Auto & Bike Blog: Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation: Even Q Would Be Impressed

Sunday, 31 May 2020

Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation: Even Q Would Be Impressed

The Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation pay homages to James Bond.
True to form, this special DB5 will feature all the spy gadgets from the film.
Production is currently underway, although it’s limited to just 25 examples.

Well would ya look at this, Aston Martin is pulling a fast one with the DB5 Goldfinger! The storied British marque from Newport Pagnell has announced they are making a limited run of their ultra-famous DB5 model from the 1960s. Yes, that’s James Bond’s car. And yes, there’s a bit of a movie tie in, but still, how fab is this? The four-wheeled creation is officially known as the Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation.

What Is The Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation?

The DB5 Goldfinger is the latest in the line of Aston Martin’s Continuation program, which started with the DB4 GT Zagato Continuation. It takes around 4,500 hours per car to finish the job. Each of the 25 new/old DB5 cars is built to the highest possible quality standards. Aston Martin blends old-world craftsmanship along with modern engineering and other performance advancements.

“Seeing the first customer car move painstakingly through the intricate production process we have created really is quite a thrill,” said Clive Wilson, Heritage Programme Manager, Aston Martin Lagonda. “Obviously we have not, as a business, made a new DB5 for more than 50 years, so to be involved in the building of these cars, which will go on to form part of Aston Martin’s history, is something I’m sure all of us will be telling our grandkids about!”

Over five decades after the last DB5 rolled off the production line, work is underway on a strictly limited run new DB5 models (although perhaps calling them New Old Stock is a better way to put it). Made with EON Productions, the producers of the James Bond films, this remake of the DB5 comes complete with the working spy gadgets first seen on screen in 1964.

Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation being built in the Newport Pagnell factory. — More than half a century after the last DB5 left the Newport Pagnell factory, work is again underway on a limited series called the Aston Martin DB5 *Goldfinger* Continuation. Fewer than 900 saloon examples were built between 1963 and 1965, with the most famous “owner” being James Bond. Photo: Aston Martin Lagonda.

License to Spill

And when I say all the spy gadgets, I mean all the spy gadgets: the rear smoke screen delivery system, the rear oil slick delivery system (simulated), and revolving number plates front and rear (three of them, just like JB had). More 007 gadgetry comes in the way of machine guns (simulated (duh)), bulletproof rear shield, battering rams front and rear, tire slasher (simulated), and an optional removable passenger seat roof panel.

The inside has a simulated radar screen tracker map, telephone, an under-seat hidden weapons/storage tray, and a remote control for gadget activation. “We are making, perhaps, some of the most desirable ‘toys’ ever built for 25 very lucky buyers worldwide,” added Paul Spires, President of Aston Martin Works.

All of the nifty gadgets were developed in association with Chris Corbould OBE, the special effects supervisor who has worked on more than a dozen Bond films.

Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation: Engine & Vehicle Specs

All DB5 Goldfinger Continuation cars come in one exterior color: Silver Birch, just like the original. And like the 60s vintage originals, the aluminum exterior body panels are wrapped around an authentic DB5 mild steel chassis structure. Under the hood, er, bonnet, there’s a big 4.0-liter naturally aspirated inline six-cylinder with a single-plug head, three SU carburetors, and oil cooler. That’ll add up to 290 bhp.

The mill is mated to a five-speed ZF manual and limited-slip differential. Stopping is handled by old school servo-assisted hydraulic Girling-type steel disc brakes. Pointing and directing is the purview of an unassisted rack and pinion steering setup. The suspension is a coil-over spring design with an anti-roll bar at the front and a live rear axle with radius arms and Watt’s linkage out back.

Aston Martin says it’s the complete and dynamic package, to which I say, anyone who has manhandled a live rear axle with radius arms and Watt’s linkage knows just how “dynamic” things can get.

Can You Get One?

Most are already spoken for, so if you want one of the 25, better jump in line now! It’s also worth noting the Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation is not street legal. And all of those cool gadgets are subject to final engineering confirmation and country-specific legislation.

First deliveries of the DB5 Goldfinger Continuation will start later this year with each continuation car priced around 3.4 million, plus taxes. Sheesh, why not just have Auric himself aim a laser at my crotch instead! “Do you expect me to talk? No! I expect you to pay, Mr. Borroz!”

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.