08/06/2008 16:36. A genteel disagreement about whether James Bond prefers Bentleys to Aston Martin has raised eyebrows in the world of luxurious cars - reports the BBC .

The spat comes as the latest James Bond novel, Devil May Care, is published to mark the centenary of Ian Fleming, the author who invented the spy during the early years of the Cold War.

In the new book, written by Sebastian Faulks "writing as Ian Fleming", Commander Bond is buzzing about in a convertible two-seater Bentley, dubbed R-type Continental.

"It's quite nice from a historical perspective, as James Bond drove Bentleys in the books," observes Richard Charlesworth, director of royal and VIP relations at Bentley Motors.

"Fleming himself was a Bentley fan and a Bentley driver," continues Mr Charlesworth, who also oversees Bentley's... // MI6