This is not so much...

This is not so much a spy shot as a spy car, after the dream machine maker confirmed it would once again be supplying movie secret agent James Bond"s motor for his next big-screen adventure.

The company is developing what it describes as "a new model called the Aston Martin DBS". Based on the entry-level V8 Vantage, the two-door supercoupé is expected to spawn the hot roadgoing special edition revealed by Auto Express back in issue 887.

Just like Bond himself, the manufacturer is keeping official details top secret - it has only released one black and white design sketch of the new model. While it"s hard to glean much from this image, the DBS will have many bespoke body panels, as well as unique wheels.

One man who knows exactly what to expect is the latest actor to take on the James Bond role, Daniel Craig. He visited Aston Martin"s headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, recently and went for a spin in his new machine. After his drive, Craig met company chairman and CEO Dr Ulrich Bez, who said: "We have built him something special to enable him to do his job in style."

In showrooms, the DBS is tipped to be positioned between the V8 Vantage and the four-seater DB9 in the Aston line-up. Customers will be able to take delivery next year, and can look forward to breathtaking performance and a driver-focused suspension set-up. The DBS is likely to have a lightweight construction, and its 4.3-litre V8 engine will produce around 420bhp.

The film car will star in Casino Royale - due to arrive in UK cinemas in November - and follows in the tracks of the Vanquish which featured in Die Another Day in 2002. Aston"s first Bond car was the DB5; Sean Connery drove it as 007 in 1964"s Goldfinger movie.