IO Interactive just dropped the first trailer for 007 First Light, and for once, a game developer seems to understand what makes Bond’s rides special. After 14 years of gaming silence following 2012’s 007 Legends—a disaster that made Cyberpunk 2077’s launch look smooth—the yellow Aston Martin DBS tearing through those chase sequences isn’t just nostalgic eye candy. It’s the centerpiece of what could finally be gaming’s first legitimate automotive Bond experience that doesn’t treat cars like disposable Instagram props.
The DBS choice reveals serious automotive homework. This isn’t some committee-designed modern crossover meant to appease corporate sponsors or satisfy Tesla fanboys. The late-1960s DBS represents Aston Martin at its mechanical purest—before stability control, before marketing departments decided what constituted “performance,” and definitely before anyone thought putting a touchscreen in place of analog gauges was progress.
The Aston Martin DBX S takes a more contemporary approach, blending Aston Martin’s performance roots with the capability needed for today’s unpredictable high-speed pursuits, setting it apart from traditional luxury SUVs.
You’re looking at hand-built British engineering excellence: a 4.0-liter straight-six that produced 282 horsepower when manufacturers had to work for their power figures. More importantly, this was the car that weighed 3,239 pounds—roughly what a modern Miata tips the scales at, except with enough torque to make your passengers question their life choices.
The DBS wasn’t just fast; it was properly fast. Zero to sixty in 6.1 seconds might sound quaint compared to your neighbor’s Model 3 Performance, but this achieved that without battery packs, launch modes, or computer assistance. Just aluminum bodywork, a mechanical limited-slip differential, and the kind of steering feedback that modern cars simulate through haptic motors.
What separates this from typical game-movie cash grabs is IO Interactive’s obsessive attention to authenticity. These developers made the Hitman series feel tactile and weighty when competitors were churning out mindless button-mashers. If they apply that same mechanical precision to vehicle dynamics, you might experience what made the DBS legendary instead of just watching it look pretty in cutscenes.
The trailer suggests they consulted people who understand the difference between spectacle and substance. Those chase sequences showcase actual driving technique—weight transfer through corners, proper racing lines, brake modulation under pressure. Details that separate real car drivers and enthusiasts from casual observers.
For context, this marks the first serious Bond gaming effort since 007 Legends flopped harder than NFT investments. That catastrophe proved you can’t just slap the Bond name on generic action sequences and expect automotive enthusiasts to care about your product.
007 First Light launches in 2026 as part of IO Interactive’s planned trilogy. If they nail the automotive experience here—capturing the visceral connection between driver and machine that made the original DBS special—they’ll prove that interactive media can honor legendary cars better than Hollywood’s CGI-heavy approach.
The real test isn’t whether the DBS looks Instagram-ready on screen. It’s whether driving it feels like commanding 300 horsepower of hand-built British excellence or just another digital placeholder with generic engine sounds.
