007's Lotus Esprit Series 1 submarine car to be auctioned

The famous Lotus Esprit Series 1 submarine car from the “The Spy Who Loved Me” will be up for grabs at RM Auction's Battersea Park, London event slated for Sept. 8 and 9.

Every James Bond fan loves the use of Jags, Lotuses and, of course, Astons in the famous franchise, and now you'll have the chance to fulfill your fantasy of being Bond by putting one in your garage -- or at least your boathouse.

The car is claimed to be fully functional, having been designed and outfitted by Florida-based Perry Oceanographic to propel itself underwater for the 1977 film.

Valued at around $500,000 today, we don't think the future owner will dare let the car even get wet. Keeping the car/submarine out of the water might not be a bad idea -- despite what you remember from the silver screen, the submarine doesn't have a pressurized cabin (you'd need SCUBA gear to operate it) and it was reportedly quite a handful on the set: Apparently, the fundamentals of automotive design and submarine design are not in concert, and maneuverability was lacking.

Still, for the dedicated Bond geek, this would be quite a buy.

“We have a great track record in selling incredible and iconic movie cars, and this particular Lotus is certainly up there amongst the most famous cars of all time,” says Max Girardo, managing director, RM Auctions, Europe. “Over the years, millions of moviegoers have stared in awe as the Lotus transformed itself into a submarine, and now, perhaps one of them will have an opportunity to own it,”

Stay tuned for further news regarding the submarine car and visit RM Auctions for more information.

By Max Gilles