Morning:
13°c
An awesome and ridiculous film that leaves you thrilled beyond the point of your natural endurance
London faces a wave of bus and Tube strikes that could cause chaos for millions of passengers as unions walkout over pay and conditions
More...
Daniel Craig is the Bondeo man
Last updated at 09:22am on 27.09.06
Daniel Craig in a scene from the new Bond film and below, the Ford Mondeo
James Bond fans should prepare to be shaken and stirred.
The normally suave secret agent, with a passion for Aston Martins and martini, seems to have developed some distinctly middleclass tastes.
• Gallery: See stills from Casino Royale here
In the forthcoming 007 movie Casino Royale, actor Daniel Craig temporarily abandons his £200,000 supercar for the new £20,000 Ford Mondeo - and may even be seen swigging pints of lager.
Today, a Craig lookalike was being filmed behind the wheel of the latest Mondeo family saloon in Nassau on the Bahamas where scenes for the blockbuster are being shot.
One eyewitness said: "This appears to be the same car we'll see James Bond drive in Casino Royale."
Four million Ford Mondeos have been sold since the car was launched in January 1993 - 1.15million of them in the UK. Its popularity among the middle classes spawned the term Mondeo Man - the emblematic Middle Britain voter all politicians were keen to woo.
The original Mondeo had its first facelift in 1996, with a new version in 2000 and the fourth generation is due to hit showrooms in 2007. The latest edition has been given a new styling and a high quality interior - but sadly for 007 it does not include built-in rocket launchers or ejector seats.
Ford currently owns Aston Martin but has put the British luxury car-maker up for sale with a price tag of around £1billion.
However, diehard Bond fans should rest assured that, while he drives the Mondeo in an emergency, his main car in Casino Royale will be a specially created 200mph Aston Martin DBS coupe in its own unique colour - Casino Ice.
The spy is undergoing a number of changes for the movie, which will be released in November.
Since the announcement that he would be the first blond Bond, 38-year-old Craig has faced criticism from fans for not being charismatic enough to play the British secret agent.
In return, he has vowed to be the baddest 007 ever. He has said he will inject some evil into the elegant spy, adding: "I think there has to be an element of cruelty. He is an assassin."
The actor has spent hours in the gym pumping iron to get in shape for the role.
In the film, he is seen locked in a naked embrace with French co-star Eva Greer - although the pair wore flesh-coloured bathing suits for the scene.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that Casino Royale producers-have signed a deal with Heineken which will feature heavily in the movie - raising speculation that 007 will be seen enjoying the Dutch lager.
