Bond's wheels to go under the hammer

Here's a possible solution: one of James Bond's original Aston Martin DB5s is to be sold at auction, and it's reportedly packed with all the anti-baddie devices that the suave British agent used to stop villainous types in their tracks.

Currently owned by Sir Anthony Bamford, chassis DB5/2008/R goes under the hammer for the first time in 35 years at the Smoky Mountain Car Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

The vehicle is described by the auction house as one of several used in the making of the films Goldfinger and Thunderball, although some sources suggest it may have been made afterwards for promotional purposes.

Be that as it may, the DB5 comes equipped with the special '007' pack, which includes -- among other devices -- front and rear extending hydraulic over-rider rams on bumpers, front-firing .30 calibre Browning machine guns (non-operable, unfortunately), a wheel mounted tyre slasher, retractable rear bullet proof screen, radio telephone, radar scanner in racing type wing mirror with tracking screen in the cockpit.

Of course, there's the mandatory passenger ejector seat with removable roof panel, oil slick ejector and triple spiked nail dispenser. Greenies may have issues with it, but the crook-foiling gizmos include a smoke screen device located next to rear exhaust. Another Bond favourite, revolving number plates, also come at no extra cost.

Informed sources say the car is likely to fetch in excess of $2 million (that's US dollars, by the way), so you may want to put your house on the market immediately.

It might not be a bad investment, as James Bond might be swapping his Aston for a -- sacrilege -- Toyota, according to recent media reports. The Japanese car-making giant is reportedly prepared to pay big bucks to have its products appear in future 007 flicks.