From F1 to Bond Cars: Cork Engineer Mike Keane’s High-Octane Career
- CORK, Ireland – February 18, 2026 – Mike Keane, a veteran automotive engineer whose career spans Formula 1 racing, James Bond film stunts, and now electric vehicle innovation,...
- Keane’s early career was rooted in high-performance engineering.
- In 2015, Keane led the engineering team responsible for the stunt cars featured in the James Bond film Spectre.
CORK, Ireland – – Mike Keane, a veteran automotive engineer whose career spans Formula 1 racing, James Bond film stunts, and now electric vehicle innovation, is rapidly establishing Cork, Ireland, as a hub for specialist vehicle engineering. Keane’s journey reflects a broader trend within the automotive industry: a demand for engineers capable of applying expertise across increasingly diverse technological challenges.
Keane’s early career was rooted in high-performance engineering. From to , he served as Head of Engineering for the Williams F1 Advanced Engineering division. “With the Williams Formula 1 team, most of the team don’t actually travel to the races. Most of the work happens back at base,” Keane explained, highlighting the intensive research and development that underpins the sport. He described an environment demanding “mental clarity and sharpness,” fueled by access to cutting-edge technology, including high-powered computing, simulation tools, and on-site manufacturing capabilities.
His skillset proved adaptable beyond the racetrack. In , Keane led the engineering team responsible for the stunt cars featured in the James Bond film Spectre. The project required a unique blend of design and engineering prowess. “We took the outer design of the Aston Martin car and effectively completely redesigned it on the inside,” Keane said. The team faced an exceptionally tight deadline, delivering fully functional stunt vehicles in just eleven weeks, often working 16-18 hour days. “We had vehicles testing and doing stunts in the Austrian Alps 11 weeks after we got the contract. So that was very, very intense.”
In , Keane founded Hibra Design, a Cork-based automotive engineering development company. The firm has quickly gained recognition, securing contracts with public and private sector clients in Ireland, the EU, the Middle East, and South Africa. Hibra Design’s success has been punctuated by industry accolades, including the Business Post Electric Vehicle Pioneer of Year award in , the National Start-Up Product and Manufacturing Gold Award, and the Enterprise Ireland One-To-Watch award.
Hibra Design’s recent projects demonstrate its commitment to clean technology. Notably, the company developed Ireland’s first operational electric tractor for Bord Na Móna last year. Keane emphasized the complexity of this project, extending beyond simple vehicle conversion. “What was particularly exciting about that project was that there are a lot of companies out there who convert classic cars to electric. But the challenge with the tractor was that we had to integrate it into the control system.” He explained that the majority of the challenge lies in the software integration, a critical aspect of modern vehicle engineering.
The electric tractor project garnered significant attention, including a showcase at the Ploughing Championships, generating substantial interest and publicity for Hibra Design. This led to the company being shortlisted in the Western Europe regional finals of the Global Startup Awards.
Keane’s career trajectory began with a BEng (hons) in automotive engineering design from Coventry University, which he attended from to . He noted that, at the time, Ireland lacked specialized automotive engineering courses, prompting him to study in the UK, at the heart of the British automotive industry. He believes the field offers diverse entry points, encompassing mechanical engineering, aerodynamics, electrical engineering, and software development. “I think from a technical point of view, software development, particularly around autonomous vehicles, that is what is coming down the line and there will be huge demand in those sort of areas.”
Looking ahead, Keane envisions Hibra Design focusing on new vehicle design and vehicle system designs. “The thing for us really is new vehicle design and vehicle system designs. There is a lot of interest coming our way.” His career, from the precision of Formula 1 to the demands of a Bond film and the practical application of electric vehicle technology, underscores the evolving landscape of automotive engineering and the growing importance of adaptability and innovation.