"Quantum of Solace" James Bond's Aston Martin DBS

"QUANTUM SHOT" #506
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All other cars would feel as sad disappointment, once you drive this beauty

London-based photographer Mark Obstfeld, a friend of our site, shares with us his experience of taking James Bond's latest supercar for a spin.

Aston Martin and James Bond have come a long way together. Here are the worthy predecessors: Aston Martin DB5 from "Goldfinger" and 1986 V8 Vantage Volante from "The Living Daylights" (Bond cars routinely get equipped with missile launchers, rockets, hubcap-concealed laser, retractable tire spikes, dual machine guns, radars, revolving license plates, oil slicks, smoke screens, and of course bullet proof windshields... the only thing they can't do is to serve a shaken martini.)

(images credit: Martin Hidinger and Lennart Guldbrandsson)

"Quantum of Solace" James Bond's Aston Martin DBS V12

Here is the vehicle with the attached camera set-up:

(image credit: MotorTrend)

Mark says: "I was offered the chance to drive James Bond's Aston Martin (minus rocket launchers or ejector seats) - as you know, this car gets trashed in "Quantum of Solace". According to the guy at the Aston Martin headquarters in a place called Gaydon, near Stratford Upon Avon, there were 7 cars - 4 were destroyed during filming, one was auctioned for charity, one belongs to the production company, and the final one belongs to Aston Martin:

The £160,000 car was an absolute beauty on the winding country roads of the Midlands, and we took it up to about 100mph down some little lanes, which was pretty hairy, as you couldn't see what was coming...

I found the clutch biting point and... 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds the publicity blurb says. Not sure I managed that, but I did hit 93 at one point, the engine sounding like a dream. Fifteen minutes of driving heaven left me in love. But love has a tough price - if in the future I ever own a car, it will only ever be a sad disappointment compared to James Bond's Aston Martin DBS"

Is this just our imagination, but the engine on the right looks positively happy (a hint of a smile there?) -

(all photos credit and copyright: Mark Obstfeld)

Price: $293.400
Engine: 6-litre, V12
Max speed: 307 km/h
Fuel consumption: 16.4 lt / 100km

You might not be able to purchase this particular DBS... but you might end up lucky in some other way - like the driver and the humble car in this picture: