Next Up: 2008 Aston Martin DBS

Good news for Bond — and Bondmobile — fans: The list doesn’t end.

Next up is Casino Royale, which hits theaters on Nov. 17. It will be number 21 of the officially sanctioned films and number 23 of all Bond big-screen adaptations. Daniel Craig, the new 007, is poised to bring an edgier, rougher side to the British spy’s polished persona.

Fittingly, his ride, the new DBS, should prove a good match for the rough and ready actor. “Daniel Craig brings a sort of masculine quality to the role,” says Aston Martin design director Marek Reichman. “The new DBS has the same feel — it’s a muscle-bound man in a fitted tuxedo.”

The 2008 DBS is based on the DB9, but with higher performance and handling capabilities. Aston Martin execs describe it as a thinly veiled race car adapted for the street. It looks like a DB9 on steroids, with added scoops, strakes and bulging fenders. Technical details hadn’t been released as of publication time.

The DBS' glovebox has a cutout for Bond's Walther pistol.

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A version of the car on display at a recent Aston Martin event was decked out with special spy gadgets expected of a Bond car; for instance, the glove box had a cutout for a pistol (probably a Walther PPK in typical Bond fashion) and various special buttons and switches sprinkled throughout the central control panel. We’ll have to wait until the movie is released to find out exactly what those gadgets are. The production version of the DBS should come out in late 2007.

The new DBS’ otherworldly stability posed some problems for the Casino Royale stunt team, according to an insider who writes about it on a blog at the movie’s official website. The DBS was supposed to hit a ramp, get airborne and do several rolls in midair. But the car’s low center of gravity thwarted the team’s efforts.

To solve the problem, an air cannon was devised by the special-effects team and mounted behind the driver’s seat. When triggered, a cylinder struck the ground and caused the intended effect so well that the DBS broke a Guinness world record by rolling seven times in the air before crashing to a halt. We can’t wait to see it on the big screen.