Aston Martin is celebrating 60 years of providing cars for James Bond with a new Goldfinger-themed special edition of the DB12.
The brand's association with 007 stretches back to the 1964 Goldfinger film, in which Sean Connery's Bond drives an Aston Martin DB5 fitted with gadgets including a smoke screen, pop-up rear bullet shield, ejector seat and a radar for tracking the film's eponymous villain.
Bond's original DB5 was modified by MI6's quartermaster, Q, who gives his name to Aston Martin's present-day customisation division, which is behind this latest special edition.
Limited to just 60 units, the 671bhp DB12 Goldfinger edition is painted in the same shade of Silver Birch as the film car – with matching wheels – and is obviously marked out from the standard car by its Q badging.
There's no smokescreen here and the leather Sports Plus seats are fixed firmly to the floor, but subtle nods to Bond's first company car abound.
The side strakes are finished in gold, for example, and the 'Prince of Wales' checked upholstery is modelled on one of the secret agent's trademark suits.
The buttons and switches on the centre console are 18k gold-plated too and there are gold strands woven into the fibres of the carbon trim elements. The gear selector has also been subtly restyled to pay tribute to the hero car's tracking device.
A more subtle Easter egg can be found inside the driver's sun visor, where an embroidered 'eight of hearts' motif references the famous Miami casino poker scene.
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