatest gadgetry in Bond history, Top Gear try their hand at building their very own Bond car and recreating two favourite moments from the 007 movies.

Hammond gets behind the wheel of an invisible car, as seen in Die Another Day with the Aston Martin Vanquish, and also undertakes the unthinkable: building a submarine Lotus Sports car, as seen underwater in The Spy Who Loved Me.

He travels to the set of the 23rd and latest Bond film, Skyfall, in Turkey, to investigate the explosive opening chase sequence involving cars, motorcycles and a train. He interviews James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, about his action-packed training sessions on the Top Gear track with the ace driving instructor for the Bond movies – none other than the former Stig, Ben Collins.

While hitting the rooftops of Istanbul alongside Australian motocross legend Robbie Maddison, Hammond learns that along with the glamour, there are a lot of bumps and bruises involved when you are 007’s stunt double in an epic action sequence.

This spectacular special is definitely shaken, not stirred. So get ready for a ride that has been 50 years in the making as Richard Hammond explores the amazing cars that have driven James Bond to global fame and glory.

7:30pm Tuesday November 27th on Nine.

BBC Knowledge begins first-run episodes in late December.