US – Saturday, March 20
Updated 20:41, November the 10th, 2008
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Aston DBS: Licensed to thrill

Our Global Motoring Editor takes 007’s ride for a spin

Roger Moore on the diving Lotus

 007 VETERAN. Pilot of the underwater Lotus Esprit, Sir Roger Moore ­reveals his fave James Bond car moments.

Favorite Bond car scene?
The Lotus Esprit diving into the ocean, because the audience thought we were goners. But it converted into the wonderful underwater car, Wet Nellie, and became one of the most famous sequences in any of my Bond films.

Favorite Bond car?
The 2CV in “For Your Eyes Only.” It seemed like such an unlikely Bond car.

How much driving did you do?
Not a great deal. The insurance companies insisted on having stunt drivers as they couldn’t afford for me to get injured — or more close to the truth, they thought I might smash up the cars!

 

 The only thing close to James Bond gadgets in the Aston Martin DBS that 007 drives in “Quantum of Solace” are the B&O speakers that emerge from the dash when you start the ignition.

Even the Jaeger-LeCoultre watch that remotely turns on the lights and unlocks the car is available to all
real-world DBS owners.

Still, you can live without an ejector seat when the car is this fabulous. Several stunt Astons were trashed during the chase sequences for “Quantum,” but this DBS is one of just three “hero” cars that were kept intact.

With its menacing face and athletic rear haunches, this elegant car looks both macho and sophisticated, and the performance is the same.

A gentle nudge and James Bond’s car is launching me through the country roads around Aston’s factory in central England. This car might look and feel heavy, but it’s agile, like a panther ready to go in for the kill.

Which is basically what the car does on command. With acceleration like this, it’s easy to see why one of the “Quantum of Solace” stuntmen ended up taking off into Lake Garda in one of these cars.    

3 coolest-ever Bond cars, with gadgets by Q

 Aston Martin DB5 ‘Goldfinger’
1964. Features ejector seat, revolving
license plates, slasher hubcaps and machine guns behind the headlights.

Lotus Esprit
‘The Spy Who Loved Me’
1977. Features missiles, torpedoes and underwater ­driving mode.

Aston Martin V8 Volante
‘Living Daylights’ 1987. Takes on the Russians with missile launcher, rockets, hubcap-concealed laser and retractable tire spikes.

 
Emma E. Forrest
Global Motoring Editor
 
 
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