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Spy movies have something of a formula. Danger, intrigue, mystery, and, of course, opulence. What says opulence more than a striking suit or stunning dress? You guessed it: a jaw-dropping set of wheels. So, when “Argylle” hit screens, the expectation would be Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa, and Bryce Dallas Howard in a striking car. Well, one of the automotive heroes of the film turned out to be a chase with Dua Lipa astride an MV Agusta Dragster motorcycle.

The chase in ‘Argylle’ pits Dua Lipa on an MV Agusta Dragster against Henry Cavill and John Cena

Just moments into “Argylle” fans get some automotive action. However, it’s not the typical “Kingsman” antics you’d expect from Matthew Vaughn. No, you won’t find missile-firing black cabs or Jaguar F-Paces in this movie. You will, however, find a striking, high-revving Italian motorcycle.

What’s more, instead of opting for the Ducati flavor, like “Matrix,” “Deadpool,” and “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” Vaughn and the team behind “Argylle” cast an MV Agusta Dragster as the two-wheeled point of interest. Still, the MV Agusta isn’t on the right side of the law. Instead, Dua Lipa, who plays a bad guy in a story within a story, attempts to escape from “Superman” star Henry Cavill on the Dragster. 

A red-and-black MV Agusta Dragster shows off its dual disc brakes and LED headlamp.
MV Agusta Dragster | MV Agusta

This makes for some spectacular action, starting with Dua Lipa’s character, LaGrange, taking an unsuspecting agent in a bright blue Jeep Wrangler TJ out of commission. After LaGrange makes her escape, Henry Cavill, who plays Agent Argylle in the story (well, kind of), gives chase by stealing an open-top MOKE and crashing across Greek rooftops.

However, the most memorable moment of the chase is when man-mountain John Cena snatches Dua Lipa right off the speeding motorcycle, holding her off the ground. Consequently, the maneuver is also the end of the MV Agusta Dragster’s screen time. Fortunately, the red-and-black Dragster has a set of frame sliders in plain view. Score one for planning.

Stunt shots aside, the Dragster is a solid option for a setpiece in a kinetic action movie. Well, it’s certainly a better casting choice than a comparably anemic London black cab (looking at you ‘Kingsman’).

The no-frills naked bike features a 798cc triple producing 140 horsepower at a stratospheric 12,300 rpm. That’s quite the two-wheeled improvement over the Triumph Thruxton Rs in “Ant-Man and the Wasp.” We’ll let you decide if it’s more of a stunner than the MV Agusta F4 in “Gone in 60 Seconds.”