back to article Skyfall makers 3D printed Bond's DB5

The makers of James Bond's latest outing, Skyfall, cut a couple corners in production and used modern 3D printing techniques to fake the decimation of a classic 1960s Aston Martin DB5. Skyfall DB5 model You wouldn't steal a car but now you can download one The movie studio contacted Augsberg-based 3D print firm Voxeljet to …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Sorry, "Sorry that handle is already taken" is already taken.
    Headmaster

    "to fake the decimation of a classic 1960s Aston Martin DB5."

    You mean they destroyed a tenth of the car?

    Bloody journos, etc. :-)

    1. tirk
      Coat

      re: Decimation

      Hang on - the article clearly says "replicas" plural, so perhaps they made enough so every tenth one was destroyed? Which of course would be more accurately "decimation" than destroying a tenth of a single...

      OK, I'll get my coat.

    2. LoopyChew

      Actually, if you're going by the original definition of "decimation," it means Roman commanders got nine tenths of a car to destroy the remaining tenth.

    3. ukgnome
      Headmaster

      Decimation in modern parlance no longer means 1 tenth, is often used to refer to an extreme reduction.

      I don't agree with it, but then again there are whole sections of the OED that I have a problem with.

      1. Sorry, "Sorry that handle is already taken" is already taken.

        "Decimation in modern parlance no longer means 1 tenth, is often used to refer to an extreme reduction."

        That's as maybe, but it's still wrong. Like people who type "lightening" when they mean "lightning".......

        Oh, so you just saw a "make less heavy" strike, did you?

        The pedant in me (becoming more evident as I age) finds it nigh on impossible to ignore such stupidity and forces me to correct them. This often illicits the reply "But my spellchecker didn't pick it up!", the results of which I'll not go into but, suffice it to say, they are not pleasant. :-D

        1. The Baron
          Happy

          Glass houses

          This often illicits the reply

          I'm sorry, it often "not legally permitted or authorised"s the reply, does it? I'm curious to see what sort of response that elicits.

          Sorry - couldn't resist!

          1. Dr. Mouse
            Thumb Up

            Re: Glass houses

            'I'm sorry, it often "not legally permitted or authorised"s the reply, does it?'

            Love it! Take note: when being pedantic, insure* you have made no mistakes yourself.

            * Left in place for my own amusement, as it is sure to illicit* a reaction or two.

          2. Sorry, "Sorry that handle is already taken" is already taken.
            Facepalm

            Re: Glass houses

            D'oh!! Hoist by my own petard. :-D

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        > Decimation in modern parlance no longer means 1 tenth, is often used to refer to an extreme reduction.

        You're new here aren't you?

        :D

        1. ijustwantaneasylife
          Coat

          Naff 'of'

          OK, I'll bite too!

          Why do people still insist on removing 'of' from phrases? As in...

          "The makers of James Bond's latest outing, Skyfall, cut a couple corners in production..."

          Surely that should be "... cut a couple OF corners..."

          Or are you just cutting corners?

  2. Anonymous Custard
    Boffin

    As impressive as 3D printing has become, Skyfall had a budget of $200m and we don't even get to see a real car explode. Cheapskates.

    No matter what the budget, touching a real DB5 would be sacriledge.

    1. Evil Auditor Silver badge

      It's just a piece of metal, wood and leather. The problem is more that no one is going to provide a real DB5 to be destroyed.

      1. Graham Dawson Silver badge
        Coat

        And the mona lisa is just paint on a lump of wood.

        It's art, you... you philistine!

        Nah I'm kiddin, you're great, really.

      2. James Hughes 1

        @Evil Auditor

        You are just a piece of flesh and bones. And worth less than the DB5, as you are so common.

        Funny old world.

    2. Ralph B
      Mushroom

      Sacriledge, maybe ...

      Even with a budget of $200m, they'd probably think twice about spending close to $500k destroying the real thing.

    3. AdamT

      Exactly! It was bad enough watching the Top Gear JB Cars special where we got to see the the film crew "touching up" the Audis and Land Rovers with a sledge hammer to get "damage continuity". (plus the car park full of the totally trashed ones).

  3. blcollier
    Thumb Up

    Shut up and take my money

    If it was good enough to use as a stand-in for the real thing then I want one.

    Incidentally, I'm not sure where I heard/read this, but I remember hearing that they wanted to trash a proper DB5 in Casino Royale but Aston Martin wouldn't let them because they're too rare. Hence why they used a more modern DB9 (or DB9 variant) in the scene where Bond+car do a few cartwheels...

    1. AdamT

      Re: Shut up and take my money

      suspect they also wouldn't have been able to go for the world roll record in the older car. At least, not with a stuntman actually inside at the time ...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Shut up and take my money

      That does make some sense. The car in Casino Royale was a mix of a DB9 and a DBR9 but is called the DBS, not a DB5... but really looks quite similar written down. I wonder if it was an homage to the DB5?

      1. blcollier

        Re: Shut up and take my money

        Pretty sure that a DB5 is used in the film, and Bond does drive it, although it's not the car used in the chase scene.

        1. Sorry, "Sorry that handle is already taken" is already taken.

          Re: Shut up and take my money

          In Casino Royale, bond wins a DB5 from a swarthy fellow in a card game when he's in the Caribbean and uses it to pull the guy's wife. She inadvertantly betrays her hubbie and is subsequently murdered.

          The "DBS" they rolled was a modified DB9, according to IMDB:

          http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381061/trivia?tab=tr&item=tr1539520

          1. Sorry, "Sorry that handle is already taken" is already taken.

            Re: Shut up and take my money

            *Bond.... Before someone else pick me up on it.

            I try not to cock up more than once in a day..... but often fail. :-D

          2. Steven Raith

            Re: Shut up and take my money

            Rumour has it they tried to roll the dressed-as-a-DBS-DB9s but they were too damned stable; trying to flick them off a small ramp just wasn't cutting it and would just induce a spin or a small yump.

            In the end they had to use an air cannon under the chassis to launch the car, and they accidentally got the 'most rolls in a film' record as a result.

            Steven R

  4. Vulch
    Coat

    Mind you...

    I'm currently thinking where I'd put a one third scale Bond DB5 model.

    And also that I couldn't afford it even if I had the space...

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Can we get someone to re-shoot the opening scenes of The Italian Job with printed replicas, please? Then I'll be able to watch that bit without a pillow over my face to block out the horror.

  6. John Latham

    Fag-packet calculation

    Apparently "The equipment costs $2.3 million with an annual operation cost, including depreciation, of $1.44 million". Based on 24x365 continuous operation, that's $164/hr.

    Based on claimed speed of 75s per 300µm layer, I make that 69 hours to complete a full 1m-deep build, at the cost of $11-12k + markup.

    You wouldn't want to balls up the 3D model.

    1. James Hughes 1

      Re: Fag-packet calculation

      Actually, that seems pretty cheap. Even with markup. Certainly nothing compared to the 200M cost of the film.

    2. Annihilator
      Coat

      Re: Fag-packet calculation

      Airfix will flog you one for a tenner, some assembly required. 1:32 scale though...

      I suspect they get the 3D model from Aston Martin though.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Oh man...

    How hot am I now for a 1:3 scale DB5 RC model with FPV...

    1. gizmo23

      Re: Oh man...

      http://www.jamesbondlifestyle.com/product/aston-martin-db5-18th-scale

      OK, so not 1:3 scale but close

  8. John Dawson
    Happy

    Cinema pricing can be OK

    Saw the movie last night at my local Picturehouse in Cambridge with digital projector and a THX certified sound system. Very impressive and my partner, who is not a big JB fan,really enjoyed it too.

    With membership and Orange Wednesdays concession it cost less than 7 GBP for two tickets. Yay!

    John Dawson

This topic is closed for new posts.