See inside James Bond's custom Aston Martin DB10 from 'Spectre' (pictures)
We take a close-up look at the Aston Martin DB10 -- James Bond's new car from the upcoming movie "Spectre," one of only 10 cars of this model ever being made.
Say hello to the Aston Martin DB10. It is a truly stunning vehicle from one of the world's most iconic motoring brands, but this car is not for you.
The DB10 has been designed by Aston Martin exclusively for James Bond in the upcoming movie "Spectre." Only 10 DB10s have been produced and out of those, only one will actually be sold to a member of the public.
It will be auctioned off for charity some time in 2016, and while nobody could give an indication as to how much it's likely to sell for, I'm told it's expected to at least hit the £1m mark. (Over $1.5 million US dollars and over AU$2 million.)
That makes the DB10 an extremely rare car, so I was suitably excited to be given the opportunity to see it up close and be taken on a spin around the Millbrook testing ground in Bedford, England, driven by the stunt driver from the Bond films, Mark Higgins.
Click through to check out this unbelievable piece of automotive beauty.
The DB10 has been designed by Aston Martin Chief Creative Design Officer Marek Reichman, so it's no surprise that it's instantly recognisable as part of the Aston family.
Under its pretty hood, the DB10 is essentially a modified Vantage. It's been given a wider and longer wheelbase and its 4.7-litre V-8 engine will propel it to an impressive 190mph top speed, with a 0-60mph time of only 4.7 seconds. That's surely enough for even the most discerning of spies.
The large vents seen on the bonnets of many Aston Martin cars are gone, replaced instead with a subtle perforated effect.
Bond movie stunt driver Mark Higgins took me around the Millbrook test track in England in the DB10 and I can safely say that it's fast. Very fast. Even when Mark had it sliding sideways -- which was often.
Mr. Bond is of course a man of comfort as well as style, so it's no surprise that the interior is sumptuously decked out in real hand-stitched leather and carbon fibre.
Although it's a crying shame that this stunning piece of metal won't be available for more people to buy, Aston says this design is a good hint at what future production cars will look like. I for one am looking forward to the DB11.
The steering wheel is comfy to hold and easy to turn.
There's, of course, a rather sporty-looking speedometer on the dashboard.
Aston Martin weren't keen for me to personally take the wheel of their limited DB10s, so I instead got to grips with one of the automaker's other souped-up monsters, the V12 Vantage S.
As well as hitting a speed of 165mph on Millbrook's 1-mile straight, I sped this guy around the twisting bends of the hill-climb route. If this car is anything to go by, Bond is going to have a great time in the DB10.
Along with a wealth of gadgets I'm not allowed to tell you about -- it would spoil the surprise when you see the movie -- the DB10 will come equipped with its very own flamethrower. Something tells me this won't just be for melting the snow in Bond's driveway in winter.
Bond's relationship with Aston Martin began 50 years ago with the DB5, which debuted in "Goldfinger" in 1964. The DB10 is the sixth Aston to feature in a Bond film.
Even the headlights are beautiful on this thing.
Notice the clutch pedal on the left -- this car has a manual gearbox.
You'll find Aston Martin's logo all over the place.
Take a good look at this back end now as there's almost no chance you're ever going to be sat behind it in traffic.
The wing mirrors are angular and aggressive-looking.
The wheels are huge and wide, which helps grip the road. They were replaced a few times throughout my time with the car, largely because it kept being drifted around corners.
If you are the lucky person who ends up buying this car from auction, make sure you do your best not to scuff these gorgeous wheels on kerbs as you drive past.