Aston Martin DB2/4, page #4

Auto blog

Aston Martin DBX Bowmore Edition is distilled luxury with a whisky theme

Aston Martin, one of the best-known British carmakers, is joining forces with Bowmore, one of the best-known Scotch whisky distillers, to create a limited-edition version of the DBX. Designed by the company's Q division, the Bowmore Edition is a cocktail of modern luxury and old-school craftmanship for car and whisky enthusiasts alike. It takes a well-trained eye to tell the Bowmore Edition apart from the regular DBX in traffic. It's painted in a relatively subtle color named Bowmore Blue, though buyers can alternatively order Xenon Grey. Black brake calipers and black wheels come standard, but our favorite exterior feature is on the side strakes. They gain copper inlays cut out of the original Bowmore still. Q by Aston Martin badges round out the list of visual tweaks. Buyers can choose between a single- and a two-tone interior. Both feature copper and blue tweed inserts created by the Islay Woollen Mill that's located on the same island as the Bowmore distillery. More still-sourced copper accents are found on the bottom of the front cupholders and on the sill plates, and each car comes with an array of edition-specific accessories, including a tweed picnic basket and a leather holdall bag. Aston made no mechanical modifications to the DBX Bowmore Edition, so please don't pour single malt in its fuel tank. Power comes from a twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8 engine borrowed from Mercedes-Benz and tuned to develop 542 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. It spins the four wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission. The DBX posts a 4.2-second sprint to 60 mph and it can tow up to 6,000 pounds when properly equipped, which represents about 2,000 bottles of whisky — or a few hundred less if you factor in the trailer. Q by Aston Martin will build 18 units of the DBX Bowmore Edition. Deliveries will take place in the fourth quarter of 2021, but customers won't simply be handed the keys before being sent home. They'll first travel to Edinburgh, Scotland, where they'll pick up their SUV. They'll then take a 170-mile road trip through the fairy tale-like Scottish countryside before boarding a ferry for Islay for a three-night stay. Participants will eat, sight-see, visit the Bowmore Distillery, and hand-fill their own bottle of 39-year-old whisky straight from the cask, which is not bad as far as souvenirs go. Pricing hasn't been released yet, but the standard DBX starts at about $190,000. Related video:

Aston Martin investor says demand is 'phenomenal,' returned first in China

LONDON - Carmaker Aston Martin is seeing "phenomenal" demand, boosted by a rebound in China, the company's executive chairman and billionaire investor Lawrence Stroll said on Friday. "Demand right now is phenomenal," he told the Financial Times' "The Future of the Car" digital conference. "China really returned first and strongest, and is gangbusters." Stroll led a consortium which invested in Aston earlier this year as the carmaker struggled following its 2018 stock market flotation, after which its share price slumped. Since then a new chief executive has taken over and the 107-year company, famed for being fictional agent James Bond's car of choice, did a deal in October which sees German carmaker Daimler up its stake in the firm. Shareholders approved the latest capital injection plan on Friday. Stroll said Aston's current growth trajectory meant "the public markets are the right place" for the firm whilst eying an increase in the value of its shares, which stand at 79 pence ($1.06). "They'll be significantly worth more than they are today," he said. Reporting by Costas Pitas, editing by David Milliken and Louise Heavens

Zagato receives a pair of 600-hp Aston Martin V12s for its private collection

Enthusiasts who missed their chance to buy the limited-edition Aston Martin V12 Zagato released in 2012 are in luck. British manufacturer R-Reforged received permission from both brands to build 38 more cars, split evenly between coupes and convertibles, and it has just completed the first prototypes in its Warwick, England, facility. Fittingly, the first pair was ordered by Andrea and Marella Zagato, and it's headed for the coachbuilder's private collection. The roadster is finished in a darker shade of gold, while the coupe is painted silver, and each color shows up again on the center console. Both cars ride on the same center-locking 19-inch wheels, and they receive a plaque in the engine bay that certifies they were built specifically for Mr. and Mrs. Zagato.  R-Reforged didn't settle for copying and pasting the original blueprints. It made small but significant changes to the cars, including giving the front end a new-look splitter and redesigned fenders. Zagato's signature double-bubble roof remains, but the rear end gains active aerodynamic components that keep the car planted on the ground at autobahn speeds without altering its lines. Carbon fiber body panels help offset the system's weight. Power still comes from a 5.9-liter V12, but it has been tuned to develop 600 horsepower, an 80-horse increase over the original V12 Zagato. Suspension and chassis modifications make the car lower and wider, too. Just 19 pairs will be built in the coming months, and pricing for the duo starts at $2.2 million. Twelve workers make each car by hand, so building one takes up to 16 weeks. R-Reforged told Autoblog there are still some build slots left, but the catch is that the coupe and the convertible are exclusively sold as a pair, which is good news for people who buy supercars like they buy flip-flops. From there, anything is possible. Buyers can request that both cars be built to the exact same specifications, or they can work with the design team to personalize each one.

Aston Martin and Mercedes will share F1 safety car duties

LONDON — Aston Martin is set to join Mercedes next season as a provider of Formula One's official safety cars, according to media reports on Tuesday. Racefans.net reported that Aston Martin would supply safety and medical cars at 12 of the 23 scheduled races in key markets, with the existing Mercedes cars used at the rest. It said Aston Martin's new DBX SUV, which uses a Mercedes-AMG V8 engine, would be used as a medical car. There was no official confirmation from Aston Martin or Mercedes. Sources indicated to Reuters that the report was accurate, however. Mercedes has been the official provider of the cars, which are deployed in the event of an incident or bad weather to keep the field lapping safely, since 1996 but that deal runs out at the end of this year. A shared supply would make sense for both carmakers, who already have close ties. Aston Martin's executive chairman Lawrence Stroll also owns the Racing Point team, who will race as Aston Martin from next season with four times world champion Sebastian Vettel arriving from Ferrari. Mercedes, a part of Daimler, is set to raise its stake in Aston Martin to up to 20% by 2023. Toto Wolff, principal of the Mercedes factory team, also has a private stake in Aston Martin. Related Video: Motorsports Aston Martin Mercedes-Benz F1

This Aston Martin DB9 with 104,000 miles on it makes us happy

The typical Aston Martin DB9 for sale has something like 14,000 miles on it, but 4,000 is pretty typical and a "high-mileage" example would be less than 40,000. And remember, the DB9 went on sale 16 years ago, lasted until 2016, and there isn't as much correlation between age and mileage as there are with other cars. Also remember, Aston Martins usually sit in garages collecting far more dust than, quite obviously, miles. Which is why we're oddly proud of this 2005 Aston Martin DB9 for sale that has 104,854 miles on it ... and the original owner who had the audacity and awesomeness to drive it that much. Good job, buddy. The second owner, prior to selling it to selling dealer, put only 4,000 miles on it since 2015. This plucky Aston-that-could is painted in what seems to be California Sage green with a Cream Truffle interior. With all those miles, such a light-colored leather is definitely showing its age and there's plenty of wear on the driver seat (especially the side bolster), but it's actually not that bad. The leather seats of cars with far fewer miles can look much worse. In fact, the interior in general looks great for such a high-mileage car, a testament to its owner's maintenance and Aston's materials and build quality. As mentioned earlier, it's rare that the latter gets tested so rigorously.  Now, would buying an Aston Martin DB9 with 104,845 miles on it be a good idea? Sure doesn't seem like it. Then again, buying a used Aston Martin always seems like it would be an expensive proposition, and maybe actually being driven has kept it in better working order? Maybe? The CarFax does show consistent service over the years. Of course, that could mean it was breaking all the time, but would you really keep something around that was breaking all the time?  Ultimately, the problem here is the price: Motor Car Classics in New York is asking $39,900 for it. A quick scan of Autotrader reveals DB9s with exponentially fewer miles for around the same money or even less. That includes Volante convertibles. This 2005 is only $4,000 more and has 36,000 miles. This one is also $4,000 more, but has 14,000 miles. However, pricing cars like this is very difficult and certainly none of those other DB9s were as well loved and enjoyed as this audacious green trooper. 

Aston Martin reboots its EV offensive with Mercedes-Benz technology

Mercedes-Benz will provide Aston Martin the technology it needs to enter the electric car segment, according to the British firm's top executive. Its first battery-powered model is scheduled to arrive in 2025 at the earliest. As we've previously reported, Mercedes will increase its stake in Aston Martin to 20% by 2023. In exchange, it will grant the company access to its hybrid and electric powertrains. It's a win-win situation: On one hand, Mercedes can leverage the benefits of economies of scale. On the other hand, Aston Martin (which is far smaller) is able to access turn-key technology without spending an exorbitant amount of money on development. Executives are consequently rebooting Aston Martin's on-again, off-again electrification offensive. Its first electric model will be built using Mercedes-Benz-sourced technology when it goes on sale in 2025 or 2026, according to Automotive News Europe. Company boss Tobias Moers (who ran Mercedes-AMG until earlier in 2020) clarified the platform will come from Germany, but there's no word yet on whether the motor and the battery will, too. However, he confirmed plans to resurrect the Lagonda name on an electric-only sub-brand have been canceled. "Lagonda has a different purpose for the future. Electric-driven cars are supposed to be Aston Martins," he said. Hybrids are in the pipeline, too, including a gasoline-electric version of the high-riding DBX. Engineers were previously developing the technology in-house, but the project could end up in the automotive ash heap now that more Mercedes powertrains are in the picture. Moers affirmed he hasn't decided which route to take yet. "We are still working on that [hybrid drivetrain], but now we have alternatives. It's too early to say," he noted. Aston Martin will release the mid-engined Valhalla in 2021, and the plug-in hybrid DBX will begin rolling off the production line in 2023. Several new models will make their debut that year, Moers promised a "product firework," and it's reasonable to assume most will be available with some degree of electrification. He predicted every fourth or fifth car Aston Martin sells in 2024 will be electrified in one way or another. Green blues Aston Martin's path to electrification hasn't been smooth. In 2015, it joined forces with China-based LeEco to build an electric variant of the Rapide, but it was forced to finish the project on its own after its partner canceled the deal due to financial issues.

Driving the BMW M2 Competition, Honda Odyssey and Toyota RAV4 Prime | Autoblog Podcast #651

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by West Coast Editor James Riswick. This week, they talk about driving the BMW M2 Competition, Honda Odyssey and Toyota RAV4 Prime. Then they discuss James' experience testing the new Yakima CBX cargo carrier, Autoblog readers' preference for the GMC Hummer EV over the Tesla Cybertruck, and Mercedes-Benz taking a larger stake in Aston Martin. Lastly, they help James' father find a new car in the Spend My Money segment. Autoblog Podcast #651 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2020 BMW M2 Competition 2021 Honda Odyssey 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime Testing the Yakima CBX Cargo Carrier on the Subaru Outback 75% of Autoblog Twitter follower prefer the GMC Hummer EV over the Tesla Cybertruck Mercedes-Benz to boost stake in Aston Martin to 20%, lend it some tech Spend JamesÂ’ fatherÂ’s money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

Mercedes-Benz to boost stake in Aston Martin to 20%, lend it some tech

Daimler unit Mercedes-Benz is to lift its stake in Britain's Aston Martin to up to 20% by 2023, making it one of the struggling British carmaker's largest shareholders, Aston said on Tuesday. Aston Martin, popular for being James Bond's carmaker of choice, has suffered a torrid time since it went public two years ago, with its shares losing two-thirds of their value this year. The 107-year-old firm hired Tobias Moers, former CEO of Mercedes-AMG, as its new boss from August. Aston said the increase in Mercedes-Benz's stake, from 2.6% currently, would take place in several stages as part of a wider issue of 250 million shares at 50 pence each. The stock issued to the German group will have a maximum value of 286 million pounds ($372.7 million), it said. The deal will see an existing supply agreement between the two firms, in place since 2013, expanded to give Aston Martin access to key Mercedes' technology, including hybrid and electric drive systems. "We take another major step forward as our long-term partnership with Mercedes-Benz AG moves to another level, with them becoming one of the company's largest shareholders," said Aston's chairman and biggest shareholder Lawrence Stroll. The German firm will get the right to nominate one non-executive director to Aston Martin's board after its first shareholding increase, the London-listed firm said. Aston, which has started deliveries of its first sport utility vehicle, the DBX, said on Tuesday it swung into an adjusted core loss of 29 million pounds in the third quarter, versus a profit of 43 million pounds last year. Revenue in the period nearly halved to 124 million pounds, it said. Aston Martin is targeting annual capex of 250 million pounds to 300 million pounds per year between 2021 and 2025. It envisages production volumes of about 10,000 units, revenues of about 2 billion pounds and adjusted core profit of 500 million pounds by financial years 2024 or 2025.

Aston Martin and Mercedes-Benz expand collaboration

Aston Martin on Tuesday expanded a deal with Daimler to access the German automaker's technology, including its hybrid and electric drive systems, in exchange for new shares as the struggling British luxury carmaker's new boss drives changes. The company will place 250 million new shares with new and existing institutional investors at 50 pence (currently around 65 cents) a share, said the 107-year car maker that hired Tobias Moers, former CEO of Mercedes-AMG, to become its boss from August. The new shares issued would increase the size of Mercedes-Benz's stake to no more than 20% by 2023 from the current 2.6% in several stages. "We take another major step forward as our long-term partnership with Mercedes-Benz AG moves to another level with them becoming one of the Company's largest shareholders," said Chairman Lawrence Stroll. The German firm would get the right to nominate one non-executive director to Aston Martin's board after its first shareholding increase. The James Bond car maker, which has started deliveries of its first sport utility vehicle, the DBX, reported third-quarter adjusted core loss of 29 million pounds compared with a profit of 43 million pounds last year and revenue that nearly halved to 124 million pounds. Related Video:

The Aston Martin DBS Superleggera leads this month's list of discounts

The average price of a new car in America last year was $35,932. This month, the biggest discount off the retail price of a new car in America is awfully close to that figure at $34,001. For those keeping track (as we do every month with a post like this one), that's by far the largest discount we've seen so far this year, and it means buyers of the 2020 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera are paying an average transaction price of $273,819. The British automaker calls the DBS "the ultimate production Aston Martin." With a 715-horsepower V12 engine pulsating underhood, sufficient to push this grand touring coupe from 0-60 in a skosh over 3 seconds and on to a top speed of 211 miles per hour, who are we to argue? If that's too rich for your blood — and let's be honest, it's still a whole heck of a lotta money — the next biggest discount might be at least a little more attractive. According to data provided by TrueCar, buyers of the 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT are seeing discounts of $23,103 off the car's average sticker price of $159,995. That's a heck of a lot of car for $136,892, though admittedly still expensive. But at 14.4% off retail, it's a better deal than the $132,122 average transaction price of the 2020 BMW M8. The BMW's $16,497 discount equals 11.1% off the M8's $148,619 sticker. For a look at the best new car deals in America based on the percentage discount off their suggested asking prices, check out our monthly recap here. And when you're ready to buy, click here for the Autoblog Smart Buy program, which brings you a hassle-free buying experience with over 9,000 Certified Dealers nationwide. Featured Gallery Aston Martin DBS Superleggera View 33 Photos Aston Martin BMW Mercedes-Benz Car Buying Convertible Coupe Luxury Performance Supercars consumer car values biggest discount