THE first of just 25 James Bond-inspired DB5 cars has rolled off the Aston Martin production line.
Priced at £3.3million, the DB5 Goldfinger Continuation comes packed with cool 007 gadgets from the famous 1964 film starring Sean Connery. The renowned British luxury sports car maker worked closely with Bond film firm EON Productions to create the special-edition model.
So on the outside, these include rear smoke screen and simulated oil slick delivery systems, revolving reg plates, fake twin front machine guns, bullet-resistant rear shield, front and back battering rams and a simulated tyre slasher.
Step inside and you’ll get a bogus radar screen tracker map, telephone in the driver’s door, a phoney gear knob seat ejector button, concealed centre console switches, an under-seat hidden weapons tray and a remote control for the gadgets.
A removable roof panel for the fictional ejector seat is also an option. The cars feature original DB5-styled aluminium exterior body panels – with a Silver Birch paintjob like the original – cloaking an authentic DB5 mild steel chassis structure.
Under the bonnet, there’s a 4.0-litre naturally aspirated inline six-cylinder engine that’s capable of generating about 290bhp. This is mated to a five-speed ZF manual transmission in the rear-wheel drive DB5, which also features a mechanical limited slip differential.
It took a specialist team at the Aston Martin plant in Buckinghamshire about 4500 hours to create the first of the Goldfinger cars – called “Job 1”. It’s the first DB5 to have been built in 55 years and the remaining customers will receive their cars through the second half of 2020.
In fact, fewer than 900 DB5 saloons were built between 1963 and 1965, now making them among the most desirable, sought-after classic Aston Martin machines.
The firm’s chief creative officer, Marek Reichman, said: “The DB5 is, without question, the most famous car in the world by virtue of its 50-plus year association with James Bond.
“To see, the first customer car finished, and realise that this is the first new DB5 we have built in more than half a century, really is quite a moment.
“It is a genuine privilege, and significant responsibility, to have been involved in the shaping of this new DB5 and to be helping to lead the creation of new versions of this automotive icon.
"I’m absolutely certain that the 25 lucky owners who are beginning to take delivery of these cars will be thrilled with them.”
