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Q by Aston Martin Creates New 007 Limited Edition Sports Cars to Celebrate ‘No Time To Die’

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Aston Martin is celebrating the release of the 25th James Bond film, with two exclusive 007 special editions inspired by the cars featured in No Time to Die. This new collaboration between Aston Martin and EON Productions, the company that produces the James Bond films with Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios, delivers exciting new 007 editions of the Aston Martin Vantage and DBS Superleggera.

No Time To Die will be released around the world in November 2020 and will feature no fewer than four iconic Aston Martin sports cars: the iconic DB5; the classic Aston Martin V8; the brand’s latest super GT, DBS Superleggera; and the exceptional Aston Martin Valhalla – the company’s forthcoming mid-engined hypercar.

The two special editions that celebrate the release of No Time To Die, each of which is being offered in limited numbers to buyers around the world from today, have been carefully designed and crafted by the experts in Aston Martin’s bespoke division: Q by Aston Martin. Aspiring to offer the ultimate in bespoke personalisation services, Q by Aston Martin delivers both carefully curated special editions such as these, as well as the opportunity for individual owners to embark on the creation of utterly individual sports cars via the Q by Aston Martin – Commission service.

The first of the two models is the Vantage 007 Edition, inspired by the original Aston Martin V8 which made its 007 debut in The Living Daylights in 1987 and also features in No Time to Die. The movie sees James Bond uncover the car from his personal lock-up in London.

Building on the formidable sporting style and aggressive performance of the regular Vantage, the new car features unique exterior styling treatments led by a bespoke mesh grille with chrome bezel that references the look of the brand’s classic V8. Further styling details include a dashed yellow diffuser inspired by the hazard stripes on the film car’s rockets. The Vantage 007 Edition can even be delivered with a set of The Living Daylights inspired limited edition skis and ski rack – referencing the ‘winterised’ V8 saloon from the film.

The car will be delivered in authentic Cumberland Grey exterior paint colour, whilst the interior will be presented in obsidian black leather and dark chrome with 007 branding applied on the centre console of cars equipped with a manual gearbox. The sun visors of all the cars will carry another subtle film reference in the shape of an embroidered radio station frequency – 96.60 (FM) – which 007 buffs will know was the Russian police frequency Bond used to aid his escape in The Living Daylights.

The seats themselves feature unique heritage fluting reminiscent of that seen in the V8, along with carbon fibre seat backs and, in a particularly detailed nod to the 1980s film, the outline of cello ‘f holes’ inspired by the memorable cello chase scene featuring James Bond (Timothy Dalton) and Kara Milovy (Maryam D’Abo).

The driver can indulge themselves further with a laser-etched gadget plaque that references the various weapons and devices seen on the original film car. These included a rocket motor, missiles, lasers, a targeting display and ski outriggers. Cross hairs etched onto the car’s paddle shift gear levers allude to the missile guidance system seen in the film, too. Available as a manual or automatic, the Vantage 007 Edition also boasts a side strake Vantage badge and is limited to 100 units globally.

“Creating a 007 Edition is always an exciting challenge as we work to develop and style a car that embodies the legend of James Bond. It is an honour to apply the carefully-judged 007-inspired styling to our sports cars, which gives our customers the opportunity to own a unique piece of both cinematic and automotive history.”

Marek Reichman, Vice President & Chief Creative Officer, Aston Martin

To celebrate the James Bond debut of the range-topping Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, a second unique 007 Edition has been created.

Strictly limited to just 25 production cars available worldwide and featuring the same specification as the muscular DBS Superleggera featured in the upcoming film, the car has a suitably menacing road presence.

The 715bhp provided by the DBS Superleggera’s 5.2-litre V12 twin-turbocharged engine is befitting of the car’s range-topping status while its torque peak, at 900Nm, is not only substantial in its own right but, as things currently stand, the greatest torque figure for any roadgoing Aston Martin yet produced.

To this potent mix, the DBS Superleggera 007 Edition adds a raft of styling and design enhancements that further elevate its appeal. The car sports special Ceramic Grey exterior paint with the roof, mirror caps, splitter, diffuser and rear Aeroblade II featured in black tinted carbon fibre. Also unique to the 007 Edition are visually striking Gloss Black diamond-turned Y-Spoke 21” wheels. This special edition also features a 007 fender badge, finished in chrome with a black enamel infill and Stainless Steel Silver 007 foil applied to the rear spoiler blade.

Inside, the cockpit of this DBS Superleggera is a dark, brooding, leather-clad environment with flashes of red detailing the outline of the seats. Subtle 007 branding can be found on the door cards, armrest buckle badge and on the rear sub-woofer cover. The car is finished with a sill plaque that recognises it is one of just 25 DBS Superleggera 007 Editions. 

The DBS Superleggera 007 Edition with a recommended retail price from RRP £279,025 (RM1,530,763.75 before tax) and the Vantage 007 Edition with a recommended retail price from RRP £161,000 (RM883,264.81 before tax)are on sale separately now. First deliveries will begin in Q1 2021.

GALLERY: Q BY ASTON MARTIN CREATES NEW 007 LIMITED EDITION SPORTS CARS TO CELEBRATE ‘NO TIME TO DIE’

2020 PROTON Saga Anniversary Edition – Only 1,100 Units, RM39,300

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National automotive flagbearer PROTON has today marked the 35th birthday of their inaugural Saga, the model that started it all, with a commemorative limited edition version of its compact saloon. With a production run of just 1,100 units, the 35th anniversary model will surely be a hot commodity – especially since its RM39,300 price means it asks no more than the model upon which it’s based.

On that subject, there are no major mechanical or specification changes, aside from the aesthetics. So under the bonnet still lies a 1.3L VVT engine producing 95PS and 120Nm, sending power to the front wheels via a Hyundai 4AT transmission. There are still things like electronic stability control, electronic brake distribution with brake assist, anti-lock brakes, hill-hold assist, and two airbags, as well as the LED daytime running lights that came as part of the facelift last year. The interior specification remains the same too – touchscreen infotainment unit, a smarter-designed meter cluster, and plusher fabrics used for the headlining and seat upholstery.

Now, onto the special bits. The 35th anniversary Saga marries a unique black paintjob with yellow accents, namely on the upper grille, the rear bumper garnish, and the wing mirrors. Not to be overlooked are the alloys – while they’re the same 15-inch units as before, they’ve now been given a matte-grey finish with a high-gloss silver lip, making them stand out quite a bit (and no doubt giving current owners ideas).

Inside, the air-conditioning surrounds on either side are done in gloss black, while the vent sliders are finished in the same matching yellow hue. Not to end there, the same colour is applied to the meter cluster surrounds, as well as to the little ‘tray’ that sits beneath the ‘PROTON’ script in the centre stack.

Unfortunately however, the snazzy bodykit you see here (door visors, front lip & side skirts) are an option, along with some new items like a boot tray, bonnet NVH insulator (called ‘NVH Guard’), and boot NVH insulator (also called ‘NVH Guard’). For the time being, these items can be bundled together on the Anniversary Edition or any facelifted PROTON Saga for RM2,035 – which represents a major savings given that individually-optioned they’d come up to RM2,350.

PROTON also took the opportunity to announce that the new Saga Anniversary Edition will come fitted with an N95-grade cabin air filter, which will now be offered on all new PROTON cars and be available for retrofitment on existing models. Retailing at RM59, these N95 filters will come in very handy to filter out smoke particulates, certain bacteria, and other harmful elements in the air. And between now and the 9th of October 2020, the N95 filter retrofit will be offered at a promotional price of just under RM52.

The Saga is an important model for PROTON, being the entry-level model into the lineup. Of the cars that were introduced through the course of 2019, the Saga was given the most attention by DRB-Hicom & Geely in its refresh. The new PROTON team made major upgrades to the Saga’s refinement, poise, and even its driving characteristics, enhancing a car that has was always impressive at its core but disappointed in the details.

With a more refined finish than ever before, plus the added emphasis by PROTON to keep customers excited and engaged, we’ve no doubt that there are many, many chapters to go in the story of the PROTON Saga.

What’s your Saga story? Let us know in the comments below!

2020 MINI Countryan Blackheath Launched – RM253,888 To Appeal To The Inner Goth

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If you’ve ever had to hide your love of Minis due to their unashamedly loud & proud designs, you may be very excited to hear about this. MINI Malaysia has today announced that they will be making available just 48 units of the special Countryman Blackheath Edition which, as you guessed it, is inspired by the dark, brooding aesthetics of the Blackheath region of London.

In any case, the Blackheath is based on the Countryman Cooper S, and so it derives motivation from the same 2.0-litre TwinPower Turbo mill, which sends the 192hp and 280Nm it generates to the front wheels via an 8-speed auto ‘box. The century sprint is wrangled in just 7.5-seconds, despite maintaining a miserly fuel economy rating of just 6.6L/100km. That low consumption figure is helped in part by a new drivetrain decoupling system, which works only in Mid & Green modes, that allows the Mini Blackheath to coast without hindrance.

Thanks to EEV incentives, the Blackheath retails at just RM253,888 in West Malaysia, while East Malaysia will receive it for RM256,852.50. That is, apparently, RM17,571 less than it would be without the EEV incentives, which is… helpful?

As it’s a special edition (the first of its kind for the Countryman here in Malaysia), there are a variety of aesthetic tweaks that set it apart from the pack. So there’s black trim for the headlights & taillights, the grille, the door handles, the badges, and even the ‘Countryman’ script on the tail. Even the bonnet stripes have been given a dark hue, finished in matte silver.

Down the side, the Blackheath rolls on 19-inch Circuit Spoke alloys, and sports a John Cooper Works aerodynamic bodykit for extra aggression. Grr.

The interior packs black headliner and sports seats which are, surprise, upholstered in Carbon Black Cross Punch leather upholstery. There’s more piano black throughout the cabin, though the ambient lighting offers 12 adjustable colours, though we suspect that’s mostly because there isn’t any literal black lighting available.

In the middle of the dash sits the 8.8-inch infotainment display, which runs a 12-speaker, 360-watt Harman/Kardon audio system. Connectivity is catered for via Apple Carplay only, with no support for Android Auto (yet). There’s also voice input available, powered by Mini, or by Siri if you have your iPhone hooked up.

Safety-wise, the Countryman Blackheath offers no changes over the Countryman Cooper S, and so you get the usual array of stability & traction controls, dynamic brake lights, ABS, EBD, electronic diff lock, auto hold function, driver drowsiness warning, reversing camera, runflat tyre with tyre pressure monitoring, airbags front and side, as well as head airbags for the four outer occupants. And there’s ISOFIX, of course.

You also get with the Countryman Blackheath the 4G-connected MINI Connected system, which includes Intelligent Emergency Call (it calls the emergency services in an accident), as well as MINI TeleServices. You also get the latest versions of MINI Connected app, which offers Concierge, MINI Online, as well as the Carplay we mentioned earlier. With MINI Online, you can check things like the car’s location, the fuel level, and other status updates of the car on your phone, wherever you might be. You know, in case you miss your MINI.

The Countryman Blackheath is covered by the same 4-year/unlimited mileage warranty, with free scheduled servicing for 4-years, as well as 5-years roadside assist.

Now might be a good time to come to the dark side.