"Yes, we do, in fact, have one of the DBSs from the filming of "Quantum" in the States at the moment. Would you be interested in driving it?"
The properly British-accented Aston Martin representative had me shaken and stirred. Time to dig out my Persol 2720-S shades (worn by Craig in "Casino Royale") and Omega Seamaster Professional Chronograph (performing all kinds of tricks from the wrist of Pierce Brosnan in "Goldeneye") and see what it might feel like to be Bond -- or at least a Bond geek -- for a day.
We recently put the updated-for-2009 DBS, equipped with the newly available Touchtronic automatic transmission, through its paces and found it to be the best-performing Aston Martin we've ever tested. But Daniel Craig never got anywhere near that one. What makes a real Bond car different from the others? Not so much, this time around.
If you've seen the latest 007 film, you'll know there are no machine guns, missile launchers, or defibrillators on Bond's latest DBS. It's hardly bulletproof either; this poor Aston is riddled with machine-gun fire by the time "Quantum's" hyper-thrilling opening sequence is over. Unlike our recent tester, the movie machines have six-speed manuals and are fitted with optional sport seats that aren't homologated for sale in the U.S. This car's exhaust system packs more bass and volume. The dark, warm gray paint color is called Quantum Silver. Then there was the set of Italian license plates in the trunk, as "Quantum's" chase scene was filmed around Lake Garda. I seriously considered sending the car back to Aston Martin one plate short of a pair.
...
>>next page