British spy James Bond can finally reduce his carbon footprint—something that’s no doubt been on his mind amid frequent car chases and romances in exotic locations.
At the Shanghai Auto Show this week, British luxury sport car brand Aston Martin, makers of the DB5 sports car that Bond has driven in many a film, unveiled their first all-electric model. The company has said on social media only 155 of its Rapide E cars will be made. A sales representative for the China region said the model will cost 250,000 pounds ($326,000), and was expected to be used in the next Bond movie.
In March, the Sun cited “an insider” to report that director Cary Joji Fukunaga was environmentally conscious and wanted to put the British spy, played by actor Daniel Craig, in the upcoming Aston Martin electric model. The movie is supposed to begin filming this month and release a year from now, the tabloid said.
Will an electric car cramp his style? Probably not. Bond rarely appears to go for long drives, so the Rapid E should have more than enough range for him. When it comes to speed, Aston Martin says it hasn’t compromised performance compared with the Rapide AMR model on which it’s based. The car can go from 0-60 mph in under 4 seconds and has a maximum speed of 155 mph.
For comparison the iconic 1960s DB5 model that Bond, played by Sean Connery, drove in Goldfinger (1964), had a maximum speed of 143 mph. The DB5 made a reappearance in 2012 in Skyfall, starring Craig. In any case, given that many of the Bond movies’ high-tension chases take place in crowded cities, it’s unlikely the car often reaches its maximum speed.
The Aston Martin Rapid E is supposed to start delivering at the end of this year.
