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Lada Niva - originally known in the Soviet Union as VAZ-2121 “Niva” - is a car featured in the 1999 James Bond movie The World Is Not Enough, as well as its video game adaptations.
Manufactured by AvtoVAZ, the Niva began its mass-production in April 5, 1977. The Niva marks the first design by VAZ/Lada to be wholly original, and not to be based off on a prior Fiat S.p.A.-developed car design. The Niva remains a popular car in its native Russia and elsewhere in the world, thanks to its good off-road capabilities. To distinguish it from the newer Lada Niva models, this older incarnation has been officially dubbed as Lada Niva Legend from 2021 onward.
Movie appearance[]
After a night of love-making with Elektra, James Bond begins to explore Elektra's Estate. He finds a nearby container office (presumably Davidov's office) and gets in to search the place. Bond is alarmed by lights of Lada Niva that Davidov arrives in (following his encounter with Renard at the Devil's Breath) and leaves the office.
Davidov exits the Atomic Energy Antiterrorist Unit-marked Niva and heads inside, while Bond goes to examine the Niva, finding the corpse of Dr. Mikhail Arkov at the car's trunk. While Davidov is taking photos of himself (to get photo ID to pose as Arkov for Renard's plan at the Kazakhstan Nuclear Test Facility), guards with dogs start approaching and Bond hides in the trunk. Davidov - carrying a suitcase - gets back aboard the Niva and begins driving to the disused Soviet airfield.
Davidov drives through the unlocked door gates to the airfield and arrives, just as the transport plane is getting ready. Davidov opens the trunk and pulls away the tarp, expecting Arkov's body, only to reveal Bond. Bond kicks Davidov to stagger him and then promptly shoots him dead. Bond takes his place as the Arkov imposter and takes Arkov's ID card from Davidov's corpse, then throwing the dead man inside a nearby trash skip container.
Bond goes near the Niva to pretend like he is Davidov just arriving there, with Trukhin soon appearing. Bond convinces Trukhin that Davidov approved him as his replacement and the latter tells him to follow. As Bond is about to close the door on the Niva, he spots a black bag and the suitcase Davidov had, sitting on the front passenger seat, and takes them. This ends up being the right call, as the plane's pilot asks Bond for "the grease" and Bond gives the black bag to him, which ends up containing nice-looking sneakers, and allowing him to get aboard without incident.
Video game appearance[]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Apocryphally, the Niva is considered the first successful compact SUV, with the modern compact SUV market starting in 1983 proper.[1][2]
References[]
- ↑ Thompson, A. (2008). Cars of the Soviet Union: The Definitive History. UK: Haynes. ISBN 9781844254835
- ↑ Encyclopedia of Consumer Brands: Consumable products. (1994). USA: St. James Press. pp. 252–253. ISBN 9781558623385.