2002 Aston Martin Db7 Vantage Coupe 2-door 6.0l on 2040-cars

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2020 Aston Martin DBS GT Zagato revealed with 'fluttering' grille, no rear window

The 2020 Aston Martin DBS GT Zagato has finally been revealed in new renderings of the production vehicle from the British sports car builder. This is the car that's only being sold in pairs with the continuation DB4 GT Zagato, and only 19 pairs of the two models will be built. It also looks a whole lot like its predecessor, the Vanquish Zagato. It has the rocket booster taillights, exaggerated rear fenders, double-bubble roof and enormous front grille, but there are differences, some of which are particularly unique. Take the front grille, for example: Besides lacking the dual round fog lights of the Vanquish example, the DBS grille is active. According to Aston Martin, the grille is made up of 108 individual pieces of carbon fiber, and when the car is shut off, they all move to make the grille solid and flush with the body. Then when the car fires up, they all move to allow air through. The company describes it as the car appearing to "flutter" to life. Then there's the roof, which is one piece of carbon fiber that stretches from the windshield to the edge of the trunk lid. It's a gorgeous piece that adds a two-tone look and highlights the double-bubble design. It also lacks any molded-in louvers to allow rear visibility. To get around that, Aston Martin has added a rear-view camera that displays images in a screen where the mirror would go, just like GM's mirror screen. Those are the most unique design tweaks, but there are more subtle ones, too. The whole car looks lower and longer than the Vanquish, in part thanks to the DBS' leaner body. The side vents are longer. The rear taillights are smaller and incorporated into a black finish panel. There also aren't deep side skirts. Instead, the rocker panels are rounded and tucked in like on a '60s sports car. Final specifications for the DBS GT Zagato are still unclear, but the company has said that the car will be based on the DBS Superleggera. That means it will have a twin-turbo 5.2-liter V12 making at least 715 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. That's significantly more than the Vanquish Zagato's 576 horsepower. Production begins in 2020, and pricing for this and its DB4 continuation partner is $7.9 million.

Aston Martin reveals Vantage GTE art car for Le Mans

The Gulf livery is undoubtedly one of the most iconic in all of motorsport, but at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year, Aston Martin will be running an altogether more original color scheme. Looking like something between a television test pattern and a 3D projection viewed without the requisite glasses, the livery is actually designed as an optical illusion, to distort perception and trick the eye into thinking the car is moving even when it's sitting still. Of course it still features the unmistakable Gulf logos, and is made up of alternating bars of orange, yellow, blue, and black. It's the work of German artist Tobias Rehrberger, renowned for his abstract experimental art, and will appear on the #97 Vantage GTE this coming weekend when the famous endurance race gets under way in Western France. ASTON MARTIN UNVEILS REHBERGER VANTAGE GTE - Aston Martin Racing unveils 24 Hours of Le Mans art car - Design revealed to racing fans in Le Mans town centre - Unique effects on Vantage GTE created by artist Tobias Rehberger 8 June, Le Mans: Aston Martin Racing is today unveiling a 24 Hours of Le Mans art car designed by artist Tobias Rehberger. The unique creation gives the Gulf #97 Vantage GTE the illusion of movement and speed, even when static. Rehberger is renowned for his abstract art and optical effects that distort perception and has received numerous international prizes and awards, including the Golden Lion for best artist at the 2009 Venice Biennale. Aston Martin Racing invited him to design a livery that would work with the Gulf Vantage GTE's lines and colours in a way never attempted before. Thirty years since the first art car ran in the 24-hour race, Rehberger set out to create a design that uses geometric shapes and patterns to give the car, when static, the impression of movement and speed. The German artist, who will attend Saturday's race as a guest of Aston Martin Racing, explained: "My design for the Aston Martin art car is rooted in my interest in distorted perception and related phenomena like auto moving patterns, optical effects, camouflage and visual confusion, which I have addressed in many works before. "In this case, the design is based on a geometric optical effect pattern.

Overnight action from the 24 Hours of Le Mans

We won't go into a recap here, but there are still leading positions being fought for in all classes - it's so close that leads are changing when a car goes into the pits. We'll let the recap wait until the end of the race, so for now enjoy some shots from last night's action at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.