Aston Martin will build 25 ‘Goldfinger’ DB5’s for £3.3m

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Source: Top Gear

A V8-engined Cygnet aside, Aston Martin clearly never jokes about its work, because this is quite serious indeed. The storied British carmaker has announced a run of 25 brand-new DB5s, modelled after one of the world’s most famous movie cars.

The Goldfinger DB5. Just like the DB4 GT Continuation models we saw at the end of 2016, Aston is building 25 brand-new Aston Martin DB5s, built as “authentic reproductions” of the exact car that Connery, Brosnan and Craig all drove in various screen outings.

By authentic, Aston mean things like revolving numberplates “and more”. We suspect the ejector seats and oil spray probably won’t make the cut, though we live in hope.

Each will be assembled at Aston’s Newport Pagnell factory – where the original DB5 was made – and will feature “sympathetic modifications”. And it’ll come in any colour you want as long as that colour is Silver Birch. Just like in the movies.

The original car came with a 4.0-litre straight-six with 282bhp and 280lb ft of torque. If it’s the same philosophy as the DB4 GT Continuation, expect the same, only slightly tweaked for reliability.

Aston will get assistance from EON Productions, the company responsible for the Bond films, and also a helping hand from Oscar winner Chris Corbould, who not only was the special effects supervisor on eight James Bond films, but also worked on Chris Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.

The cars will be ready for customers in the later part of 2019, though as you would expect, they’re not cheap: £3.3m (including taxes) a pop.

“The connection between Aston Martin and James Bond is something of which we are very proud,” explains Aston boss Andy Palmer. “It is remarkable that the DB5 remains the definitive James Bond car after so many years.

“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? That is surely the ultimate collectors’ fantasy,” he added.

Collectors’ fantasy indeed. Not one of the 25 reproductions will be road legal. Aston intends to build three more – one for EON, one for itself, and a final one that’ll be auctioned off for charity.
 
Someone paying 3.3 million for one of these probably won't be that concerned about that bit if they want to drive it.

Yeah but it would be nice to legally take it for a spin, and it wont be fun on a racetrack because its not a supercar. I guess you could drive it around the huge country estate grounds the owner will undoubtedly have.

I don't see what exactly is going to done to make it not road legal, 90% the same as a normal DB5, just don't deploy the rear bullet shield whilst driving!
 
The revolving plates alone make it not road legal.

Take for example under car blue neons, they are illegal to use on the road but are fine to actually have on the car. The Police expect you to not use them whilst driving, doesn't mean the car isn't road legal with them fitted. So how is this any different? Sign an Aston disclaimer form saying you wont use the revolving number plate gadget whilst on public roads job done.
 
For health and safety reasons these days it'll need a warning sign on the dash.
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From my recollection, it's because the regulations on registration marks require them to be "fixed".

It is fixed... to a moving surface that is fixed to the car. :lol:

For health and safety reasons these days it'll need a warning sign on the dash.
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Other cars have a 'Door Open' warning light, this car has one for when the front passenger seat is missing... with the passenger! :sly:
 
It is fixed... to a moving surface that is fixed to the car. :lol:
Indeed, but it's also the reason you can't mount it to a plaque that dangles from the nose and moves with the air flow.

I'd phone VOSA/DVSA, but I'm... lazy.
 
Simple solution is to have an alternative number plate mount that bolts where the revolving one is usually. Or some sort of locking pin that stops the mechanism working on the road.

I wonder if the real reason they are not road legal, is that various aspects of the car do not meet modern safety standards for 'new' cars and it would involve large modifications to bring it up to spec (headlamps, crash structures, emissions etc).

I'd assume owners may be able to get them registered personally though, in the same way kit cars are done.
 
I don't care about the revolving license plates, but the ejector seat, machine guns, oil slick, smoke screen, and the tire shredders I would use regularly.
 
It wouldn't be any fun on a race track because everything from a diesel Focus upwards would destroy it.

Just because it's 'slow' compared to modern cars doesn't necessarily mean it's not going to be fun around a track. I think something that wallows around the corners sliding on it's thin tyres would probably be more fun than most modern cars with their stiff rigid chassis', massive tyres and driver feeling sapping electronic assists.
 
Just because it's 'slow' compared to modern cars doesn't necessarily mean it's not going to be fun around a track. I think something that wallows around the corners sliding on it's thin tyres would probably be more fun than most modern cars with their stiff rigid chassis', massive tyres and driver feeling sapping electronic assists.

Whilst I can certainly agree that driving something from the 60s on old style rubber around a circuit isn't without its merits on the fun scale. The reality of getting in the way of faster and much much faster machinery and the risks and possible expense of getting your £3.3m car pranged in the process would take away any enjoyment. Of course. If you can afford £3.3m for a car, you can hire a whole track for yourself. But then where's the fun in just circulating by yourself? Especially when you can buy an awful lot more track-focus stuff for that kind of money. Very few cars feel especially quick on a track once you get acclimatised to the available speed and grip. A slow car will feel very slow very quickly.

Of course, you could just save yourself £2.7m and just buy a really nice original restored one instead - and be able to drive it on the road.
 
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