The upcoming James Bond film “No Time to Die” has unfortunately been delayed, due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Which is a really bummer for all Bond fans. But it’s also a bummer for car enthusiasts, as the cars and car chase sequences in most Bond films are epic. In No Time to Die, the featured car in the action sequences is a classic Aston Martin DB5, which is replete with the same sort of classic Bond kit we’re all used to; machine guns, ejector seats, the works.
However, the car that was actually used to shoot those scenes obviously wasn’t a million-dollar classic DB5. Instead, it was a bespoke stunt car and it was/is powered by a BMW engine. In this new video from Carfection, we get to watch both host Henry Catchpole and James Bond Stunt driver Mark Higgins chuck the BMW-powered Aston Martin DB5 around a track and it’s glorious.
For stunt car-duty, the James Bond stunt team built three bespoke DB5 replicas on custom ladder frame chassis, with roll cages, Öhlins dampers and a BMW inline-six. Now, the Bond stunt team will not disclose which brand actually makes the engine. What they have said is that it’s a modern, naturally-aspirated inline-six from a relatively modern car. What brand is famous for making naturally-aspirated inline-six engines?
Listen to the engine in this video, which you can’t not hear because it’s deafening and even drowns out Catchpole’s mic, and you’ll instantly recognize the distinct, metallic howl of a BMW M I6. More specifically, it’s likely the 3.2 liter I6 from an E46 BMW M3, as the Bond team has said it makes a bit more than 300 hp.
Personally, I’m a massive fan of Aston Martin and find the brand to be one of the very most intoxicating brands of all. The real DB5 is also a genuine automotive legend, the sort of car I’d give up a testicle to own. However, on a race track with all day to play, it’d be that glorious stunt car that I’d want to drive more. Pierce Brosnan fought tooth and nail to get a free Aston Martin after shooting one of his Bond films. If I were Daniel Craig, I’d be asking for one of the stunt cars…
