Most of our readers will know by now that the Cygnet exists purely to counteract the 120 grams of CO2 per kilogram EU carbon restrictions to be introduced in 2012. With a combined CO2 g/km rating of 400, Aston Martin’s current fleet of high performance vehicles could never match this.
Follow the jump to get a look of the supercar’s lines and a taste of the brutal sounds produced by Aston Martin’s 517-horsepower 6.0-liter V12 engine in our collection of videos.
Read more »
By Csaba Daradics
_______________________________VIDEO_______________________________
As promised, Aston Martin released the second part of a new promotional series of films featuring the Rapide sports saloon. Called “True Power Should Be Shared”, it’s a more of an action-packed sequel, showing longer driving scenes and a spectacular fight sequence, as the story gets more substance. Still, this is no James Bond movie, although seeing and hearing the British four-door coupe kind of makes up for the lack of originality. Video available after the jump.
By Csaba Daradics
Via: Worldcarfans
_______________________________VIDEO_______________________________
The introductory part is available after the jump, while the second and third clips will follow on January 19 and 26, respectively.
“We wanted to deliver a subtle but clever piece of branded entertainment. Something that mirrors the thrill of the drive. Intelligent, dramatic yet very exciting. It's an action-packed Aston Martin story in three parts, designed to entertain our audience. We're not hard selling, we're showcasing. After all it is the thinking man's (and woman's) performance car”, Film Director Donnie Masters from Serious Pictures said.
By Csaba Daradics
_______________________________VIDEO_______________________________
_______________________________VIDEO_______________________________
_______________________________VIDEO_______________________________
Borrowing the 4.7-liter engine from the stock V8 Vantage, the N420 is quicker due to the fact that it's 27 kg (60 lbs) lighter. Engineers achieved this by using carbon fiber components.
The handling has been also improved, as Aston Martin decided to offer the Sports Pack as part of the standard equipment. The package includes revised springs, dampers and anti-roll bars.
Inside, the most capable Vantage comes with updated instruments, leather or Alcantara steering wheel, lightweight racing seats and special N420 sill plaques. Prices in the UK start from £96,995, about US $155,638 or €112,277 at today's exchange rates.
By Csaba Daradics
_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________
Well, it seems that engineers and test drivers are indeed refining this 750-horsepower beast these days, as a prototype model has been caught on video while frantically lapping the Nürburgring race track.
The mighty 7.3-liter V12 can catapult Aston Martin's finest to 60 mph [96 km/h] in just 3.5 seconds, while the supercar's top speed has exceeded expectations, as Aston Martin's engineers were able to hit 220 mph (355 km/h), considerably more than the initially estimated top speed of 200 mph.
The One-77 will go on sale in 2011 and it will cost £1.25 million (US $1.99 million or €1.43 million).
By Csaba Daradics
Video: AMS
The 4-passenger Cygnet, based on Toyota's iQ city car, is meant to provide Aston Martin owners something more practical for daily use within cities and still offer said owners the level of exclusivity they desire. That means it can be ordered with all the same interior and exterior colors, leathers, and materials found on any other Aston.
While based on a Toyota, the Cygnet will officially be manufactured as its own standalone model - a coach-built compact, if you will - in Warwickshire, England. An official announcement has not been made regarding the power train, but it will likely get the iQ's standard 3-cylinder (possibly with a sport intake/exhaust setup).
By Phil Alex
_______________________________VIDEO_______________________________
Throughout the video you'll see some beautiful details of the million-dollar (actually £1.25 million) Aston flagship, including the side mirror mounts molded into the door shells and close-ups of the wraparound jewel-like tail light.
Dr. Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin, says, "The One-77 is approaching a production reality and of course, there is considerable excitement in the project. Now the next steps are all about details and refinement to complete the composition. I know the final car will demonstrate what the Aston Martin team is capable of."
Come 2011, sheiks, rulers, and Daniel Craig should expect to receive their own customized version from the 77 one-offs Aston intends to build. Hopefully at Paris we'll get a chance to see it in a new color.
By Phil Alex
Aston Martin's most exclusive vehicle to date, is also the automaker's fastest having already recorded a top speed of 220.007mph or 354.86 km/h during testing in December at a secret proving ground in southern Europe.
Aston Martin believes that its pride and joy can go even faster as the company had then pointed out that the 220mph velocity was achieved in "dry but windy conditions".
The One-77 is powered by a front-mounted 7.3-liter V12 engine pushing out somewhere around 750 horsepower and is expected to hit 0-60mph (96km/h) in 3.5 seconds.
All in all, Aston Martin plans to build a mere 77 numbered units of the One-77 - hence its name.
Aston Martin's four-door, high-performance sport saloon is powered solely by a mighty 6.0-liter V12 engine, the same one found in the DB9.
It produces a peak power of 477-horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque, enough to propel the four-seater Rapide from zero to 60mph in 5.1 seconds and on to a maximum speed of 188mph or 303 km/h. Watch the Rapide in action in the video after the jump.
The Aston Martin-ized Toyota iQ is shown towards the end of the clip and after a minute or so of some guys practicing the French freestyle/urban sport of Parkour that involves negotiating obstacles using just the human body.
To gear heads like ourselves, this film makes as much sense as Aston Martin's decision to go ahead with the Cygnet project... Video after the break.
Via: Autoblog.com
And the exotic supercar slaughter continues. However in all fairness, unlike the recent Bugatti Veyron and Ferrari California incidents in which their respective drivers were to blame, this crash that allegedly occurred in Warsaw, Poland, and involved an Aston Martin DB9 (or at least it looks like a DB9), may very well have been caused by the rain and slippery road conditions. If you pay attention in the beginning of the video, you'll see a DB9 in the top left corner slipping out of control and smashing into a tree and cutting it in half. Luckily the tree did not fall on the Aston Martin nor on any other car. Watch the video after the break.Via: Wreckexotics
Following the official unveiling of its all-new four-seater Rapide sports saloon at the Frankfurt Show in September, Aston Martin has now released a video with driving footage shot during the final stages of development. The three-minute long clip also includes scenes of the Aston Martin Rapide testing at the famous Nurburgring race track in Germany. You can check out the video right after the jump.
Aston Martin may not be ready to move journalists behind the wheel of the new Rapide for a test drive as the sports sedan is still undergoing development, but the British automaker did offer Autocar's Steve Cropley the chance to take a seat on the passenger's side as he joined the firm's development team during hot weather testing of the saloon in Kuwait.
Besides the fact that Cropley didn't look to be enjoying himself much, we kept two things from the video: one is that in our opinion, the Rapide's exterior styling doesn't seem to have the same effect on us as the concept did three years ago and the other is that judging by Cropely, the rear passenger area looks a little cramped for adults -let's not forget that it's a five-meter (197-in.) long sedan. Watch the video below and tell us what you think.
You never know when or where you're going to stumble upon a prototype model these days. This time some folks spotted a thinly disguised Aston Martin Rapide test car on the roads of Kuwait. Apparently the British automaker was performing hot climate tests on its forthcoming four-door sports sedan that is planned to get its first public outing at the Frankfurt motor show in September.First seen at the 2006 Detroit auto show as a prototype model, the production Rapide is almost identical to the 196.9-inch-long concept study. Due to go on sale in the beginning of 2010, the Rapide is powered by a 6.0-liter V12 engine which is rated at 480HP, and linked to a six-speed ZF automatic transmission with Aston's Touchtronic control.
Via: es.Autoblog
We can't seem to get enough of Aston Martin's One-77 elite supercar that was introduced in its final prototype form at the Villa d'Este car show in Italy last April. Luckily for us, there's always fresh news about the ultimate British sportscar. In this latest video, Autocar's Steve Sutcliffe interviews Aston Martin's boss Dr. Ulrich Bez who not only walks us around the car but he also treats us to some highly addictive sounds by firing up the One-77's 750HP V12 engine. Hit the jump to watch the video.Source: Autocar