09 Oct 08
Daniel Craig poses with DBS
With the release of Quantum of Solace in the cinemas next month, the arrival of an Aston Martin DBS was quite timely.
The DBS is James Bond's current ride of choice, the latest is a long line of Astons - including the DB5, the original 60s DBS, V8 Vantage Volante and the V12 Vanquish - the first of which appeared in Goldfinger in 1964. It's a fantastic machine: the magnificent-sounding V12 and menacing looks combine to create the perfect blend of style and substance.
In many ways, it's the perfect embodiment of the kind of car James Bond should drive. It's not a flashy, Eurotrashy Ferrari, driven by some last-chance trendy in Italian loafers and the latest gaudy Versace clothes: it's more understated, more Church's brogues and Savile Row suits.
But it's still a head-turner - and that's where the problem lies. James Bond is supposed to be a secret agent, a man who works under the radar to help keep our nation, our very way of life, safe from Ernst Stavro Blofeld and his ilk. It's a difficult thing to do in a DBS. People stop and look at you everywhere you go: other drivers smile, give the thumbs-up sign or nod their approval. Pedestrians stop dead in their tracks, nudging their mates and pointing, even taking pictures of it with their phones. Being a secret agent and having your picture taken by Joe Public on a regular basis strike me as being somewhat incompatible.
