Apart from a brief extramarital dalliance with a German blonde from Munich, James Bond has very much been loyal to his Brit beauty, the Aston Martin. It is a relationship that goes back 60 years, and the carmaker is celebrating that with the Aston Martin DB12 Goldfinger edition.
The wings from Gaydon first debuted in 1964’s Goldfinger, one of the most iconic Bond flicks. It adorned an Aston Martin DB5, a machine that the spy still pilots as his personal car in the movies.
To celebrate the diamond jubilee of that association between carmaker and movie franchise, the former sent a DB12 over to Q’s laboratory of gadgets for a special makeover.
Before getting onto the car, the answer is yes, it does have real gold in it. The drive mode dial, roller controls and gear selector are all plated in actual 18k gold. Even the carbon fibre bits have gold fibres weaved into them for a glistening sheen.
RELATED: Aston Martin DB12 lands in Malaysia – 680 hp “super tourer” from RM1.09m before duties
Q had to hold back on the modifications though, being limited to just the famous shade of Silver Birch, 21-inch multi-spoke wheels with a diamond finish, black brake calipers, gold side strakes and a little extra touch on the logo.
Inside, the leather sports seats were given a very British Prince of Wales check perforation pattern. Referencing a scene from the movie, the eight of hearts was embroidered into the sun visors.
RELATED: Aston Martin DB12 Volante debuts with design so sleek you can’t help but stare at it
Disappointingly, Q wasn’t allowed to fettle with the engine. Buyers will just have to make do with the 671 hp and 800 Nm of torque from the 4.0-litre V8. Machine guns that pop out from the headlights aren’t an option.
Only 60 units of the DB12 Goldfinger will be built and buyers will get a custom car cover, presentation box for the key and a bottle of 2007 Bollinger with exclusive glasses. Shame though, they should have included a cocktail mixer for fans to shake up Bond’s favourite tipple… a Vesper martini.
