Photo : Jean Philippe BOYER (ACO/Nikon)

 

In 2006, when the British constructor returned to Le Mans, James Bond made his return to the movies in "Casino Royale" with a new actor in the lead role, Daniel Craig...at the wheel of a DBS. As a nod to this fortuitous coincidence, Aston Martin Racing decided to sport the double 0 (which as we all know corresponds to Ian Fleming's secret agent's license to kill) in its racing numbers at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with two consecutive class victories in 2007 and 2008 for the No. 009 DBR9. In 2009 and 2010, Aston Martin entered one of the most beautiful prototypes of recent years, based on a Lola chassis and powered by the engine of the DBR9, the sound of which is akin to the Matra V12 of the 1970s! After the 2011 AMR-One, the double 0 went away in Aston Martin's racing numbers following a two-digit standard, consecutive to the creation of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Since then, the official British GTs have been numbered from 95 to 99.

As far as the movies go, after Sean Connery's DB5 in "Goldfinger" (1964) and "Thunderball" (1965), George Lazenby's DBS in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969), Timothy Dalton's Vantage V8 cabriolet in 'The Living Daylights" (1987) and Pierce Brosnan's Vanquish in "Die Another Day" (the 20th James Bond released in 2002), Aston Martin accompanied Daniel Craig in "Casino Royale," "Quantum of Solace" and "Skyfall." For "Spectre," the next movie in the saga, which just began production, he will be at the wheel of the new DB10.

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SUNDAY JUNE 15 2014, RACE. As the world awaits the theatrical release of the film "Spectre," the legendary British marque will attempt to clinch the LM GTE Pro title in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans after its successes in the LM GTE Am class this year.