World Best Car Image Zone: Aston Martin

Showing posts with label Aston Martin. Show all posts

The DB7 Vantage Volante, you have a V12 with a generous volume of 5.9 liters. If you want to deliver 420 horsepower, but an Aston is already a reserve for emergencies or power that you get from daily. With 266 km / h the wind through your hair to vultures is a possibility, and even then it is a limited top. The coupe can to 298 km / h. This forerunner of the DB9 - and successor to the DB6, 25 years later? - Was in the 90s and early 21st century a great success. In less than ten years were slightly more than seven thousand made, including all sorts of interesting releases. From just three versions, the production above the thousand : The DB7 Coupe with zescilinder, the DB7 Vantage and the DB7 Vantage Volante depicted. With 879 copies, the DB7 Volante 3.2 in fourth place, shared fifth place is taken by the DB7 Zagato and AR1 each 99 copies. Other versions are not negligible.

Source : Autoblog.nl

2010 Aston Martin Rapide V12 Sports Sedan

Aston Martin Rapide V12 Sports Sedan looking like it could have come off a dealer lot. The snapper also peeped the inside, which he said has a full-length console a la the Mercedes CLS to create four distinct seating positions. Aston has, however, said that those rear seats are for "children or two adults on shorter journeys." The slinky black number also sports a serious set of pipes out back that we expect to put out a beautiful soundtrack. And thank goodness the car has a hatch like the Vantage, which means in a first for current Aston Martins it could have a proper trunk. Like the kind you can actually put things in.

Source : Carmagazine

Revealed : Aston Martin Cygnet

Aston Martin has struck a ground-breaking deal with Toyota to launch a £20,000 version of the Japanese-built iQ commuter car, badged Aston Martin Cygnet and built at Aston’s Gaydon works in Warwickshire.

The new model, officially billed as a concept, is expected to be offered for sale before the end of next year. It will initially be sold only to existing Aston Martin owners and those with cars on order, but after an introductory period it will then go on general sale.

It will instantly become the world’s smallest super-luxury saloon and represents Aston’s most radical model departure in its 90-year history.

Source : Autocar

Aston Martin V12 Vantage Takes Class Victory at Nürburgring

Aston Martin’s factory entered V12 Vantage – modified only slightly for competition – has swept to a stunning debut class victory in the 37th Nürburgring 24 hour race, forming part of a double Aston Martin victory in the SP8 and SP10 classes.

The near production standard V12 Vantage – which finished in 21st place overall - saw off competition from a field of largely specialist race cars in the SP8 class to claim an impressive debut win. The British marque’s factory-supported Vantage N24 entries took first and second place in the SP10 class, with the number 9 car driven by Olaf Hoppelshäuser, Richard Karner, Alexander Kolb and Maximlian Wernndl just ahead of Aston Martin’s endurance race veteran, nicknamed ‘Rose’.

Belgian team Herreman Racing added to the success of the Vantage N24 finishing fourth in class after a fault-free run with brothers Arnold and Jean-Paul Herreman, Kurt Dujardyn and Anton Gohnissen at the wheel.

The result marks the company’s best achievement yet at the Nürburgring 24 hour race says Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez who formed part of the driver team in the V12 Vantage: “Just four years ago Aston Martin was not present in this race, so to now see so many Aston Martins racing here and so competitively is testament to our cars, our team and the faith of our customers who have supported the programme.

“For V12 Vantage we have demonstrated the reliability of our new car for all to see. I have said before that for me this race is the ultimate endurance test so for our new car to win the class on its debut and for our customer teams to perform so well amongst such respected competition is the perfect result for Aston Martin.”

Joining Dr Bez in Aston Martin’s V12 Vantage were Chris Porritt, representing the company’s engineering team, UK journalist Richard Meaden and experienced racing driver, Oliver Mathai. After qualifying fourth in the SP8 class, the team set about a conservative but progressive race strategy which saw them quickly establish the car in the podium positions before occupying second place in class into the evening. As morning broke and exhaustion prompted incidents elsewhere on the track, the team took the lead in SP8 – a position which would ultimately prove to be theirs for the final quarter of the race.

Chris Porritt said: “This is a fantastic debut for V12 Vantage. This race serves as the ultimate demonstration of the reliability of our cars in a very public test of endurance.

“The occasion is made all the more special by the exceptional team who are here running the car for us – the same people who create Aston Martins back at Gaydon.”

Driving ‘Rose’, the team of Aston Martin’s Nürburgring Engineering Centre Director and development driver Wolfgang Schuhbauer, German journalist Horst von Saurma and Japanese journalist Shin-ichi Katsura had cemented a fourth-place starting position in class after concluding qualifying on Friday afternoon. Amid frantic opening exchanges elsewhere on the track in the early stages of the race, the team remained focussed on a racing strategy which saw them in second place in SP10 as morning broke over the Eifel.

Wolfgang Schuhbauer said: “For me personally this has been one of my toughest ever races, but as a team we have succeeded. It is great to see the link between our work at the Engineering Centre here (at the Nürburgring), our road cars and our race programme stronger than ever.”

Aston Martin’s Head of Motorsport, David King added: “This is a tremendous effort from our team and our customer teams who have joined us here at the Nürburgring.

“The competition this year has been significantly tougher than ever before so to record another strong podium showing for Aston Martin for the second year in succession with near production-standard cars is quite an achievement.”

Dr Bez concluded: “This week as we launched the V12 Vantage to the world’s media we have proved the car’s ability on the road and we have ended it here at the Nürburgring by proving its ability on the track.”

Source: Aston Martin

Aston Martin One-77 wins top design prize

It’s having a long drawn-out gestation, but Aston Martin’s One-77 supercar made its world show debut at this weekend’s Villa d’Este, where it scooped the top prize for concept cars and prototypes.

We’ll forgive you if you thought the One-77 had already been unveiled, but the car at Geneva was a technical cutaway rolling chassis – the first finished car is the one show in our photos above.

The One-77 won more than 30% of the votes among the eight cars entered in its category. Chief exec Ulrich Bez said: ‘We have achieved a new level of design and craftsmanship which has been clearly recognised by the public here in the homeland of design at Villa d’Este.’
Aston Martin One-77: the details

This is a supercar at the very top of Aston Martin’s family tree: think Ferrari Enzo or Bugatti Veyron, rather than more hoi-polloi supercars.

Your £1.2m cheque buys you a carbonfibre chassis clad in hand-rolled aluminium body panels and featuring race-spec suspension that owners can tune for their individual requirements. Total kerb weight is around 1500kg.

And the 7.3-litre V12 is a development of Aston’s existing 6.0-litre lump, expanded and tuned to produce ‘over 700bhp’ – enough to qualify the One-77 as a bona fide member of the 200mph club. The benchmark 60mph dash takes 3.5sec, official figures claim.

Source : Carmagazine

Aston Martin Rapide announced

The Aston Martin Rapide has moved into the final stages of its development programme, on course for a public debut in late 2009, with the first customer cars due to be delivered in early 2010.

First revealed as the Aston Martin Rapide Concept at the Detroit Auto Show in 2006, the Rapide is one of the most eagerly awaited cars of the year. As Aston Martin's first true four-door production sports car, the Rapide encapsulates the core values of the brand within an elegant, high-powered sports grand tourer, with four full-sized seats, generous accommodation and luggage space and trademark Aston Martin performance.

Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr. Ulrich Bez said: “The Rapide will be the most elegant four-door sports car in the world. It completes the Aston Martin range conveying our established attributes of Power, Beauty and Soul.

“In 2010 there will be an Aston Martin for every type of sports car customer regardless of the demands of their lifestyle. The Rapide is the most versatile, bringing a new benchmark of luxury and refinement to both driver and passenger.”

The concept received worldwide acclaim for its design as well as strong expressions of interest from customers. Following the purchase of Aston Martin in June 2007, the production version of the Rapide was approved and development began in earnest. Underpinned by Aston Martin's VH (Vertical/Horizontal) extruded aluminium architecture, the Rapide retains the elegant, flowing proportions that are integral to every Aston Martin and remains remarkably faithful to the original design study.

The cohesive design language and elegant form of the Rapide ensure it is a perfect complement to the other cars in Aston Martin's line-up. From the outset, the Rapide was designed with no aesthetic compromise. “We wanted to make the most beautiful four-door sports car in the world,” Aston Martin's Director of Design Marek Reichman stated when the concept was first shown.

The signature elements of Aston Martin's design language translate seamlessly to the four-door format, with key features such as the 'swan wing' doors – rising upwards and outwards as they swing open – facilitating access to the two beautifully trimmed individual rear seats. The bodywork flows effortlessly from front to rear, where a kicked up tail and strong rear shoulders wrap around the wheel arches to create the classic Aston Martin silhouette, enveloping the additional doors, seats for children or two adults on shorter journeys and functional luggage capacity.

Described by Reichman as a lithe 'long distance runner', compared to the sprinter-like poise of the V8 Vantage and the muscularity of the DBS, the Rapide's lines are a master class in maintaining purity of proportion and vision. Detail design is crucial, with Aston Martin's iconic side strake extended to run through the front doors before blending into the rear door, lending a sense of dynamic thrust to the Rapide's stance.

The Rapide has been subjected to Aston Martin's rigorous testing programme including extreme climate testing and dynamic performance trials at the company's new Nürburgring Test Centre to ensure it will display the brand's integral high speed abilities. The last stages of endurance testing are now underway with final sign-off expected later this year before a production car is debuted in September.

The Rapide will offer performance purity and the same level of sporting ability as all modern Aston Martins. Powered by a version of Aston Martin's 6.0 litre V12 engine producing 470bhp and 600Nm of torque and, hand built at the company's engine facility in Cologne, the Rapide's rear wheels are driven through a highly responsive Touchtronic gearbox. Performance figures have yet to be revealed, although early indications are that the Rapide will offer class-leading performance and dynamics, alongside new levels of refinement and luxury.

The Rapide will be built at a new production facility in Graz, Austria managed by the acclaimed vehicle manufacturer Magna Steyr and co-ordinated by a fully integrated Aston Martin team from the UK. The new production facility is closely modelled on the Gaydon factory and will combine a sophisticated modern production line with the Aston Martin traditional hand-finishing skills, a proud blend of craft processes and attention to detail. The interior will further develop Aston Martin's skilful use of genuine high quality materials, applied appropriately and effectively to ensure that form always follows function.

“Rapide will exceed expectations to deliver elegance and practicality in a form that will allow driving enjoyment and comfort beyond anything that exists today,” says Dr Ulrich Bez, “The Rapide will exist in a class all of its own, a true Aston Martin with the high performance and dynamic excellence that defines the brand, and a luxurious sporting grand tourer without equal.”

Source: Aston Martin

Aston Martin Vanquish $255,000

The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish is a supercar manufactured by Aston Martin since 2001. It rose to fame after being featured as the official James Bond car in Die Another Day, the twentieth James Bond film. In the film, the Vanquish has the usual Bond film embellishments, including active camouflage which rendered the vehicle virtually invisible. The Vanquish is powered by a 5.9 L (5935 cc) 48-valve 60° V12 engine, which produces 343 kW (460 hp) and 542 N·m (400 ft·lbf) of torque. It is controlled by a fly-by-wire throttle and a 6 speed 'paddle shift' or semi-automatic transmission. A special V12 Vanquish S debuted at the 2004 Paris Auto Show with the power upped to 388 kW (520 hp) and 577 N·m (426 ft·lbf).

Source : Aston Martin