Elon Musk plans to turn real-life James Bond car he bought for $1m into electric submarine
- Elon Musk bought the Lotus Esprit Submarine from The Spy Who Loved Me
- He paid $900,000 at auction after a bidding war
- It isn’t a functioning submarine but Musk plans to change that using leftover parts from Teslas
Published on Nov 23, 2023 at 6:32 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Nov 24, 2023 at 1:29 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
It’s no surprise the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, gets whatever he wants – even if it doesn’t exist yet.
And, for the founder of Tesla, an electronic submarine is on his wishlist to add to his car collection.
Like a real-life Bond villain, Elon Musk bought the actual Lotus Esprit Submarine from The Spy Who Loved Me.
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The Lotus Esprit played the part of a submarine in the 1977 James Bond film.
The billionaire bought it at auction in 2013, setting him back a whopping $900,000 after a bidding war with another car enthusiast.
Bond was driving the modified Lotus Esprit in the movie that could change into a submarine – but it wasn’t actually functional.
The vehicle itself was put into a storage locker for years after filming and many believed it was lost for good.
And, never one to turn down a challenge be it in space, the human body or elsewhere, rumor has it he plans to turn it the car into a real working electric submarine.
The transformation into electric submarine will happen using leftover bits from Teslas.
It’s currently parked at Tesla’s Design Studio in Hawthorne, California.
The CEO of Tesla, Musk tweeted about the project in 2016 to X (then known as Twitter).
“If curious abt TSWLM car, am still planning to do a sports sub car that can drive on roads. Just a side project. Limited market potential :)” he said.
In an interview following his purchase Elon made it clear that it was a “low priority project” but was keen to see it through.
Tesla’s powertrain is sealed so their tech could allow them to create a propulsion system that works both in water.
Air intake isn’t necessary, which helps.
The transition from road configuration to water or underwater configuration should make for an interesting engineering and design challenge for Musk and his Tesla team.
But he’s never taken to the seas.
Aside from claiming the Cybertruck is “waterproof enough to be a boat” – and one driver taking that literally.
And if this doesn’t cement his status as a super villain then this 2015 tweet will.
“If this works, I’m treating myself to a volcano lair. It’s time,” he said.
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London-based Amelia cut her journalistic teeth covering all things lifestyle, wellness and luxury in the UK capital. Fast-forward a decade and the experienced content creator and editor has put pen to paper for glossy magazines, busy newsrooms and coveted brands. When her OOO is on you can find her spending quality time with her young family, in the gym or exploring the city she loves.
