Thoughts from the Curb

Sep 16, 2008 - Countdown to Bond: The Living Daylights Aston Vantage

"The Living Daylights" is a big deal for a number of reasons. It was the first Bond movie not to star Roger Moore in seven films and 14 years. It therefore was Timothy Dalton's first appearance as 007, a last-second replacement for Pierce Brosnan. It was a return to a more serious, literary-style Bond rendition. It has an apt connection with today as Bond allies with Afghan mujahadeen rebels against a rogue Russian general. It's a great movie.

It was also the return of Bond's original car brand -- Aston Martin -- as well as a Q car.

Bond's Aston Martin V8 Vantage is arguably a more formidable automotive weapon than its DB5 ancestor. It has a rocket booster, outrigger skis, hub-mounted lasers, heat-seeking missiles, bulletproof windows and retracting tire studs (picture here). It also has the amazing ability to be "winterized" -- where the Aston Martin V8 Volante (badged Vantage) is magically transformed by Q's workshop into a Vantage coupe. This is obviously impossible, especially given the C pillars, but whatever. Bond did drive a Gondola with wheels after all.

Here's the end of the ice chase.

7:29 pm | Categories: bond cars Permalink | Alert Administrator

Add to: