2020 Aston Martin Db11 Volante on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Aston Martin brings a Lagonda SUV concept to Geneva

The progress is quick: Just a year after Aston Martin brought Lagonda back to life at the Geneva Motor Show, the reborn brand will display an SUV at the same venue. The electric Lagonda All-Terrain Concept precedes and previews the first production Lagonda of the new era, according to Aston Martin. Earlier reports have suggested the SUV will be built starting in 2021 and the sedan in 2023. The All-Terrain Concept is styled in the same fashion as the swoopy Lagonda concept from 2018 (shown in the gallery below). And while the teaser photo only really shows the SUV's outline head-on, we can see wide hips and tall tires. In May, these renderings were released, and it's likely that the Geneva show car will have similar shapes and a hatchback. Even though there's no need to accommodate internal combustion engine technology, and more space can be dedicated to the passenger compartment, the renders look less cab-forward than for example the Jaguar I-Pace; in Geneva, we'll see how the concept shape has been developed further. Aston Martin's Andy Palmer says: "The Lagonda All-Terrain Concept offers explicit clues regarding what will be the first Lagonda model to enter production, and further demonstrates how Lagonda's zero emission powertrain enables us to create spectacular cars that will radically redefine their sectors of the market." Aston is also bringing customized sports cars to the show, showing a Vantage and a DBS Superleggera done by the bespoke Q by Aston Martin service. The Vantage is finished in Cosmos Orange with plenty of carbon fiber, and the DBS Superleggera features a dark, "Gothic" theme suitable for Bruce Wayne. There will also be a DB11 AMR on show. View 14 Photos Related Video:

Aston Martin is building eight Valkyrie prototypes, here's the first trio

Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing are still developing the high-performance Valkyrie supercar, and recently, Formula One drivers Max Verstappen and Alex Albon were given the opportunity to test out the prototypes. Verstappen and Albon were given the reins to verification prototype 1 (VP-1), while never-before-seen VP-2 and VP-3 lapped Silverstone at the hands of Aston Martin test driver Chris Goodwin and Aston Martin Racing World Endurance Championship drivers Darren Turner and Alex Lynn.  After publicly unveiling VP-1 at the 2019 British Grand Prix, Aston Martin recently brought two new verification prototypes into the fold. Aston Martin has been using the Silverstone circuit near Northampton, England, for its testing process, and it seems that will continue for the rest of the verification prototypes. In total, Aston Martin will build eight.   Aston Martin collects data and observations not only from its own test drivers and engineers but from its professional drivers too. For Albon, it was his first time seeing the car in person. In a press release, Albon offered some details about how the car will position itself to its customers.  "Obviously there’s still some development to do, but already it feels very good, especially the balance between the corners," he said. "ItÂ’s light; it feels sharp. Sure, compared to an F1 car, youÂ’re missing the outright downforce, but you still feel the Gs in the corners and it definitely reacts closer to an F1 car than a normal road car."  Aston Martin plans to have the Valkyrie tuned and ready for customers in the coming months, but don't expect deliveries to begin until the second half of the year. In related news, Road & Track cites a Racer report that says Aston Martin will pull back from its intentions to race the Valkyrie in the 2020–2021 World Endurance Championship and Le Mans. The report, which says a formal announcement is coming February 19, comes shortly after news that Aston Martin received an investment from Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll. 

Aston Martin Vantage Roadster goes fast, and so does its roof

Two years after the hardtop Aston Martin Vantage redefined the Vantage nameplate yet again, the coupe has dropped its top. Below the shoulder the Vantage Roadster holds true to nearly everything that compelled us to label the coupe "a significant milestone." Above the shoulder, a fabric top envelops an "ultra-compact" Z-frame that drops in 6.7 seconds and unfurls in 6.8. The carmaker says it's the fastest fully electronic mechanism out there, and operates at speeds of up to 31 miles per hour. Thanks to the frame's compact design, the car's lines don't differ much from the hardtop. Nor do the performance specs: The convertible gains 132 pounds over the fixed-roof, needs 3.5 seconds to hit 60 mph instead of 3.5, and maxes out at 190 mph, five miles per hour less than the coupe. Losing the rear hatch takes a bit out of luggage space, though, which declines from 12.4 cubic feet to seven. Aston Martin says the cubby will still swallow a full-sized golf bag and related paraphernalia. The Mercedes-AMG-sourced 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 delivers the full 503 horsepower and 505 pound-feet of torque. Engineers tuned the suspension, differential, driving aids, and driving modes specifically for the convertible. The carmaker has made its seven-speed manual transmission newly available on the coupe this year — it was offered previously only on the Vantage AMR — but the droptop is barred from the row-your-own party. The Vantage Roadster sticks with the ZF eight-speed automatic. Convertible buyers can avail themselves of other additional kit introduced this year to celebrate 70 years of the Vantage name, said first applied to a more powerful version of the 1951 DB2 called the DB2 Vantage. The potential extras include Aston Martin's historic vane grille as well as new wheel designs. Deliveries begin in Europe during Q2, U.S. shoppers can expect summer delivery. Pricing starts at $161,000, an $8,000 premium over the coupe. Related Video: