The name's 75... Rover 75. "Yes, Miss Moneypenny, I shall require the latest model from the Cowley plant if I am to fight megalomaniacs bent on world domination. Tell Q it'll need twin airbags, power steering, a baby seat and an enormous hidden gun. Get him to throw in a four-year warranty as well."

Yes, the producers of the latest James Bond movie have plumped for a new Rover 75 for The World is Not Enough - although Bond himself may not actually drive it, write Andrew Ffrench and Paul Harris.

Rover's German owner BMW won the contract to produce Bond's new supercar. But while the parent company's Z8 sports car will be driven by Pierce Brosnan and guaranteed a starring role, the Oxford-built Rover 75 could make a cameo appearance in the new blockbuster, which also stars John Cleese, Robert Carlyle and Oscar-winning Dame Judi Dench.

Production of the sleek new model, which costs £19,000 and harks back to the classic P4 75 of the late 1940s, is expected to start in the next few weeks.

But Rover's design team were happy to lend one of the first models to the film crew of the 19th Bond film.

John Parkinson, head of product placement for the £70m movie being filmed at Pinewood Studios, confirmed the Rover 75 was the latest hi-tech gadget for Bond to get his hands on.

"Yes, we have asked to borrow the new Rover but it would be wrong to suggest that Pierce will be driving it.

"The car could appear in the film at some point but unfortunately there are no guarantees, so the footage might end up on the cutting room floor. It would also be wrong to suggest that the Rover 75 will be driven by one of the Bond villains - we don't want to reveal exactly how it is being used."

Rover spokesman Vincent Hammersley said: "Staff at Oxford's Rover plant will be thrilled when they discover that the Rover 75, which they are all very proud of, could appear in the new movie.

"Bond films are seen across the world and this can only enhance the car's image for potential customers.

"I have driven the car myself and I am sure Pierce Brosnan would enjoy it if he did get behind the wheel."

BMW has invested £800m at Cowley, where 3,500 Rover staff will produce up to 200,000 Rover 75s a year.

The luxury saloon was named Car of the Year by What Car? magazine four months before it went on sale.

*James Bond will return... in a Metro?

Story date: Wednesday 21 April

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