In No Time To Die, Daniel Craig’s Bond pulls the cover from his Aston Martin V8 Vantage, the same model Timothy Dalton’s Bond drove in The Living Daylights in 1987. The Aston Martin V8 Vantage seen in No Time To Die is a heavy, front-engined grand tourer from another era, and an argument for the older way of driving.
In the film
Bond removes the cover from the V8 in his garage, then drives it in London and in Norway, including over the Storseisundet bridge. Sources differ on which series the screen cars were, so we do not name one. It is the same model Dalton’s Bond drove in The Living Daylights, where it carried Kara and her cello out of Bratislava. The full No Time To Die page covers the other cars.
The details of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage
A supercar of its day. Aston Martin announced the V8 Vantage on 18 February 1977 and quotes 0-60mph in 5.2 seconds and a top speed approaching 170mph for the saloon. It describes the car as the UK’s first true supercar and the fastest four-seat production car in the world.
The engine. A 5,340cc DOHC V8 producing a quoted 380bhp at 6,000rpm, with a ZF five-speed manual gearbox as standard. A three-speed automatic was also available.
Aerodynamics added for the power. To cope with the extra output, Aston Martin added a tail spoiler and a deep spoiler under the nose. Most cars also had a blanked-off radiator, and all had a blanked-off bonnet air scoop.
Size. The car is 4,745mm long, 1,944mm wide and 1,320mm tall, and weighs about 1,990kg. It is a big car.
Saloon or Volante. The V8 Vantage was built as a saloon and as a Volante, which Aston Martin gives a slightly lower top speed of 160mph.
Owning it now
This is not a car for a man who wants a Bond car as costume. It is for one who wants a big front-engined V8 and the effort that comes with it. We would choose a manual over an automatic, since the ZF five-speed was the standard gearbox, and we would favour the later 580 X Pack cars with 16-inch Ronal wheels, which Aston Martin singles out as the most sought after.
The model is long out of production, so there is no new one to buy, and the button searches eBay, where classic Aston Martins are listed through eBay Motors. Buy on history, not on the film connection: a documented service record and a specialist inspection matter more than any provenance.
Specifications
| Model | Aston Martin V8 Vantage (announced 18 February 1977; flagship until 1989) |
|---|---|
| Engine | DOHC V8, 5,340cc, 380bhp at 6,000rpm |
| Transmission | ZF five-speed manual or three-speed automatic |
| Dimensions | 4,745 x 1,944 x 1,320mm |
| Weight | 1,990kg |
| Performance | 0-60mph in 5.2 seconds; top speed 170mph (saloon), 160mph (Volante) |
| Brakes | Girling, ventilated discs front and rear |
| RRP | Not applicable: out of production, available second-hand only |
Aston Martin’s own history of the car is on its V8 Vantage past models page. The figures above are the maker’s for the standard Vantage, not for any specific film car.
Questions
Which Aston Martin does Bond drive in No Time To Die?
Bond drives a V8 Vantage, the same model as Timothy Dalton’s car in The Living Daylights. The DB5 and other Aston Martins also appear in the film.
Can you buy the V8 Vantage from No Time To Die?
Not new. The model is out of production and the screen cars were individual vehicles. Similar V8 Vantages can be found second-hand, and each should be judged on its own history.
How fast is the original Aston Martin V8 Vantage?
Aston Martin quotes 0-60mph in 5.2 seconds and a top speed of about 170mph for the saloon. The Volante is quoted at 160mph.
When did the V8 Vantage first appear in a Bond film?
In The Living Daylights (1987), driven by Timothy Dalton’s Bond. It returned in No Time To Die (2021) with Daniel Craig.
For more cars from Bond’s world, start with our vehicles collection.
