James Bond to drive £1.5 million Aston Martin hybrid car in 'Bond 25'
Aston Martin will be debuting its new £1.5 million 'hypercar' in Bond 25, the imposing Valhalla, as one of three set to appear in the new chapter of the veteran spy series.
Boasting a twin-turbo V6 with a “high output”, along with a battery-electric motor, the hybrid is capable of speeds in excess of 200mph, and will do zero to 60mph in under three seconds. The term ‘hypercar’ is used in the motoring industry to describe only the highest-performing supercars.
There will also be a classic DB5 in the movie, which featured in Bond's jaunt to Scotland in Skyfall, and a V8, last seen in The Living Daylights, back in 1987.
Of the car's norse moniker, the British car manufacturer's CEO Andy Palmer said: “Aston Martin model names always attract a lot of attention. They do so because they invariably capture an emotion or tell a story.
“Norse mythology contains such powerful language and rich storytelling it felt only right that the AM-RB 003 (as it was formerly named) should follow the Valkyrie’s theme.”
The Valkyrie is Aston Martin's other recent addition to its fleet, the fastest street-legal car in the world, due to go into production later this year.
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The announcement of Bond's new rides came as the Prince of Wales visited the movie's set yesterday.
Prince Charles and Daniel Craig are said to have bonded over a classic silver DB5 at Pinewood Studios, where production has now shifted to following its stint in Jamaica.
Charles also met with producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, along with Bond 25 stars Naomie Harris and Ralph Fiennes.
“The cars are the interesting thing here. Much more interesting than me,” Charles quipped to reporters.
One photo showed a painting of Judi Dench’s M hanging on the wall.
He then asked a crew-member 'Has it been slightly delayed?', referring to the production schedule, to which he received the answer: “Slightly, yes.”
Production was thrown into disarray last month when Craig injured his ankle on set in Jamaica, necessitating a trip back to the US for minor surgery.
Scenes were actually being filmed as the Prince arrived, one in which Fiennes' M is giving Bond a disciplinary.
After he left the set, director Cary Fukunaga was heard to say: “Right, back to work. Not distracting at all!”
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Also starring Rami Malek as the movie's villain, the so-far untitled Bond 25 is set to land in April, 2020.
