Aston Martin V8

Starred in:

• The Living Daylights (1987, Timothy Dalton) — $83 million*

The then-new Bond, Timothy Dalton, gets to drive the latest Aston Martin, boringly named the V8, in all its gadget-packed glory. He treats viewers to many of its tricks in the film’s chase scenes, before employing the self-destruct feature.

Luckily, when Bond dispatches the car, he is with talented cellist Kara Milovy (played by Maryam d'Abo). They manage to get down a snowy hillside by using her cello case as a sled.

Aston Martin V8 with missile exposed

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Bond actually drives two Aston Martins in this film, but they are meant to be the same car. He starts out with a soft-top Volante, which Q later winterizes with a hardtop, according to the storyline.

This new Aston Martin seems big and brawny thanks to its large engine — a V8. The car has a chassis and body style introduced on the DBS (which stars in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service). But this reinterpreted version has a deeper, blacked-out grille that makes it feel more menacing and macho. It also has two headlights, instead of four.

Advances in engine technology helped evolve the look of the Aston Martin V8 series 5, which is the version showcased in this 1987 Bond film. Fuel injection replaced carburetion when the series 5 debuted in 1986. The new technology was more compact, freeing the car designers to make changes they could not before. Gone is the “power bulge” needed in the hood of previous models. The series 5 sports a flat “bonnet,” which is British-speak for “hood.”

Aston Martin V8

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The Gadgets:

• Lasers in the wheel hubs
• Ice-cutting device
• Missile launchers behind the headlights
• Self-inflating tires
• Retractable spikes in the tires for improved traction on slippery surfaces
• Retractable skis built into the sides for maneuvering the car on ice and snow
• Jet propulsion hidden behind the license plate
• Windshield that doubles as a display screen to track targets
• Police scanner radio
• Self-destruct capabilities

Did You Know …

• Because of his television series Remington Steele, Pierce Brosnan had to bow out of consideration for replacing Roger Moore as Bond. But he took over the role from Timothy Dalton two films later, starring in 1995’s GoldenEye.

• John Barry — who scores numerous Bond films, including this one — makes a cameo appearance as the orchestra conductor in Vienna.