Monday, October 17, 2011

James Bond's 'Quantum of Solace' speedboat is show's star turn

A superboat custom built for the most recent James Bond blockbuster was the star act at the Scotland Boat Show, a three-day show at the weekend.

The "Quantum of Solace," a 43-foot Sunseeker Superhawk, is one of three used during the chase sequence in the 2008 film of the same name.

And its owner, Robin Porter, had his own action adventure while test-driving the boat off the coast of Marmaris in Turkey.

Porter, who bought the vessel in late January but did not realize its celebrity origins at the time, says he found himself in a James Bond-like scenario, when he unwittingly traveled into dangerous waters.

He says, "It was a beautiful, nice day and we took the boat for a run. Out of the harbor and into the bay, from out of nowhere really, there was a boat with men wearing balaclavas covering their faces and AK-47s.
We took the boat for a run ... From out of nowhere, there was a boat with men wearing balaclavas covering their faces and AK-47s.
Robin Porter, owner of the 'Quantum of Solace'

"We were in restricted waters and the little hamlet bay nearby was actually part of naval waters," he continued. "We were taken to be questioned and we didn't have the ship's papers because this was a test drive of the boat so we had to get the coast guard involved.

"Then they asked 'Have you been drinking?' We had to be taken to the hospital for a drugs test. We couldn't even go to the bathroom without a guard outside. We got interrogated about why we were in Turkey and we wanted to buy this boat, " he added.

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Eventually their eight-hour detention came to an end as authorities involved realized it was a simple case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Despite this slight hiccup, Porter says things have been smooth sailing since his return to the UK and is delighted the boat was part of the show.

Since he found out about "Quantum of Solace"'s Hollywood provenance, he has decked out the boat with custom James Bond accessories.

"Recently we've done up the boat and it has been liveried up with 'Quantum of Solace' along the side, monograms, James Bond things," he says.

Porter declined to tell CNN how much he paid for the boat. Other Sunseeker Superhawks are currently on sale for between £250,000-£300,000 ($400,000-$475,000).

"If some people get some sort of enjoyment out of seeing or use out of it, then we are happy ... It's as fast as it looks and extremely comfortable," he said.

"Quantum of Solace" was on display for the public to visit during the show at at Kip Marina, Inverkip, west Scotland.

Around 7,000 visitors visited the show, organizers said.

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The 43-foot Sunseeker was part of a larger Bond theme at the show: More James Bond icons lined the shore including a collection of five Aston Martins and the full range of all five Rolls Royce vehicles usually reserved for villains of the blockbusters.
(cnn.com)

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