Aston Martin has got itself into another project as part of the 'Continuation' series of its classic cars. The latest project is the DB5 that James Bond drove in many of his films.
James Bond and Aston Martin have had a close relationship for many decades. Ever since Sean Connery drove the Silver Birch Aston Martin DB5 in 'Goldfinger' the British luxury sports car maker has become synonymous with the suave British secret agent. “The connection between Aston Martin and James Bond is something of which we are very proud," said Aston Martin president and CEO Andy Martin in a statement. "It is remarkable that the DB5 remains the definitive James Bond car after so many years. To own an Aston Martin has long been an aspiration for James Bond fans, but to own a Silver Birch DB5, complete with gadgets and built to the highest standards in the very same factory as the original James Bond cars? Well, that is surely the ultimate collectors' fantasy. The skilled craftspeople at Aston Martin Works and the expert special effects team from the James Bond films are about to make this fantasy real for 25 very lucky customers.”
Yes, the DB5 continuation is limited to just 25 units. As per the original, the new old DB5 will be powered by a 4.0-liter (3995cc) motor that produces 282hp, capable of taking the car to a top speed of 238kph. James Bond had a lot of enemies in 1964 when the DB5 debuted, which is why he chose this car for its 0-100kph timing. The 1964 Aston Martin DB5 could sprint to the ton in 7 seconds- still pretty fast by today's standards, and for Oddjob, nigh on uncatchable.
The goodies do not end here as Mr. Martin stated. Agent 007 needed a lot of gadgets in his field of duty, which were again incorporated into the very same DB5 he drove. The car looked completely stock, but at the touch of a few buttons turned into a war machine, complete with chain guns, missiles, live tracking devices, and a rather classy bullet shield that rose up from the DB5's rear end to cover the rear window and Bond's head as he focused on getting away from the bad people.
Although the idea of an Aston Martin DB5 which is built to the exact spec, gadgets included, to the 1964 original, there are a few catches to ownership of this beautiful coupé. First, due to being an exact reproduction of a 54-year-old design, it comes with that era's safety technology, or the lack thereof. That makes it illegal to drive on public roads today. Secondly, Continuation cars have always been sold at a rather high premium owing to the workmanship put into them. The DB5 is no different, with Aston Martin quoting a princely sum of $3.5 million a pop for this beauty. But considering that old DB5 examples go under the hammer for a lot more than this, the Continuation model is a great deal. Imagine using the smokescreen at a racetrack and racing away to smug victory. Sounds fun, doesn't it?
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