Update: Things not looking good for Bond’s ride

Things continue to look bleak for Aston Martin, the preferred ride for the cinematic James Bond.

Earlier this week, Daimler AG’s Mercedes Benz took a 20 percent stake in Aston Martin, as noted by multple outlets including the BBC. Mercedes is boosting its stake from 5 percent.

The maker of British luxury sports cars earlier this year saw Lawrence Stoll, owner of a Formula One team, take a majority stake.

Under the deal with Mercedes, Aston will get access to Mercedes electric-car technology.

Meanwhile, Aston also has boosted the yield on a $1.1 billion junk-bond (no pun intended) sale to about 10.5 percent, according to Reuters.

Translation: Aston is viewed as a risky bet, meaning it has to pay higher interest on its borrowings even while interest rates generally are low.

Aston was owned by Ford Motor Co. from 1987 to 2007. The company has had its share of ups and downs (mostly downs) ever since.

Aston has been part of the Bond film series since 1964’s Goldfinger. There will be multiple Aston models in No Time to Die (whenever it comes out).