Limousines may have been de rigueur outside the premiere of Die Another Day at the Royal Albert Hall in London last night, but the only car on everyone's lips was Bond's own - an Aston Martin Vanquish, on display and available to buy for a cool £164,000.

Aston Martin is just one of the brands featured in the new James Bond film, the 20th in the series' 40-year history, which has come under attack for its heavy use of product-placement.

Guests included cast members Pierce Brosnan and Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry as well as The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Former Bond stars Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Britt Ekland were also among the celebrities that attended.

The Bond franchise, which began in 1962 with Dr No starring Sean Connery and Ursula Andress, is one of the most successful with total box office revenue of more than $3bn. Die Another Day is expected to be the highest-grossing yet.

The last time Brosnan brushed down his tux to play 007 in The World Is Not Enough in 1999, the film was the biggest opening for a Bond film in Britain.

Early receipts for the movie were 72% up on the 1997 effort, Tomorrow Never Dies, which was the previous highest-grossing 007 film, taking £3.6m in its opening weekend.

Much anticipation surrounds this latest effort, which studio executives and Bond fanatics hope will knock Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets off the number one spot. Dave Worrall, co-author of The Essential Bond said that the three-year break between films had heightened expectation among fans. "It's the most exciting premiere we've seen for many years," he said. "Everyone accepts Brosnan in the part now and the directors have got just the right mix in the making of the movies. They're good for both the old purists like me who have grown up with Bond but they also appeal to the young as well.

"They're bigger than ever. After 40 years you wonder how they can keep this going, but they always do."

Die Another Day opens in cinemas on Friday.