LICENCE TO THRILL
Style and power of Aston Martin Vantage will leave you shaken.. and always stirred up for another drive
Maggie Barry
‘We’ve been expecting you, Mr Bond.’
The words rang out across the deserted hangar as the Violet Lady – nicknamed the Violent Lady – strode towards her adversary.
James quivered and stood still, very still.
In front of them was the car Bond lusted after – an Aston Martin Vantage in his own colours – and Violent had possession of.
He thought the Aston was his – she knew it was hers.
“I’m glad you came, Mr Bond,” she said.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he intoned with a smirk.
“Just you and me this time – no devices,” she added. “This time I’m doing the shaking and stirring,” she told him. “And you’re in the passenger seat.”
With that, she took the f latbottomed steering wheel, thrust the car into drive and, as James fell back against his luxurious sports seat, she put her foot down and the car thunderballed off from 0- 62 in just 3.5 seconds.
“Well, you’ve certainly got me in your grip now, Violent,” murmured Bond, as the needle of the speedometer steadily rose.
The Aston Martin Vantage has a 4.0-litre V8 turbo-charged engine with 503bhp and a top speed of 195mph.
The quad exhaust pipes sit below a lean fastback and a button on the steering wheel allows you to enhance their soundtrack.
“I’ve always been partial to a woman who knows how to manipulate her fast side,” Bond added, as the Aston slewed around corners and took the hairpins before opening out on the straight offering the best view of the amazing bodywork.
In Tactical specif ication, this motor has been designed to bring Bond cars to mind in a silver/grey colour with red design cues and carbon fibre accents on the roof, wing mirrors and air vents.
It is long and lean with cat- like headlamps so that it looks like James – always ready to pounce.
The interior in black and red leather hints at menace and threats but the centre console is a sophisticated and clean piece of high tech with dials and switches at your golden fingertips.
“My fingertips, not yours,” warned Violent as she moved the Bilstein dampers from sport to sport plus and track.
“Violent – is this coming to a perfect end?”
With a final drop of the gears, Violent guided the £133,000 machine into the pit lane and gazed at James.
“Do you think you could do better?” she asked audaciously.
“Just watch me,” he replied, getting out. “My trailer’s this way.”
Violent sighed. “You’re not really my type – too one dimensional and a bit of a lightweight. I think I’ll take the car instead.”
With a last burst of power, she gunned the engine and the last James saw of her was her black hair f lying in the wind as she drove off into the sunset.