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Aston Martin likely to resurrect Vanquish name for Ferrari fighter

Aston Martin recently hosted press drives for the new DBS Superleggera in Germany. On the sidelines, Motoring spoke to the carmaker's chief creative officer, Marek Reichman. Answering the question of whether the coming mid-engined rival to the Ferrari 488, Lamborghini Huracan, and McLaren 720 S could revive a very important name for the brand, Reichman responded, "Without saying yes, that sounds like a plausible solution for a beautiful name like Vanquish." The Vanquish named first appeared from 2001 to 2007, returning from 2012 until retiring again this year on the Vanquish S (pictured). Although it's historically been used on the most powerful vehicles in Aston Martin's range, and both of them V12s, the latest flagship switched to two erstwhile monikers in combining DBS and Supeleggera. Reichman said the switcheroo "better reflected [the DBS% positioning than Vanquish." The future V-named coupe will be out to conquer every vehicle in the segment, not just in the family line-up. Still light on details at the moment, we expect the Mercedes-AMG-sourced 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 behind the seats, boosted by an electric motor. Reichman didn't shoot down the possibility of using an electric motor for e-AWD capability and all-electric driving. That motivation will power a body expected to go heavy on carbon fiber, active aerodynamics, and the wind-cheating prowess gained from partner Red Bull Racing and aerodynamicist Adrian Newey. After iterating through 12 scale models and three full-sized mock-ups so far, the creative honcho said the final car will "be the most beautiful mid-engined car on the road." The coming Vanquish will be car number five of Aston Martin's Second Century plan, aiming to deliver seven cars in seven years. The Aston Martin SUV will be the fourth when it enters production late next year, after the DB11, Vantage, and DBS Superleggera. The mid-engined screamer follows in 2020. Related Video:

Aston Martin expanding Lagonda Taraf availability outside of Middle East

Aston Martin has been working at reviving the Lagonda marque for several years now. But when it finally did with the Taraf sedan, it was initially prepared to offer it only in the Middle East. That apparently ruffled some feathers with prospective buyers in other parts of the world, which has prompted Aston to expand the super-sedan's availability to additional markets. Moving forward, the Lagona Taraf will now be available in EU-compliant markets, including the UK, Europe and South Africa, and will be offered in both left- and right-hand-drive configurations. Those will still need to be spread out, however, among the strictly limited run of 200 examples, to be built along the same small-batch assembly line responsible for other exclusive offerings like the V12 Zagato, the One-77 and the new Vulcan. The Taraf was launched a few months ago in Dubai, based on Aston's long-serving VH architecture and ubiquitous 6.0-liter V12. With styling inspired by the iconically wedge-shaped Aston Martin Lagonda sedan of the 1970s, it stretches longer than the Rapide for more interior space, and retails for an undisclosed price. Unfortunately, no announcement was made regarding potential availability in North America, so despite the expanded scope of the Taraf's market, it looks like we'll still be left out of the action. Reached for comment, Aston Martin told Autoblog that there's no update yet on US availability, but that the prospect remains unlikely. We'll sure to keep you posted if we hear otherwise, but given the confirmation of European availability, we wouldn't be surprised to see the Taraf on Aston's show stand in Geneva this week. ASTON MARTIN EXPANDS LAGONDA TARAF LUXURY SALOON AVAILABILITY - New Lagonda Taraf will be offered to customers outside the Middle East - Series production remains limited to 200 bespoke limousines - Super saloon will be available in left or right-hand drive 28 February 2015, Gaydon: Aston Martin is today announcing that the luxurious new Lagonda super saloon will be made available, in strictly limited numbers, to more customers around the world. Aston Martin will now accept orders for the Lagonda Taraf – the latest in a proud line of saloons revered worldwide as 'the finest of fast cars' – from prospective owners in more major markets.

Paul McCartney's Aston sells for $1.8M; Ringo Starr's old Mini goes to a Spice Girl

The Bonhams Bond Street auction in London was the place to be for fans of both The Beatles and automobiles as two cars once owned by former members of the band were up for auction. The first was an Aston Martin DB5 owned by Paul McCartney, and the second was a Mini Cooper owned by Ringo Starr. Both went for substantial sums, and the Mini went to an interesting owner. The Aston brought the big bucks, or pounds, since it was a British auction. The final price with premium was barely over $1.8 million, which fell smack in the middle of Bonham's estimate. It's an impressive price on its own, but more so when compared with its sale back in 2012. Back then it was painted in the same blue it had originally, and it only sold for $495,000, making this new sale more than three times higher. View 22 Photos The Mini went for much less, at just under $137,000 with premium. But the car went to an interesting owner, Geri Horner, nee Hollowell, whom you may know better as Ginger Spice of the Spice Girls. The Mini itself is interesting, too. Each of The Beatles owned a classic Mini at some point, but Ringo Starr's was unique because the flip-down tailgate was converted to a modern-style lift-up hatch incorporating the rear window. Reportedly the reason was so Starr could easily fit his drum kit in the back. It also featured a custom grille, driving lights, hood vents, and soft sunroof among other things. It even appeared on " Top Gear" in 2001. And before we forget, McCartney's DB5 also has " Top Gear" history in that it was owned by former host, Chris Evans. Related Video: Featured Gallery 1964 Aston Martin DB5 owned by Paul McCartney View 13 Photos Image Credit: Bonhams Celebrities Aston Martin MINI Auctions Coupe Hatchback Classics aston martin db5 the beatles