Will Bond's new ride be the next Vanquish?In the world of film, sometimes the perfect car can make the movie -
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| The last film where Bond drove a gadget-fitted version of the brand's top model, the Vanquish, was The World is Not Enough (2002). (Photo: 20th Century Fox) |
a case where the right car is as important as the right actor. One such combination that often comes to mind, other than Steve McQueen playing
Bullitt and the Mustang from the movie with the same name, or Memphis Raines and '
Eleanor', the Mustang from
Gone in Sixty Seconds, is the pairing of double-agent James Bond and Aston Martin. After an on-and-off relationship, the two were re-united after a 15 year lapse between
The Living Daylights (1987) and the last Bond Film,
The World is Not Enough (2002), where Bond drove a gadget-fitted version of the brand's top model, the Vanquish.
For next movie in the franchise,
Casino Royale, there have been a number of reported changes. It's been rumoured that Bond will go back to basics, free of super-specialized gadgets for a more classic approach to espionage as with the first few movies. It has also been confirmed that actor Daniel Craig, who will replace the now retired Pierce Brosnan, will portray Bond.
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| The never before seen DBS is expected to beintroduced in conjunction with the release of Casino Royale. (Photo: Aston Martin) |
From an automotive standpoint,
Casino Royale will be sure to pique the interests of motoring fans. Bond will once again be paired up with Aston Martin, but it won't be just any ordinary Aston (if there is such a thing); his company wheels will be a brand new, never before seen model called the DBS. It's expected that the introduction of the production car will coincide with the release of the film, similar to BMW's Z3 in
GoldenEye (1995).
Earlier this month, Craig took a tour of the Aston factory, met the workers, and saw the finished automobile after meeting with Chairman and CEO of Aston Martin, Dr. Ulrich Bez. Dr. Bez remarked, "It is great news that Bond will drive an Aston Martin again and we have built him something special to enable him to do his job in style." Quite frankly, there's little better way of launching a flagship model, than through the mystique of Bond.
The history of the DBS name dates back to the '60s; it represented
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| The history of the DBS name dates back to the '60s. (Photo: Aston Martin) |
the bridge between the classic DB-series vehicles, and the brutish V8 of the '70s and '80s. Bond's primary mode of transportation in
Her Majesty's Secrete Service (1969), was a DBS. Insiders suggest that it will be the successor to the Vanquish, and will represent the brand's full move over to the V-H aluminum architecture used for the Rapide Concept, the compact V8 Vantage, and the DB9. Power will come from a large-displacement V12 with 600+ hp and paddleshift sequential gearbox.
Alongside the DBS, Bond will also be driving another Aston, but this time, it's
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| Alongside the DBS, Bond will also be driving the classic DB5 most famed for its appearances in Goldfinger and Thunderball. (Photo: Aston Martin) |
classic. The silver DB5, most famed for its appearances in
Goldfinger and
Thunderball, will also be piloted by Bond in the new movie, but its classic figure mean that it won't be used for pursuing (or fleeing) evil doers. Instead, it'll be used as James Bond's personal transportation in much the same way the DB5 was featured in
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and
GoldenEye (1995). Interestingly, in Ian Fleming's short novel,
Casino Royale, James Bond drove a Bentley, not an Aston.
The movie will begin filming shortly in the Bahamas in a month's time, and later this year in the UK, the Czech Republic and Italy. Its release date is scheduled for November 17th, 2006.
