NO TIME TO DIE

No Time To Die was always billed as Daniel Craig’s swansong in the Bond role, but almost inevitably it also meant the crushing demise of another Aston Martin DB5 at the hands of the British government’s most uninsurable superspy.

But what a way to go – the opening sequence in Matera, southern Italy took four weeks, 10 DB5s (two real ones and eight stunt replicas) and 96,000 cans of Coke to film. Wait, what? Now this is a particularly fun fact – 32,000 litres of Coke costing nearly £55,000 were spilled on the streets of Matera to get enough grip for the DB5 to really go crazy. Although it was hopefully ordered wholesale and not in cans.

Three time British rally champion Mark Higgins was the principal stunt driver, and has worked on every Bond film since Quantum of Solace, providing the credibility that 007’s handbrake turns have craved.

Daniel Craig himself relished the opportunity to film an iconic Bond car chase, chatting to TopGear’s Chris Harris ahead of the film’s release: “The decision to use rail guns and the smoke and the oil – we have it all. We were like kids in a toy shop about the whole thing, it was the chance to make that DB5 sing.”

Craig’s French co-star Léa Seydoux agreed with him: “One of the best moments of the shoot was driving in the Aston Martin. I was with Mark and it was super fast. I was afraid, but it was very fun.”

Daniel Craig might be retiring from the role, but the final frame of the film promised that James Bond Will Return, so fingers crossed for another epic soon. And maybe 007 can be persuaded to go a little easier on the DB5.