"Goldfinger" - a very special mission

However, an historic sports transmission on behalf of Aston Martin Lagonda - for the exclusive, authentic reproduction of the film’s famous car was definitely special: All 280 individual parts were made according to the original design but manufactured using the latest technology. For example, the gearshift tower was manufactured using 3D printing techniques - at the ZF plant in Pilsen. As a special ‘movie gadget’, the shift lever was modified: A two millimeter bore was drilled through the shift lever to accommodate a cable and the shift knob features a flap that lifts to reveal a push-button – a simulated ejector seat - for that real James Bond feeling.

Installed in countless super-sports cars of its time, ZF's S5-325 was and is still, very popular among sports drivers. Since all five forward gears are lock-synchronized, even inexperienced drivers without dual clutches can perform a fast, safe, and silent gear change when shifting up. Up to 400 newton meters of permissible torque can be achieved depending on the ratio.

In the original "Goldfinger" novel, James Bond drives an Aston Martin DB 2/4 Mark III. However, as the film was made half a decade later, the model current at the time of filming was used – this was the DB5. The association with the film made the brand and the model known worldwide. Nevertheless, the DB5 was built for only two years, from 1963 to 1965. While the first version with 286 PS offered the five-speed transmission as an option, it was offered as standard in the Vantage, with 330 PS. The S5-325 proved itself in such a way that Aston Martin engineers relied on it for the model’s successor, the DB6. In the later DBS models, a S5-24/2 brought power to the road followed by ZF's S5-24/3 in the Vantage, Volante V8 and Virage models.

The ZF Tradition team will certainly remember this project and the Bond film for a very long time as common wear parts of the S5-325, as well as transmission overhauls and repairs are offered for this transmission and also for other makes and models where the transmission is installed. Other parts can also be reproduced on request – as part of a secret mission, of course...