2010 Aston Martin Volare Concept Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology

2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante Photo Shoot - New Car Pictures

When the Aston Martin DBS Volante made its debut at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, Aston released only a couple of studio shots.

In between, the Aston Martin Rapide and the Aston Martin Cygnet, the folks at Gaydon have found a little time to take some real-life shots of the DBS Volante...

2010 Aston Martin One-77 Supercar: Only for 77 Lucky Car Owners for 2010

The era of epic supercars is certainly not over at Aston Martin, with the carmaker confirming the development of a brand new flagship model late last year. A life-size mock up was then put on display at the 2008 Paris Motor Show to tease the public and start building interest for the car, which is estimated to cost a cool £1.2 million. A technical design showcase at last month’s Geneva Motor Show revealed more features, including its bespoke carbon-fiber chassis and V12 engine, and earlier this month Aston released the first tentative details about production plans. Finally, the first completed model was revealed at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este at Lake Como, Italy, where it also took the event’s prestigious design award.

Aston Martin’s European operations chief Marcel Beci revealed in March that the first actual customer car will roll out of the company’s Gaydon factory later this year and that the limited production run of just 77 cars will be complete by the end of 2010.

Beci also explained that Aston Martin keeps in close contact with all its One-77 customers, and that every effort is being made to ensure the car does not fall prey to resellers who may attempt to profit from it. After all, the One-77 is being built not just as a halo car, but as an ultra-halo car, a sort of rekindling of the legacy of Aston Martin, plus a projection of the brand into the future. It's designed to be the most quintessential Aston Martin ever, and the most perfectly personalized car available.

2010 Aston Martin Rapide is a V12 Engine Powerhouse - First Look

Yes it is true! These facts were revealed by Marcel Beci, Aston Martin’s General Manager on European Operations in a recent interview with the Dutch newspaper, De Telegraaf. It appears that in no way the upcoming Rapide Sedan will not receive a V8 engine because the manufacturer wants power and only the V12 can offer this.

The new Rapide will receive the V12 engine from the DB9, but the source didn’t want to spoil the surprise and we will find this only when the car will be officially launched.

Aston Martin Vantage N420's $132,000 Pricing is a Steal

Aston Martin, seeing the competition catching up to its exalted level, recently issued details on its 2011 DB9 coupe, the Volante convertible, and Vantage N420.

The 2011 DB9 coupe will start at $187,615, while the drop-top Volante will run $201,115. Exterior updates for the 2011 DB9 include a new front and rear fascia, headlamp bezels, a reshaped hood, clear taillights, and newly designed 20-inch wheels. Aluminum trim graces the inside, as does an upgraded Bluetooth system, and a Bang & Olufsen stereo is now an optional upgrade. The Adaptive Damping System, standard on the DBS and Rapide, is now standard on the DB9.

Pricing for the Vantage N420 came in much lower than estimated, with the coupe retailing for $132,000 and roadster starting at $145,000. Aston Martin's race-team-derived N420 pushes out the same power as the V8 Vantage it's based upon, but that's where the bulk of the similarities end. A sport suspension, new exhaust, and 59 pounds of weight savings comprise the performance-enhancing upgrades. Exterior upgrades include a carbon-fiber front splitter, ten-spoke wheels, and the option of race-inspired paint hues. On the inside, sill plates, carbon-fiber seats, graphite instruments, and a steering wheel covered in either leather or Alcantara are available.

Full press releases for the DB9 and N420 can be found below. Note that deliveries of the DB9 and Volante are scheduled to commence this fall, and the N420 will make its first U.S. appearance at next month's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, with deliveries scheduled to start late this year.

Aston Martin DB9: The Definitive Sports Grand Tourer
28 June 2010, Gaydon, Warwickshire: In the most significant programme of upgrades since its world debut in 2003, Aston Martin’s DB9 range has received a complete package of styling, engineering and equipment enhancements.

As the most successful Aston Martin of all-time (an honour it shares with the V8 Vantage) the DB9 has established itself as the definitive grand tourer, thanks to an enduring combination of understated elegance, sporting character and genuine luxury.

For Dr Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin’s Chief Executive, the DB9 remains a very special car: “The DB9 is the quintessential sporting grand tourer and offers an unrivalled combination of driver involvement, character, luxury and refinement. This car combines our unique Aston Martin character with an uncompromised design philosophy, craftsmanship and trademark Aston Martin performance ability.”

This new package of improvements compliments these core qualities perfectly. Subtle styling changes freshen the DB9’s appearance, with a new front bumper, bright finish radiator grille and a re-shaped lower intake featuring bright hexagonal mesh.

New headlight bezels, re-styled sills, silver brake calipers, 20-spoke diamond turned alloy wheels and clear rear light lenses complete the external revisions.

Under the skin the DB9’s passive damping system has been replaced by a new Adaptive Damping System (ADS), which offers enhanced ride comfort together with sharper handling when switched to Sport mode. The ADS system is offered as standard equipment across the DB9 range, encompassing both Coupe and Volante (convertible). A new tyre pressure monitoring system, a revised Bluetooth microphone system and the addition of a new Double Apex alloy finish trim and Bang & Olufsen hi-fi options broaden the DB9’s specification.

Aston Martin’s Product Development Director, Ian Minards, explains that it is all part of an ongoing commitment to continual improvement: “The DB9 was the first car built at Gaydon adopting the VH architecture. It has evolved every year since, with significant changes including a power upgrade and successive reductions in CO2 emissions. The latest package of improvements goes further than ever, highlighting the DB9’s qualities as a true sporting GT and underlining its role as the backbone car of our range.”

The Aston Martin DB9 is available as either Coupe or Volante (convertible) with rear mid-mounted six-speed manual gearbox as standard or optional ‘Touchtronic 2’ six-speed automatic transmission. Production of the revised DB9 is already underway, with deliveries commencing in July. Prices start from £122,445 for the DB9 Coupe and £131,445 for the DB9 Volante.

Aston Martin Introduces V8 Vantage N420
Irvine, 6th July, 2010 -- Aston Martin has unveiled a new motorsport-inspired special edition; the V8 Vantage N420 which brings a new dimension of sporting prowess and dynamic ability to the V8 Vantage range. The N420 will make its US debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August 2010.

Successor to the special edition V8 Vantage N400 of 2007, the Vantage N420 is based upon the standard 4.7-litre, 420bhp, 180mph V8 Vantage and is available as a Coupe or Roadster, and with a six-speed manual or optional Sportshift automated manual transmission.

The Vantage N420 draws inspiration from the company’s experiences at the Nürburgring 24-hour race. In the 2006 running of the annual Nürburgring endurance classic amongst a field of mostly motorsport homologated cars, Aston Martin entered a near-standard, road-registered V8 Vantage. Driven by a team of employees, including Aston Martin’s CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez, the V8 Vantage – named ‘Rose’ by the team – finished 4th in class and 24th overall from a field of more than 200 specialised racing cars.

Since then Aston Martin has returned every year to compete in this gruelling endurance race, scoring a string of class victories and podiums with road-registered V8 and V12 Vantages and most recently the new four-door Rapide. Not only has this racing success spawned a burgeoning V8 Vantage GT4 customer programme run by Aston Martin Racing, but lessons learned in racing at the Nürburgring has led to aerodynamic and other performance developments being fed back into Aston Martin’s road cars.

A generous standard specification and some unique options ensure the special edition Vantage N420 is both exclusive and distinctive.

On the outside, wider sills combine perfectly with a carbon fibre splitter, side strakes and diffuser, while bold 10-spoke diamond turned alloy wheels complete with gloss black finish, black mesh vents and ‘Graphitic’ tailpipe finishers complete the co-ordinated look.

Inside the Vantage N420 offers an Iridium interior package, with graphite instruments, leather or Alcantara® steering wheel, special N420 sill plaques and adjustable sports seats, complete with ‘Race Track’ stitching as in the V12 Vantage. Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control and Park Distance Control are also standard.

2011 Aston Martin Rapide Test Driven by Motor Trend

The former is insanely expensive and impractical to drive on trips. The latter is not, and so in August 2000 when a lovely 1967 example came up for sale at an exotic car dealership 5.4 miles from home, I test-drove it right to my house for a quick snapshot that instantly became my screen saver. Seeing myself in that gorgeous car every day helped cement my resolve to pay about as much as I'd spent on all the cars I'd owned prior to that one combined. Ten years later I had the chance to drive what I feel is the most beautiful car in production today, and I was so smitten by it that I recreated the same screen-saver image as an affirmation that with hard work and clean living I may one day land an Aston Martin Rapide in my humble garage. I'm probably going to have to wait a lot longer for this one to depreciate into my price range. My Ghibli listed for about $19,000 in 1967--roughly $122,000 in today's dollars, and had depreciated by about 80 percent in modern money. The Rapide starts at $195,000, so if it holds up like my gorgeous Ghibli, it may be down to $39,000 in today's currency by 2043--a perfect bauble for my 80th birthday...

Aston Martin Cygnet 2010 Innovative Concept Car

New innovative car design concept from Aston Martin car maker company which has developed an original luxury commuter vehicles concept named 2010 Aston Martin Cygnet that will present buyers a distinctive, intelligent and exclusive car solution for urban travel in style and comfort. The 2010 Aston Martin Cygnet car concept will proffer Aston Martin trademark design in a commuter car package based on the critically acclaimed Toyota iQ with a Euro NCAP five-star safety package. The “Cygnet” concept car models represents a artistic, environmentally conscious solution, being small, up till now with presence and highly fuel efficient, at the present combined with the prestige of Aston Martin’s luxury car brand ownership. Aston Martin as the world leader in exclusive niche engineering is collaborating on this 2010 Aston Martin Cygnet concept with Toyota the world leader in volume, quality and reliability. Although vastly different in size, Toyota and Aston Martin share the philosophy of engineering superiority and modernism underlined by a strong passion for cars.

2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante

The Aston Martin DBS was touted by Aston Martin as being the "ultimate luxury sports car," combining sex-on-wheels styling with lightweight construction and monstrous V12 power. Few cars can reach this top and get the Glory. Now Aston Martin has seen fit to add a drop-top version of the DBS, called the Volante.

The DBS Volante is powered by the same 6.0L V12 engine rated at 510hp (380kW) and 420lb-ft (570Nm) of torque as the hard-top DBS. The Volante sprints from 0-62mph(100km/h) in 4.3 seconds, and hits 191mph(307km/h) – also exactly the same as the hard-top DBS.

“The DBS Volante delivers the utmost relaxed driving experience with the roof up or down. It combines engineering excellence with design perfection," said Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez. “The DBS Volante offers a subtle mix of power and performance. Adding to this, the fine craftsmanship – it is an unparalleled ownership and driving experience.”

The DBS Volante rides at the forefront of the company's available technology. Beyond the simply awesome sounding V12, the car gets a six-speed manual as standard, while a six-speed “Touchtronic” automatic is optional. Structural rigidity is preserved well, with the Volante exhibiting 75% of the stiffness of the coupe, thanks in part to a rigidly mounted rear sub-frame and optimized front and rear shear panels.

Other standard equipment includes Bang & Olufsen’s BeoSound DBS audio system, which has been retuned for the open-top Volante.

Carbon ceramic brakes are standard, and the most cutting edge materials are used throughout the car, including a carbon fiber hood, front wing and trunk lid. Despite the weight-shaving measures, the DBS Volante is still a big GT, with a curb weight of 3,990lb (1,810kg), – 70kg more than the hardtop DBS. An Active Damping System (ADS) keeps the big car's roll under control, however, and can be tuned for comfort or speed.

The DBS Volante will be built at Aston Martin’s global headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire. And deliveries may start in the autumn.

Aston Martin working on Cygnet Concept Car based on Toyota iQ

To comply with tough new fuel economy and emissions regulations coming into effect in Europe by 2012, Aston Martin has joined forces with Toyota to develop a new minicar model called the Cygnet, which is based on Toyota’s iQ minicar. The Aston Martin Cygnet is a mix of luxury, compactness and environmental friendliness.

Though it’s still in the concept stage, the production of the car is expected to be given before the end of the year. Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez said: "Much work is still required, but I am confident that this project could become reality in the not-too-distant future."

As revealed by the teaser image, the Cygnet will adopt some very distinct Aston Martin trademarks to differentiate it from its Toyota sibling. The vehicle is being designed for Europe but other details such as the launch date, price and production volumes have not been decided.

The car on which it is based, the iQ, measures just three meters in length, is powered by a three-cylinder engine and has a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. The Cygnet is expected to keep most of these attributes, but its interior is expected to be as luxurious as that found in any other Aston Martin model.

However, if you want to buy a Cygnet, you have to be already own an Aston Martin. The luxury automaker has identified that around 30% of existing customers have small cars such as a Mini or Smart ForTwo in their garages for city traffic.