Yes, I know, I’m not a kid anymore. Yes, I’m terrifyingly close to my 30s. And yes, THIS MINIATURE DRIVABLE REPLICA OF A JAMES BOND CAR MUST BE MINE. Some history and context. In 2020, the folks at the Little Car Company teamed up with Aston Martin and the 007 brand to create two children’s replicas of the spy’s cars: the DB5 Junior and the DB5 Vantage Junior. These were fine and all, but my soul was stirred by the special edition, which was revealed on Tuesday to celebrate James Bond’s upcoming movie. Even more alluringly, it’s also named after the movie: “No Time To Die.” Aside from being a Bond fan, why would I possibly need this car? Well, I have a handful of very valid reasons. First of all it’s a freaking piece of art. Imagine that it was created at a 66% scale of the original 1963 Aston Martin DB5, using a full 3D scan for reference. While it accurately replicates all the legendary elements of 007’s car (the Smiths instruments on the dashboard are my favorite), it still manages to offer a reimagined version that suits the modern era. But in tiny car form. This brings me to my second argument. Powered by a 16kWh electric motor, it’s an EV, which means that I can play James Bond while also being green as fuck. To add to this feeling, the marvelous replica has replaced the fuel gauge with a battery meter, and the oil temperature now monitors the motor temperature. But most importantly, the “No Time To Die” mini Aston Martin could help me escape my many, many enemies. And in style. Say I’m in a tight spot. I’m surrounded. That’s when I activate the guns. Okay, these aren’t real weapons that pop out of the headlights, but the noise and flashing will be useful in scaring away whichever of my devious nemeses are after me this week. Think that’s all? You’d be wrong. So very, very wrong. This eeny-weeny car has a digital and customizable numberplate, a smoke machine in the exhaust pipe, and something called “Skid Mode.” I’ll let you work that one out for yourself. But… can you actually drive the mini Aston Martin? And where? The Little Car Company says it’s suitable for any children over 14. So despite being in my 20s, technically I’m all good. The real question is where can I take this beast? The Little Car Company, unfortunately, told me the vehicle isn’t sold as road legal. It’s up to the owner to find a way to use it, something that depends on the country they live in. I live in the Netherlands, so I looked up the regulations over here. It’s no surprise that, based on its specifications, the DB5 Junior doesn’t qualify as a regular car. What I hoped though was the mini Aston Martin would count as a microcar. Known as “quadricycles,” you can find these lil’ vehicles clogging up roads and cycle lanes all over the country. Was I in luck? No. No I wasn’t. Quadricycles must meet a series of conditions to hit the roads, including:
Enclosed passenger compared from at least three sides Maximum speed of 90km/h Maximum electric motor power of 15kW
And sadly, while the James Bond minicar meets the first two requirements, it features a 16kW motor powered by four 1.8kWh batteries, so fails the last. It can’t even drive in the bike lanes. But with only 125 vehicles that will be built, and each priced at $123,000, I can’t really afford it. Looks like it’s time to sell some organs. Do EVs excite your electrons? Do ebikes get your wheels spinning? Do self-driving cars get you all charged up? Then you need the weekly SHIFT newsletter in your life. Click here to sign up.
