‘New' Aston Martin DB5s drive like originals, thanks to ZF

The 25 Goldfinger DB5 continuation cars being hand-built by craftsmen don't just look like the originals used in the 1965 movie, they drive exactly the same.

October 04, 2021 12:00 AM

ZF engineers 3D-printed some of the parts for the transmission, including the gearshift knob.

There's a new James Bond movie in theaters, and naturally that means there's fresh Aston Martin news — this time by way of German transmission supplier ZF.

The 25 Goldfinger DB5 continuation cars being hand-built by Aston Martin craftsmen — at an eye-popping $3.4 million each — don't just look like the originals used in the 1965 movie, they drive exactly the same.

Aston could have easily installed a modern five- or six-speed gearbox from Getrag or Tremec, but instead the company placed an order with ZF for 25 S5-325 transmissions, the same one used on the original DB5.

Aston Martin’s DB5 Goldfinger continuation model appears on the big screen.

ZF accepted the order, even though the gearbox has been out of production for decades.

ZF engineers 3D-printed some of the transmission's 280 individual parts, including the gearshift knob with a flap. It even has a button that simulates an ejector seat.

The DB5 makes an appearance in No Time To Die, Daniel Craig's last turn as 007.