Bond-worthy barrel rolls

You Auto Know is a regular feature that examines auto-related facts and fiction, busts some common car myths and checks out weird and wonderful tidbits about the automotive industry.

DID YOU KNOW...

-The car barrel-roll stunt by the Aston Martin DBS used in the 2006 James Bond movie Casino Royale broke the world record for the most barrel rolls assisted by a cannon? Originally, the racing specifications of the DBS meant that a standard ramp would not be sufficient to get the car to roll, so the special effects team was called in to install an air-powered cannon behind the driver's seat. This allowed the car to complete seven full rolls. The stunt was officially entered into the Guinness Book of World Records on Nov. 5, 2006.

In one afternoon of filming this stunt, three DBSs were destroyed. Each is worth about $300,000. Ouch.

-In 2004, a team from the University of Waterloo captured the Guinness world record for Longest Journey by a Solar Powered Car. The team departed Waterloo, Ont. on Aug. 7, 2004 and drove 15,070 kilometres through Canada and the United States, finishing the journey on Sept. 15 in front of Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

The three-wheeled vehicle, dubbed Midnight Sun VII, can reach a maximum speed of 130 kilometres an hour, weighs 190 kilograms and stands 1.1 metres tall, five metres long and 1.8 m wide. Midnight Sun VII was built using carbon fibre, Kevlar and Nomex honeycomb. It is powered by a lithium ion battery and employs regenerative braking.

-Mercedes-Benz's three-pointed star was meant to symbolize the company's ambition of universal motorization: on land, in the water and in the air. The star was registered as a trademark in June 1909. It wasn't until 1916 when the star was surrounded by a circle, but it also had many other variations. The logo as we know it today became a registered trademark in August 1923.

-Production of the Porsche 911 first started in 1964. It sold for US$5,500, which is about US$38,300 in today's money. It was powered by a 2.0-litre, 130-horsepower six-cylinder engine. A targa model was added to the lineup in 1966. Porsche debuted the first ever 911 Turbo supercar in North America in 1975 as a 1976 model. A 911 Cabriolet was added to the lineup in 1983. Today, an entry-level 911 Carrera is still powered by a six-cylinder; however, displacement has been bumped to 3.6L and it produces 345 hp, which means horsepower is up about 62% from its humble beginnings. The price today starts at $96,700.

-The Chevrolet Corvette was designed by Harley Earl, who is also credited with designing General Motors' first ever concept car, the Buick Y-Job, and with introducing tail fins to the automotive world.

-On June 30, 1953, the first Corvette rolled off the assembly line in Flint, Mich. The first five Corvettes ever made are missing a rear-view mirror. Corvette pricing started at US$3,498, which is about US$28,290 in today's money. In 1953, the only options available were a heater and an AM radio. Legend says sales of the first Corvettes were so bad that several of them were given to movie stars to increase the car's public profile.

-The original Corvette logo featured a checkered flag crossed with an American flag, but the American flag was changed to a red one with a Chevy logo and a fleur-de-lis because it is illegal to use an American flag on a product trademark.

-The word corvette is French for a small warship designed for convoy escort duty.