Power, Beauty & Soul

Spy Shots: ‘Ring-bound Aston Martin One-77 begs the question – Who is Dirty Shirley?

PowerBeautySoul — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:27:00 +0000

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Aston Martin

"Dirty Shirley" Aston Martin One-77 spy shots - Click above for high-res image gallery

If you're thinking, "This car looks familiar," it's because we've seen it before. The Aston Martin One-77 continues to tease us with its beauty, power and exclusivity, and our spies have caught the bronze test car out on the Nürburgring once again. This time, though, One-77 isn't its only name.

Whoever Dirty Shirley is, she should be honored to know that her name has been given to Aston's super-rare One-77. Even so, if this name is just Aston's way of getting closer to its prototypes, so be it, because honestly, we can't think of a more appropriate name.

For the sake of drooling, we'll remind you yet again that only 77 of these darlings will be made, packing a lordly 7.3-liter V12 good for over 700 horsepower. Top speed is somewhere north of 220 miles per hour, and the whole thing retails for a lofty $1.8 million. Stay dirty, Shirley.

Gallery: Dirty Shirley Aston Martin One-77

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: 'Ring-bound Aston Martin One-77 begs the question - Who is Dirty Shirley? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lagonda crossover reportedly scrapped in favor of Rapide-based sedan

PowerBeautySoul — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 23:25:00 +0000

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Aston Martin, Luxury

Aston Martin Rapide - Click above for high-res image gallery

Aston Martin Lagonda hasn't lacked for four-door models in its history, but its latest efforts have had us all scratching our heads in bewilderment. Instead of badging the Rapide as a Lagonda model, the four-door DB9 derivative came to market instead as an Aston. Meanwhile, the Lagonda badge was resurrected for an odd crossover concept that, let's just say, wasn't warmly received after its unveiling at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.

Subsequent reports indicated that the Lagonda concept - reportedly based on a Mercedes platform - was heading back to the drawing boards. The latest reports, however, indicate a different approach. Apparently the crossover has been canned entirely, but that doesn't mean the dormant half of Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd is going back to sleep.

In response to customer complaints that the Rapide was lacking in rear-seat legroom (and it is pretty cramped back there), AML is now reportedly preparing to enlarge the four-door coupe into a more accommodating form that will bear the Lagonda name in the crossover's stead. Sources place the sedan's arrival no sooner than four years from now, so your long-legged friends will have to wait a while longer before they can stretch out in the back of Gaydon's finest.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Aston Martin Rapide

Gallery: Geneva 2009: Aston Martin Lagonda Concept

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Lagonda crossover reportedly scrapped in favor of Rapide-based sedan originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Aston Martin Cygnet could come to the States

PowerBeautySoul — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:28:00 +0000

Filed under: Hatchback, Aston Martin

Aston Martin Cygnet - Click above for high-res image gallery

We aren't quite sure why the Aston Martin Cygnet exists. What was once an economical Toyota iQ is now a fuel-sipping Aston Martin (weird) with a lavish interior and a price tag that will make your heart skip a beat. We understand that vehicles like this work well in the congested, small-car-friendly cities of Europe, but it remains to be seen if microcars have a place here in the United States. The Smart ForTwo has proved to be a flop in the States, though we'll chalk most of that up to its unimpressive fuel economy and downright awful driving dynamics.

The U.S. is set to get a Scion-badged version of the Toyota iQ in early 2011, but a report from Automotive News states that Aston Martin could import its angry-looking Cygnet counterpart to our shores as early as 2012. It would share the same 1.3-liter gasoline powerplant as the Scion, though an electric-only version with a 60-mile range could arrive in 2013.

We'll wait until Aston Martin gives us the official word before we start jumping to any conclusions, but consider our outlook on a U.S.-spec Cygnet similar to that of a half-empty glass.

Gallery: Aston Martin Cygnet

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

Report: Aston Martin Cygnet could come to the States originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aston Martin design director gets custom Vantage GT4

PowerBeautySoul — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:29:00 +0000

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Aston Martin, UK, Racing

Marek Reichman's Aston Martin Vantage GT4 - Click above for high-res image gallery

And he's going racing with it. Marek Reichman, the design director for Aston Martin, will be hopping into the saddle of a Vantage GT4 for his first shot at the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of Great Britain. Reichman has gone fender to fender before, though he typically keeps to vintage club racing. This will be the first time he's stepped up to the 90-minute big boy leagues of his company's one-make series. Reichman won't be doing it alone, though. Chris Porritt, the engineering manager for Aston Martin, will be sharing driving duties.

Porritt has helmed the mighty Vantage GT4 in the past, though most of his experience has been at the Nürburgring. We're thinking that if he can keep the car shiny side up around Green Hell, he should have no problem going toe to toe with the rest of the field. That doesn't mean that the competition is going to be a cakewalk for the team - so far this season, the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge has proven to be full of more than capable racers. The series is slated to kick off at Oulton Park on Saturday, August 21. Hit the jump for a peek at the press release.

Gallery: Aston Martin Design Director's Vantage GT4

[Source: Aston Martin]

Continue reading Aston Martin design director gets custom Vantage GT4

Aston Martin design director gets custom Vantage GT4 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog attends 2010 Le Mans Classic, celebrates 80 years of legendary racing

PowerBeautySoul — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 01:01:00 +0000

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Performance, Europe, Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Lamborghini, Porsche, Misc. Auto Shows, Ferrari, Racing

2010 Le Mans Classic - Click above for high-res image gallery, and help us caption some of the cars!

Every two years in July, hundreds of vintage race cars gather at the famed Le Mans race circuit in France to fire up their engines and relive the glory days in the historic corners and long straights of the nearly 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe. But that's just part of it. In addition to the priceless machinery racing on the track, thousands of other classic cars trek to the grounds to fill nearly every open spot at the huge venue. Autoblog was invited by Porsche France to enjoy the 2010 Le Mans Classic in person, and needless to say, it was absolutely spectacular.

According to the organizers, this year's show welcomed 100,000 spectators, 8,000 display cars, 460 racing cars and 1,000 drivers. With sunny 95-degree temperatures over both days, the weather was unusually hot and the grounds chokingly dusty, but it didn't seem to keep anyone - or anything - from the event.

When not enjoying the racing, we strolled the show and stumbled over well-preserved classics from Jaguar, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Renault, Lamborghini, Audi, BMW and more. Porsche models were everywhere as the various European Porsche Car Clubs stormed the venue with more than 800 cars. Where else can you physically brush elbows with a race-ready BMW M1, a brand-new 2011 Ferrari 599 GTO and ride in the back of a historic war-era Willys Jeep all within the same 60 seconds? Le Mans Classic, baby. And these weren't sterile, stuck-behind-the-ropes museum stock, either - everything was meant to be driven and enjoyed.

We've put together a massive gallery offering just a taste of the caliber of vehicles on display, running hot laps and racing last weekend. While we've attempted to caption many of these, some still have us stumped. If you can identify a few of the nameless, give us a shout in the comments (with the photo number as seen in the URL) and we'll update the captions as quickly as our server's cache will let us.

Gallery: 2010 Le Mans Classic

Autoblog attends 2010 Le Mans Classic, celebrates 80 years of legendary racing originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rare Aston Martin DB5 convertible drives $5.6 Million in sales at Goodwood

PowerBeautySoul — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:59:00 +0000

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Auctions, Aston Martin, Misc. Auto Shows, UK

1965 Aston Martin DB5 Vantage Convertible - Click above for high-res image gallery

Britain has produced more than its fair share of memorable classics, but arguably few as seductive as the classic Aston Martins of the 1960s. Introduced in 1963, the DB5 benefited from several generations of DB4 development, largely retaining the Touring bodywork but replacing the old 3.6-liter engine with a new 4.0-liter unit and several other advancements.

Over two years of production, over a thousand DB5s were built, the vast majority of coupes outselling the 12 Radford coachbuilt shooting brakes and the 23 convertibles. Of those few roadsters, only nine were outfitted with the more powerful Vantage engine, and one of them has just sold for a record £551,500 ($833k) at the Bonhams auction at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The example in question, with original "VDB 5" license plates, had three previous owners who saw it through two comprehensive restorations (one at the Aston Martin Works Service in 1992 and another at Aston Service Hamburg in 2004), and was displayed last year at Villa d'Este.

Along with the DB5 Vantage Convertible (the Volante name only coming into use on the subsequent DB6), Bonhams also auctioned off the 1937 Bentley featured in the Bond film "Never Say Never Again" for £221,500 ($335k), a rare Lister-Jaguar for £232,500 ($351k) and several more, totaling £3,707,687 ($5.6m) in sales. Details in the press release after the jump, with photos of the beautiful Aston in the gallery below.

Gallery: 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Vantage Convertible

[Source: Bonhams]

Continue reading Rare Aston Martin DB5 convertible drives $5.6 Million in sales at Goodwood

Rare Aston Martin DB5 convertible drives $5.6 Million in sales at Goodwood originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aston Martin releases new N420 edition V8 Vantage

PowerBeautySoul — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:29:00 +0000

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Aston Martin, UK

2011 Aston Martin V8 Vantage N420 - Click above for high-res image gallery

You remember the Vantage N400? Aston Martin released the special-edition sportscar back in 2007 to commemorate the success of its Vantage N24 racer at the Nürburgring. It packed 400 horsepower, a series of suspension tweaks and some special cosmetic touches. Unfortunately, Aston only produced 240 examples of the 'N', all of which have long since sold out. But now it's back. With a vengeance.

Whereas the previous N400 upgraded the stock 380 horsepower to 400, the new N420 - based on the current, post-2008 updated Vantage - carries over the stock 420-horse mill. Suspension upgrades come courtesy of the otherwise optional Sports Pack, here fitted as standard equipment, along with a special exhaust unique to the N420. A new front splitter, side skirts and diffuser are made of carbon fiber, unique wheels are fitted along with black mesh grille inserts, and 27 kilograms (60 pounds) have been trimmed from the curb weight. Upgrades have also been carried out to the interior, and buyers can choose from a range of "race collection" paint schemes.

Like its predecessor, the new Aston Martin V8 Vantage N420 will be sold in coupe or roadster format and available with either six-speed manual or Sportshift semi-automatic transmissions. Deliveries will begin next month in the UK, the £96,995 price tag (that's over $147,000 USD but includes the UK's hefty Value Added Tax) represents a £13,804 ($21k) premium over the base model, which sells in the UK for £83,191 (equivalent to $126k at today's exchange rates) and in the United States for $119,500. Details in the press release after the jump, high-res gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Aston Martin V8 Vantage N420

[Source: Aston Martin]

Continue reading Aston Martin releases new N420 edition V8 Vantage

Aston Martin releases new N420 edition V8 Vantage originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Aston Martin One-77 spotted on the ‘Ring for the first time, wears new color for the occasion

PowerBeautySoul — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 00:57:00 +0000

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Aston Martin, Luxury

Aston Martin One-77 at the Nurburgring - Click above for high-res image gallery

Yeah, yeah. We know the Aston Martin One-77 has already shown its hips to the world, but our crack team of spy photographers have managed to lay their lenses on one of the super-exclusive Astons bumping around the Nurburgring. Even better, the megacar is dipped in a new color that we've yet to see. The deep metallic bronze paint is drop dead gorgeous, even on what appears to be nothing more than a pre-production engineering mule.

The One-77 is built to be an exercise in what Aston Martin can accomplish when cost and exclusivity are no barrier. With a 7.3-liter V12 under the hood producing a proletariat-crushing 700 horsepower, the coupe exists in a world detached from reality. That's just fine, though, because Aston Martin is only building 77 of the cars, and with each coming in at a staggering $1.8 million, the people who can afford it aren't of this world anyway.

Gallery: Aston Martin One-77 at the Nurburgring

Spy Shots: Aston Martin One-77 spotted on the 'Ring for the first time, wears new color for the occasion originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: Aston Martin refreshes the DB9

PowerBeautySoul — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:30:00 +0000

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Aston Martin, Luxury

2011 Aston Martin DB9 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Despite the fact that few people would actually argue that the Aston Martin DB9 really needed a nip and tuck, that's exactly what it's getting for 2011. Given how well the DB9 has held up over the last seven years, the changes have been kept pretty discreet. The lower front grille has been reshaped and new mesh inserts have been added, while the rocker panel crease now sweeps up into the rear wheel arches.

Mechanically, the DB9's 6.0-liter V12 powertrain has been carried over, as has its 470 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. The most significant upgrade for 2011 is the adoption of an adaptive damping system similar to the one already available on the DBS and Rapide. Thanks to the improved handling offered by the damping system, Aston has decided to drop the Sport Pack previously available on the DB9. Production of the upgraded models has already started and customers should be getting the new cars in the coming weeks.

Gallery: 2011 Aston Martin DB9

[Source: Aston Martin]

Continue reading Officially Official: Aston Martin refreshes the DB9

Officially Official: Aston Martin refreshes the DB9 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Aston Martin DBS gets a nip, a tuck and new headlamps

PowerBeautySoul — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:26:00 +0000

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Aston Martin, Design/Style, Luxury

2011 Aston Martin DBS spy shots - Click above for high-res image gallery

Our spy photographers have been busy little bees lately. The crew recently managed to set their lenses on what appears to be the next Aston Martin DBS, complete with a pretty new face. From what we can tell, the company has refreshed the V12 heathen with all-new body work from the A pillars forward. The car now wears a revised fascia with thinner headlamps, and the hood appears to have a few new wrinkles as well. We're having a hard time telling if the front fenders have been significantly massaged or not, but chances are they've been modified somewhat to mate with those new LED-bespeckled lights.

From the rear, its clear Aston Martin has equipped the car with a redesigned diffuser, and the taillights have been redrawn as well. So, will the company supply buyers with any extra power to accompany the new suit of clothes on the DBS? It's possible, but not likely. Odds are the car will still pack the same burly 6.0-liter V12 with 510 horsepower. Which still sounds pretty good to us.

Gallery: Spy Shots: 2011 Aston Martin DBS

Spy Shots: Aston Martin DBS gets a nip, a tuck and new headlamps originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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