Aston Martin DB5 Junior is an affordable way to Aston Martin ownership
Make no mistake, the Aston Martin DB5 junior is not a toy. It is, in essence, an electric vehicle for kids we admit, but Aston Martin claims the DB5 Junior allows enough room for an adult and child to seat side-by-side, which is awesome if you're a filthy rich, dotting father. And with base prices starting at around $46,000, your rich kid will easily become the king of playgrounds.
The Aston Martin DB5 Junior is the result of a growing trend among premium carmakers like Bugatti with its Baby Bugatti II. And while both the DB5 Junior and Bugatti Baby II are working replicas of scaled-down original models, it's the level of authenticity involved in assembling each piece that makes the DB5 Junior highly desirable. "I'm thrilled to see this new, exquisite interpretation of what is, perhaps, our most iconic model to join the Aston Martin family," said Marek Reichman, Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer at Aston Martin.
For the price, you get a two-thirds scale replica of the iconic Aston Martin DB5 complete with a modest electric motor and battery pack. Aston Martin is only making 1059 examples of the DB5 Junior, and each model receives automatic membership to the Aston Martin Owners Club. For future provenance, each vehicle has three complete registers held by Aston's Gaydon and Newport Pagnell headquarters and by the Little Car Company, the same folks that built the Bugatti Baby II.
The DB5 Junior is pretty much like the original car. Working alongside the Little Car Company, Aston Martin utilized a reference 3D scan of the original DB5 to create the junior model. It has a working instrument cluster with updated gauges including a battery meter and motor temperature. It even has an authentic Smiths clock like the iconic DB5.
The steering wheel is an authentic two-thirds replica of the original. However, it now has a racing-style quick release lever for easier ingress and egress. The interior is wrapped in black leather and black carpets while the Silver Birch body color is standard. The vehicle sits on double-wishbone front and a live axle rear with lower trailing arm suspension like the actual car. It rolls on 10-inch wire wheels, and stopping power is courtesy of four-wheel ventilated disc brakes with regenerative functions.
The Aston Martin DB5 Junior has a single electric motor producing 6.7 horsepower. And since the vehicle sits on an aluminum honeycomb chassis with composite body panels, the whole shebang only weighs 595 pounds, which is enough to propel the car to a top speed of 30 mph. The removable battery pack is stashed under the hood and offers 10 to 20 miles of range.
This toy has three driving modes: Novice, Expert, and Race. There's also a Vantage model that offers more adrenaline by unleashing 13.4 horsepower via a hidden missile switch. The Vantage model also comes with a lightweight carbon-fiber body and a second battery pack for up to 40 miles of range. Production for the Aston Martin DB5 Junior starts next year, with first deliveries arriving in the next two years.