2012 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster,wht/tan,msrp$162,740 on 2040-cars

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‘Goldfinger’ Aston Martin DB5 Lego kit has fully functioning gadgets

Just as we predicted, Lego's James Bond-themed Aston Martin model kit is of the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 from "Goldfinger." A car that also featured prominently in other Bond films including " Casino Royale," "Skyfall" and " GoldenEye," among others. ( The real "GoldenEye" movie car just sold for a cool $2.6 million.) And while at first blush, it seems that the Aston's effortless class didn't quite translate as well to brick form as boxier vehicles such as the VW Bus and the Mini Cooper, we can easily forgive it. Why? Because it has all of the gadgets from the movie, and they all work! Working from the nose of the car, the turn signals drop out of the way to reveal the machine gun barrels. These disappear at the pull of the shift lever in the interior. Also in the interior are the hideaway tracking computer in the dash and the door-mounted car phone. Of course the best feature inside is the ejector seat. Pull on the rear bumper, and the roof lifts off and other mechanical bits fling the seat through the opening. Behind the rear window, there's the bulletproof shield that can be raised into position. Finally, all four wheels can have the tire cutters fitted, and the license plates swivel for different numbers. And for car enthusiasts, Lego has made sure that the model is simply a nice and accurate replica of a DB5. The hood is hinged at the front, and underneath is a detailed model of the car's double-overhead cam straight-six. It's modeled down to the triple carburetors. The doors open, naturally, as does the trunk, which has quite a bit of space. The Lego kit goes on sale Aug. 1 for $149.99. It consists of 1,290 pieces, and the finished model measures out to about 13 inches in length. Related Video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Lego Kit View 41 Photos Image Credit: Lego Toys/Games TV/Movies Aston Martin Coupe Classics Lego aston martin db5

Aston Martin DB5 from ‘GoldenEye’ will be auctioned

Think of an Aston Martin DB5 in a Bond film, and you're likely to think of "Goldfinger" — the film and the car are forever linked in cinema history. But it's not the only Bond film with a DB5 chase, as the producers were eager to establish Pierce Brosnan as a credible Sean Connery equivalent, and put him in a DB5 on a mountain road in 1995's "GoldenEye." There was no white Mustang to chase in "GoldenEye," as Brosnan's Bond played with a red, reportedly rented Ferrari F355 driven by Famke Janssen. A few years after the film's premiere, in 2001, the DB5 was sold for $200,000. That doesn't sound fantastical for a Bond car, but at the time it was the most expensive piece of Bond memorabilia ever sold. At the end of the decade, the actual "Goldfinger" DB5 sold for roughly $4 million, which is unlikely to be topped by the "GoldenEye" car this summer. The car is not a barn-find or a lost cinema classic, either, as it has been on display in several museums such as the National Motor Museum in Britain. Bonhams will be auctioning this DB5 on July 13 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The car's estimated at $1.6 million to $2.14 million, which is still half or less than half of what the "Goldfinger" car brought in. Still, it's a silver Aston Martin with actual cinema history, and it's believably one of the reasons why restored classic Astons still get resprayed in Silver Birch. Related Video:

2017 Aston Marin Lagonda could live on Mercedes M-Class platform

A few weeks ago, we brought you news from the launch of the Aston Martin Vanquish Volante that the British brand, which is formally known as Aston Martin Lagonda, was still planning on going ahead with a Lagonda-badged crossover. Now comes word that that vehicle could very well be based on a Mercedes-Benz M-Class.
When the first Lagonda Concept debuted at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, it sat on a Mercedes-Benz GL-Class platform, some four years before Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG deal was inked. And with that partnership, which will see Aston Martin gain access to AMG electrics and "bespoke, V8 powertrains," the opportunities for platform sharing are many.
Dr. Ulrich Bez, the boss of Aston Martin, told the UK's AutoCar, "I look at what Porsche is doing with the 911 as its core business and then it is able to do models like the Cayenne based on the Volkswagen Touareg. It is good business." We've said many times that we'll tolerate exotic CUVs and SUVs if it means keeping the beloved core models alive, which has been the case with Porsche. We see no reason Aston Martin wouldn't be able to do the same.