James Bond is known for his gadgets, sex appeal, shaken martinis and his cars... and one that has stuck in the public consciousness is the Aston Martin DB5.

Now, a few ardent fans of the fictional British secret agent are waiting expectantly for special versions of that model to roar into their garages later this year, after paying an eye-watering $4 million for the iconic vehicle.

The hefty price tag comes with another catch; the owners, unfortunately, won't have the license to drive – the car won't be allowed on the road.

Ian Fleming's hero, codenamed 007, had cutting-edge technology at his fingertips and so will the 25 customers who placed orders for the car.

The DB5 is going to be bristling with special features such as revolving number plates, bulletproof shields, oil-slick sprayers, a smoke screen and even replica machine guns and an ejection seat, which thankfully is disabled.

The gizmos can be controlled from inside the car or through remote control.

Aston Martin is working with EON Productions to build the limited series at its factory in Newport Pagnell, UK. 

Unveiled at the Earls Court Motor Show in London in 1963, the DB5 was an improved version of the DB4 after the inclusion of a four-liter straight six engine with three SU carburettors that ramped up power by 42bhp.

The DB5's meteoric rise to fame can be traced back to the 1964 movie Goldfinger when actor Sean Connery took control of the car's steering wheel for the first time. 

Laden with gadgets and armaments installed by Q Branch, Bond's Aston Martin became an instant hit with moviegoers.

Since then, the DB5 has featured in a further six James Bond movies: Thunderball (1965), again with Connery; GoldenEye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) with Pierce Brosnan and three appearances alongside Daniel Craig in Casino Royale (2006), Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015).

Outgoing CEO (CEO) of Aston Martin, Andy Palmer said: "The connection between Aston Martin and James Bond is something of which we are very proud and it is remarkable that the DB5 remains the definitive James Bond car after so many years.

"To own an Aston Martin has long been an aspiration for James Bond fans, but to own a Silver Birch DB5, complete with gadgets and built to the highest standards in the very same factory as the original James Bond cars? Well, that is surely the ultimate collectors' fantasy."