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Aston Martin Drops by Jay Leno's Garage to Show off DB5 Goldfinger Continuation

Let's be clear about this Aston Martin DB5. It's not a replica, it's not a kit car, it's the real thing built exactly as it was in 1965. It just rolled off the line and has all the James Bond film Goldfinger gadgets.
Jay Leno and the Aston Martin DB5 6 photos
Photo: Via Jay Leno's Garage
Jay Leno and the Aston Martin DB5Jay Leno and the Aston Martin DB5Jay Leno and the Aston Martin DB5Jay Leno and the Aston Martin DB5Jay Leno and the Aston Martin DB5
Perhaps most shocking is that almost all of the gadgets work with one exception: the ejector seat. The button is there, and the roof does indeed come off, though. This is special for just about every reason one could imagine.

Aston Martin actually commissioned 25 examples of this car, and everyone will be crafted just like the original car in 1964. That means the same tooling, the same materials, and sometimes the same suppliers.

Each car will cost around $3 million dollars. Why go to that length and pay that much? Jay says it better than any of us could..." you're driving a brand new 55-year old car... even when you get a restored one it's not the same".

Jay opines about how he saw the first film when he was just 12 years old. At that impressionable age, the DB5 made a big impact on him. He remembers seeing replicas with some gadgets, but of course, they weren't real.

This is the real deal from the company itself. Terence Jenkins from Aston Martin is on hand to tell the tale. He says that Aston has wanted to build cars closely associated with the films multiple times, but this DB5 is the first time they've been able to make it happen.

This thing is perfected down to the millimeter. Aston used modern CT-scanning technology to scan the original engine and then rebuild this new one to an even higher standard. The entire build takes over 4,500 hours.

Unlike other situations where driving a hero car can be underwhelming, this DB5 continuation delivers for Jay. "How cool is this," he says before he even gets in.

It's a perfect blend between nostalgia and modern comfort. We get around 20 minutes of Jay and Terence chatting about the car, the movie, and history. It's beautiful.
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