New 007 Car: Aston Martin

Mr Kleen · Post by **Mr Kleen** » Wed May 17, 2006 3:44 pm

By Dan Lienert, from Forbes.com 02:00 AM May, 16, 2006

The shaken-not-stirred vodka martini is just one of James Bond’s high-culture affectations. The secret agent of the movies and the novels has finicky tastes that make him a snob about at least a dozen different subjects.

In The Book of Bond (1965), former British Secret Service Chief of Staff William Tanner offers what he calls “a complete and authoritative guide to 007-ly thought, conversation and behavior. What and how to drink and eat and smoke, what kind of car to possess, how to look right, how to be the scourge of the casinos -- this and much more I explain clearly and in detail.”

The Cars”section of the book shows how Bond is more passionate and discerning about his automobiles than any other item. The chapter instructs the would-be 007 to "talk lovingly and nostalgically of your first car, one of the last of the four-cylinder, 4.5-liter Bentleys." It also advises that the aspiring secret agent drive a current-model Bentley, one that "goes like a bird and a bomb, and you love her more than all the women at present in your life rolled, if that were feasible, together."
The James Bond movies have honored the spy's love of fine automobiles. To the delight of car enthusiasts, Bond has driven models from BMW, Lotus and -- most famously -- Aston Martin. For the new James Bond movie, Casino Royale (scheduled to open in November), Ford Motor's Aston subsidiary has equipped Bond with a derivative of its DB9 sports car, the DBS.

"In true Bond style," Aston said in a recent statement, "specific details of the new DBS remain top secret." But the car "encapsulates a link between our elegant DB9 road car and the powerful DBR9 race car." Aston Design Director Marek Reichman described the DBS as "hinting at our future design direction."

From photographs, the DBS appears to have special hood scoops; well-filling wheels of aluminum or stainless steel; a modified front end with wire mesh below the trademark Aston grille; special interior trim pieces of leather and a polished, black center console offset by polished, silvery gauges. The only detail Aston describes on its media website is the illuminated stick shift.

Daniel Craig, who will play Bond in the new film, visited Aston's headquarters in January. He took a short test drive in the DBS and met Aston Chief Executive Ulrich Bez.

In the recent Aston statement, Bez said that "the DBS is not of the understated elegance of a DB9, nor the youthful agility of the (new Aston Martin) V-8 Vantage. It is explosive power in a black tie and has its own unique character which will equal that of James Bond."

For a look at the new Bond car, please click here for the slide show.

Post by **Sabre** » Wed May 17, 2006 4:00 pm

Oh for gods sake, could they make the thing any sexier?

Libra Monkee · Post by **Libra Monkee** » Wed May 17, 2006 4:21 pm

That is all.

zaxrex · Post by **zaxrex** » Wed May 17, 2006 4:26 pm

not so crazy about the suede or leather gauge covering and everything else being glossy.

I wouldn't turn one down.

Mr Kleen · Post by **Mr Kleen** » Wed May 17, 2006 5:13 pm

I would prefer they cover the entire dash with suede, but I don't mind just the gauge cluster being covered.

WRXWagon2112 · Post by **WRXWagon2112** » Wed May 17, 2006 5:27 pm

Mmmm ... suede ...

--Alan

Post by **complacent** » Wed May 17, 2006 6:19 pm

sabre wrote:Oh for gods sake, could they make the thing any sexier?