Wednesday 2nd September 2015

Aston Martin DB9 Bond Edition

No ejector seat? You must be joking!

---

Tempting as it must have been to reference Q's handover of the famous DB5 to Sean Connery in Goldfinger, Aston Martin's press office has played a resolutely straight bat when announcing a new limited 'Bond Edition' version of the DB9 GT. So. No tracking system, no bulletproof screen, no tyre slashing hub caps, no oil slick sprayer, no machine guns in the indicators and, no, you don't get an ejector seat either. Poor old Q.

"The watch? It's Bond, James Bond. By Omega..."

You do though get an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m James Bond Edition (that'll trip off the tongue when comparing timepieces over G&Ts in the clubhouse) and - get this - a 21-inch Globe Trotter trolley case with embossed leather luggage tag. It'd be nice to think this includes a strip of gold sovereigns, a throwing knife and a talc dispenser that sprays tear gas but we'll not be holding out hope. Also included are various 007-themed embellishments, including, we're promised, "a special Bond Edition start up screen on the new model's AMi II touch sensitive infotainment system." Please don't let that be the Bond theme tune. Please.

Some fight over #007 of the 150 surely

The cynics among us will see this as a way of garnishing up 150 DB9 GTs to help see them out of the door before the arrival of the new DB11. And there's just a hint that with specials like this and the invitation for Afzal Kahn to transform a few DB9s into his handbuilt 'Vengeance' coupe show Aston Martin is keen to find ever more creative ways of fulfilling those quotas of the old model before the new one comes on stream. As evidenced by the fact this car is being heavily plugged to coincide with the pending release of Spectre in which it very obviously plays no part whatsoever, Bond being chucked the keys to the first of the 'new' era Aston Martins in the shape of a movie-only special called the DB10.

Not to worry; the standard DB9 GT on which this car is based is a pretty fine thing and won't have you needing to explain to people, no, it doesn't have any of the gadgets while trying to impress them with your timepiece and ... branded luggage. Dun-dada-dun-dun-dundun, dun-dada-dun-dun-dun-dundun [repeat to fade, or until you locate the necessary fuse.]

[GranCab]

I guess AML are now employing an ex-Lotus marketing bod ...

[Greg-]

I guess this means the types of people who try to squeeze '007' or 'MI6' into their naff personalised number plates can aspire to a new car!

[GTEYE]

I guess its a sign of the times - but certainly Aston Martin would once not have sold out so cynically.

They will presumably sell out very quickly to customers in Russia, China and the Middle East.

Nice enough car, but rather tacky and tasteless.

And not even in the film!

[Armen]

Sooooo stupid...
Already it was such a mistake to re-use the "Vanquish" name for the new model... or to have launched the Virage then quickly the DB9 MY2013.
The AM marketing team is definitely near 0.

[jakesmith]

So gash and goes against the classy image AML is known for

[rhinochopig]

I remember the black and gold digital watch that played the bond theme tune in the 80s. Even at 12 years old I thought the Bond link was tacky. At 10 I thought it was awesome. Sadly not many 10 year olds have the funds to purchase one of these.

[DonkeyApple]

Much more importantly, where is Jaguar's limited edition run of their Bond villain car from the new movie!!

[sealtt]

Sure to be at the top of your 10 year old's Christmas list this year!!

I really don't get why the connection to James Bond is in any way desirable to a grown man. Maybe a Lara Croft edition Mercedes S Class would be better.

[uberstealth]

I wouldn't drive an Aston because of the Bond association..

He's a bit too 'rapey' for me and all this licensed to kill in the name of the Empire is just too right wing. Even VW with its fascist history made a car for the people not the elitist.

Power to the people!!!!

[sidesauce]

uberstealth said:

He's a bit too 'rapey' for me

What does "rapey" even mean???

[Leins]

GTEYE said:

I guess its a sign of the times - but certainly Aston Martin would once not have sold out so cynically

It's really throwing down the gauntlett to AM's past (sic)

[soad]

£25,000 premium over the regular GT...worth it for the watch and a trolley case alone!

[Ali_T]

Armen said:

Sooooo stupid...
Already it was such a mistake to re-use the "Vanquish" name for the new model... or to have launched the Virage then quickly the DB9 MY2013.
The AM marketing team is definitely near 0.

They should call it the Aston Martin Viagra.

[unsprung]

Let's have double-oh-seven versions by Vauxhall and Ford Transit... representing Bond's life after he was made redundant by HM service.

"The name's Jim. Jim Bond," we hear with a bit of a Liverpool lilt. "Those crazy kids," he continues.

We see him rub fruitlessly back and forth on a bit of graffiti that somebody has scrawled on the side of the Transit van.

[Impasse]

But Bond never drove a DB9.

[generationx]

sealtt said:

Maybe a Lara Croft edition Mercedes S Class would be better.

Land Rover beat them to it...

http://www.defendericon.com/land-rover-defender-sa...

(No connection to this sale, just a handy link)

[jakesmith]

Impasse said:

But Bond never drove a DB9.

If you think an M5 is a 5 Series, Bond drove a DB9 in Casino Royale, the DBS version

[Marcodude]

They will sell. A marketing department's main goal is to help push an impression and ultimately, sales. It will work, so all good for them.

I quite like it and am surprised they never done it after Casino Royale

[Zod]

This is a bit sad.

[vtecyo]

Hopefully not the only one on here who thinks that this is naff beyond belief.