2011 Aston Martin V8 Vantage S Roadster White Over Blue 1 Owner 6121 Miles! on 2040-cars

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James Bond's ‘GoldenEye’ Aston Martin DB5 sells for $2.6 million

Last month, we wrote about the "GoldenEye" Aston Martin DB5 coming up for auction at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and reported that it was estimated to bring in $1.6 million to $2.14 million. The Aston did a lot better, as it ended up selling for a comfortable $2.6 million. The cinematic Aston's buyer turned out to be the newly founded NYC spy museum Spyscape, which is already displaying the DB5 deal on its website. As a matter of fact, Spyscape will even be offering rides in the DB5 — not a lot of people have ridden in any DB5, let alone one that has been driven by James Bond. As Hemmings notes, the DB5 in question was found for filming by Aston Martin itself along with a couple other examples. After filming wrapped up, it was restored — reportedly to address damage accumulated during the shoot — and put on a promotional tour. Stirling Moss himself drove the car onstage at the Los Angeles Auto Show, when the spiritual successor for the DB5, the DB7, was presented. It's worth noting that the car sold in 2001 for $200,000, and that it was the most expensive piece of Bond-related stuff sold at the time. Last weekend's auction price puts a zero at the end of that price, and then some. Meanwhile, if you can't afford a $2.6 million James Bond car, how about the just-out Lego kit costing $149.99? Related Video: TV/Movies Aston Martin Auctions Luxury Classics aston martin db5 db5

2013 Quail Motorsports Gathering wows with modern masterpieces

Pebble Beach is an outstanding event if you're interested in pre-war classics, but outside of the parking lots, it's a bit light on more modern stuff. The Quail, now in its eleventh year, leans far more towards the present day, and has become one of the must-attend events of the Monterey car week.
Like Pebble, though, it's a highly exclusive affair, with triple-digit ticket prices that usually sell out at the same rate as a Justin Bieber concert. If you're one of the lucky few to hold a pass, though, you'll be rubbing elbows with a who's who of the auto world. One of the highlights of this year's event was the appearance of one Michael Schumacher, who showed up alongside one of his Formula 1 cars. A retrospective was also held on Lamborghini's 50 years of production, as well as another celebration of Aston Martin's centennial. There was also a tribute to the late Martin Swig, one of the co-founders of the California Mille, who passed away last year.
The cars, not surprisingly, were epic. Lamborghini, Pagani, Spyker, Rolls-Royce, BMW, McLaren, Bugatti and Galpin Ford all showed new models to the public for the first time, while there were also appearances by Jim Glickenhaus and his Ferrari P4/5 and P4/5 Competizione, marking the first time the coach-built masterpiece and its racing offspring were shown together. Finally, the Petersen Museum showed off its wears, including the late Steve McQueen's gorgeous Jaguar XK-SS.

California Aston Martin dealer adds pastel colors to model range

In certain areas of Southern California, daily sightings of late-model Aston Martins and Lamborghinis are nothing out of the ordinary. So, what do you do if you desperately want everyone to notice your sweet ride? The answer, one prominent Aston Martin dealer believes, is pastel paint. Aston Martin of Newport Beach is located in the heart of one of California's most car-rich (and actually rich) areas. The cool car-per-capita ratio is high enough to have spawned the original Cars & Coffee in the area's Crystal Cove shopping center in 2006, so you can imagine what an Aston owner must do to stand out. As such, the dealer has painted five models in five different hues of bright color, each a unique one of one example. For the paupers, there's the Vantage Coupe finished in a metallic light purple called Ultra Violet for $195,680. Next comes a Vantage droptop in an even lighter purple called Cardamum [sic] Violet for $203,880. Seemingly created specifically for a social media influencer or D-list celebrity is the $239,836 DBX crossover in an Easter egg pink called Vibrant Coral. For our money-no-object choice, it has to be the DB11 V8 Coupe in Butterfly Teal ($271,059). Topping the range is a baby blue DB11 Volante in Clear Water ($290,192). Each comes in an Obsidian and Ivory leather interior, with custom-painted trim to match the exterior. Of course, these come with a price, and the cost of these inlays ranges from $3,649 for the DB11 Coupe's to $8,300 for the DBX's. Most of them are between $5,000 and $6,000, which is a ridiculous amount for a handful of interior trim. On the other hand, the exterior paint is a $10,600 on all models except for the DBX, where it stickers at $12,000, which isn't bad for a high-end custom paint job. Each of the colors was inspired by the California coast, according to Aston Martin Newport Beach general manager Jeff West. "The pair of teal and blue DB11s are inspired by the clear Southern California skies and cool pacific waters of Crystal Cove; the purple and violet shades on the Vantages reflect the hillside wildflower blooms, and the vibrant coral DBX draws from the warm tones present in the cliffs above the ocean during our one-of-a-kind sunsets." While the colors may seem extreme, they do have a more subdued and tasteful quality than some of the custom purple or lime green wraps "designed" by social media influencers cruising around in L.A.