James Bond will drive all-new Aston Martin DBS in Casino Royale

Aston Martin has announced that James Bond will drive one of their models in the next 007 film, Casino Royale, to be produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for Eon Productions.

Daniel Craig, who will play James Bond in the film, which is due to be released in November 2006 by MGM/Sony, visited the Aston Martin headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, on Friday to view the featured car. While there he met Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez, and members of the workforce and also took the opportunity to take a short test drive.

In the true tradition of Bond, full details of the car to be used in Casino Royale are being kept top secret but the company did confirm that it would be a new model called the Aston Martin DBS.

Dr Ulrich Bez said: "It is great news that Bond will drive an Aston Martin again and we have built him something special to enable him to do his job in style."

The association with the marque began in 1964 with the film Goldfinger when the DB5 was fitted with "optional extras" such as ejector seats and rockets. The last Bond film, Die Another Day, featured Aston Martin's flagship model, the Vanquish.