Henrik Fisker, designer of the latest Aston Martin models, revealed in an interview with PistonHeads.com that the AMV8 Vantage will be driven by 007 in the next movie, Bond 21, due out in November 2005.

The car, which goes on sale in summer 2005, will replace the Aston Martin Vanquish as 007's preferred method of transport.

Fisker, Design Director at Aston Martin, said:
"I hope this time they won't cut it in half, that wasn't very nice."

Q's Not Going To Like This

Coincidentally, Fisker designed the Z8 for BMW back in 1999, which featured in "The World Is Not Enough".

Since leaving BMW and joining Aston Martin, Fisker has worked on the DB7 Zagato coupe and DB AR1 Roadster collaborative projects, as well as his own AMV8 Vantage and DB9 coupe and Volante.

The AMV8, previously known as "AM305", was officially launched at the 2003 North American International Auto Show held in Detroit on January 6th 2003.

The new model was reported by some parts of the media as a concept car, even as late as the Frankfurt motor show on September 3rd 2003, a week before the DB9 was unveiled.

Fisker explained,
"The AMV8 Vantage was not a concept car, it was sort of a preview. We couldn't afford to just do a concept car, we had to get it right."

Smaller than the current DB7 and Vanquish models, the AMV8 Vantage will become the "Porsche 911 rival" entry-level Aston Martin which will go into production in 2005 at the company's new factory in Gaydon, Warwickshire, UK.

The AMV8 is a traditional rear-wheel drive 2-seater with a front mid-mounted 4.3 litre V8 engine unique to Aston Martin.

The Vantage will also be the first production car to utilize Aston Martin's revolutionary VH Platform Strategy.

According to Aston Martin, the interior draws its influence from expensive sports watches and high-end home entertainment systems - a combination of anodized aluminum trim and custom-tailored leather that delivers a truly opulent interior.