JAMES BONDS DB10 Friday 12th December, 2014. Sam Kessler (Online Editor) The latest Aston Martin in the arsenal of the worlds favourite secret agent Think of James Bond. Chances are you already have a clear picture in your mind of exactly what Britain’s favourite spy will look like. Forget Daniel Craig for a moment and focus on what every Bond has had in common, from the legendary Sean Connery to the… less legendary Roger Moore. He will be lounging at the bar resplendent in a perfectly-tailored tuxedo. He will be drinking the carefully shaken blend of gin, vodka and vermouth now a mainstay at every bar in the world. As he steps outside to await the valet with his car, there’s really no doubt as to what it will be. After all, there are few partnerships quite as enduring as that of James Bond and Aston Martin. As anyone approaching Bond from a more literary angle will know, it wasn’t always the case. Indeed, it’s hard to bring to mind at all whether Ian Fleming included Aston Martin in his writing, instead tending to favour a Bentley 4 ½ litre. Yet since it first stole the show with the DB5 in Goldfinger, machine guns and all, an Aston Martin has been the Bond car. The career of James Bond has been a long one, now spanning 50 years (for anyone looking to reminisce, the London Film Museum is holding a spectacular tribute at the moment), the franchise has seen its ups and downs – let’s not even mention Octopussy. Yet the Daniel Craig era saw a revival for Her Majesty’s secret serviceman in a darker, grittier form, with Skyfall the most successful Bond film to date. With Sam Mendes once again at the helm of the newest film, all eyes are on the upcoming Spectre and, while we predict another scene-stealing villain from Christophe Waltz, it will be hard to take our eyes of the unsung cast member, the Aston Martin DB10. The letters DB have always signalled a sort of milestone for Aston Martin. The DB 5 is a legendary motoring icon and each of the cars that followed, the 6 and 7, were marked evolutions of the model. The DB9 however skipped a number, not because there was anything wrong with 8, but because it was such a leap forwards that the increase would not have done it justice. Calling the new Bond Car the DB10 should therefore give some indication of how important it is to the British marque. Rather than being a production model commandeered for the film, the DB10 was built from the ground up with the spy in mind. Designed in partnership with Sam Mendes, the result is a car befitting the new Bond era. “The brief was to create a modern day equivalent of the iconic DB5 sports car that launched the Aston Martin/EON partnership over 50 years ago,” explains Marek Reichman, Chief Creative Officer for Aston Martin. “We worked closely with Sam Mendes, to realise his vision and create the ultimate car for the worlds most famous spy.” And so they did. The new car is darker, sleeker and more sinister than its predecessors. Its nose, lowered close to the ground is reminiscent of a hunting dog, an animal meant to find and catch its prey. Its straighter planes are a departure from the more classically rounded facets of Aston Martin, giving it a more futuristic edge. Yet the DB heritage is most definitely still there. “While the DB10 marks an exciting and fresh approach to Aston Martin design and provides a nod to our company’s future design language,” explains Reichman, “it also contains the essential Aston Martin ‘DNA’, provided to us by iconic cars such as James Bond’s DB5.” Does this therefore signal what the future holds for Aston Martin? Well it’s hard to say. Design-wise it’s most definitely an indication that the marque is set to move into a more contemporary realm of design, yet as any luxury brand with a long heritage, they can’t go too far off course. After all, it’s the understated, classical beauty of Aston Martin that has made them an enduring icon of British craftsmanship. Yet the aesthetic refresh might be exactly what Aston Martin needs to take them to the next level. Regardless, there will need to be further advancements before we see for certain. As Reichman says, “while the DB10 certainly provides a clear step in Aston Martin design, this model currently sits on the current aluminium VH chassis that we use for our current road cars and is powered by the 4.7 litre V8 engine which you’ll find in the Vantage range. The DB10 fully embodies the technology that we have available to us now, while showcasing what we’re capable of in the future.” Though only 10 editions of the DB10 will be made, all exclusively for the film – more a collector’s item than an automobile – it suggests exciting things in the future of one of Britain’s most enduring icons. After all, if the world’s least secret secret agent can do it, why not his car? It’s good to be Bond.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 15:02:49 +0000
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