Back when the press tour for the latest Bond film No Time to Die was running, a few publications were given the chance to either drive to take rides in the Aston Martin DB5 stunt car for the film. During those drives, many keen-eared journalists noticed that the engine in the DB5 stunt cars sound quite a bit different than the old-school DB5 engine. While neither Aston Martin nor the James Bond production team will officially spill the goods on what engine it is. However, we all know — it’s an E46 BMW M3 engine.
For stunt car duty, they couldn’t use real Aston Martin DB5s, or the film would go bankrupt. So they built custom-bodied DB5 replicas on tubular steel chassis and sourced new engines. Because the original DB5 used a straight-six, the stunt team wanted to use straight-sixes as well. According to some of the stunt crew, lead by former rally driver Mark Higgins, the engine is an older 3.0 liter naturally-aspirated straight-six from another brand making around 300 horsepower.
So what engine fits that description, can be easily found in either used cars or junked cars and be modified and beat on? There aren’t many engines that fit that entire description. In fact, I struggle to think of any other engines that fit that description. Especially when it makes the noise you hear in this video.
Listen closely and you’ll hear the metallic roar of an E46 BMW M3 during these glorious on-board shots of Higgins sliding the DB5 stunt car around a track. It’s Friday, the weekend is almost here and it’s time to unwind and enjoy this video, showing off an incredible car, driven by a superb driver, that sounds absolutely glorious. Few things make car enthusiasts smile like videos such as this one. Watch, listen and enjoy.
