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2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Volante breaks cover

With less than a month to go before the official unveiling, it appears that the 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera has been spied in Volante convertible form. The car is very clearly related to the DB11 GT sports car currently available, but with a number of updates. It should also be lighter (hence the Superleggera name) and more powerful. The most notable exterior change is in the front fascia, particularly the main grille. The traditional Aston grille shape has been stretched downward in the style of the Rapide and the Vantage AMR Pro. It also ditches the classic slats for an aggressive black mesh. Flanking the grille are two large air inlets that surely provide more cooling to the engine. Their positioning would be ideal for brake cooling, too. On the hood, the new DBS Superleggera gets two large vents right in the middle. Based on a teaser image, there will be Superleggera badging in a classical script next to the vents. The hood also has a bit of a raised dome down the middle. Moving around to the side, the car is basically unchanged save for deeper side skirts. The rear also lacks much in the way of changes. It has sprouted an additional pair of exhaust tips. Interestingly, each side has a small tip and a large one. We're not sure if this is a stop-gap measure for the prototype, or if the different-sized tips will be a production feature. When the car is revealed in June, it will come with a version of the twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter V12 found in the DB11. It will almost certainly have more power than existing DB11 models, meaning it will have more than the 630 horsepower of the DB11 AMR. Rumors have even indicated as much as 700 horsepower. With the Superleggera name, it will likely be lighter than existing DB11s, too. And of course, expect a price above other DB11s. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera spy shots View 24 Photos Image Credit: SpiedBilde Spy Photos Aston Martin Convertible Luxury Performance Supercars aston martin db11 aston martin dbs superleggera

Aston Martin confirms new platform under development

It's been thirteen years since Aston Martin introduced the original V12 Vanquish. The model was effectively been replaced twice over by the time it reached its Bar Mitzvah, but its underlying platform is still around. And not just around, either: it underpins everything Aston makes and has made ever since it came on the scene, save for the Cygnet and the One-77 supercar. That includes the V8 and V12 Vantage, the short-lived Virage, the new Vanquish, the DB9, DBS, V12 Zagato and even the four-door Rapide. But while it may seem like forever that Aston's been using the VH platform, it won't be around forever more. In announcing its positive financial results for 2013, Aston Martin CFO Hanno Kirner confirmed: "We are engineering a completely new architecture and technologies to ensure that our next generation of sports cars is at the forefront of design, performance and technology." The new platform is expected to underpin the next generation of Astons Martin, and will be powered by a new V8 engine being developed by Mercedes-AMG, similar to the arrangement that sees V12s furnished to Pagani for the Huayra. Whether an AMG-developed V12 is also in the cards for Aston Martin remains to be seen – the company ran on V8 power alone from the mid 70s (when its six-cylinder engine was retired) until the Ford-developed DB7 brought six- and then twelve-cylinder power. That aging but glorious 6.0-liter engine, by the way, still powers the vast majority of the company's lineup. The platform and associated technologies are being funded by the influx of capital from shareholders Investindustrial, Primewagon and Adeem Investment and by a 13-percent increase in revenue due to the launch of the new Vanquish Volante and V12 Vantage S, as well as the company's expansion into new markets like Mexico and Thailand. It wasn't long ago that upon spending a week with the company's Vanquish coupe that we fell just short of love, wondering aloud how long Aston could weather its uncertain financial picture while still relying heavily on elderly technology and drivetrains cradled in elderly platforms. We now appear to have our answer, and we like what we're hearing. Aston Martin Holdings (UK) Limited Full Year Results 2013 28 April 2014, Gaydon: Aston Martin Holdings (UK) Limited is today announcing full year results for the 12 months ended 31 December 2013.

UK car output falls 14% in March, may get worse with no-deal Brexit

LONDON — British car output fell for the 10th month in a row in March, hit by a slowdown in key foreign markets, and the sector stands to suffer a lot more if the country leaves the European Union without a deal, an industry body said on Tuesday. Output tumbled by an annual 14.4 percent to 126,195 cars in March, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said. Exports, which account for nearly four out of every five cars made in Britain, were down by 13.4 percent. The SMMT said analysis it had commissioned predicted output would fall this year to 1.36 million units from 1.52 million in 2018, assuming London can secure a transition deal with the EU. If Britain has to rely instead on World Trade Organization rules for its trade with the bloc, which include import tariffs, output is forecast to fall by around 30 percent to 1.07 million units in 2021, returning to mid-1980s levels, the SMMT said. The forecasts were produced for SMMT by AutoAnalysis, a consultancy. Prime Minister Theresa May has secured a delay to the Brexit deadline until Oct. 31, giving her more time to try to break an impasse in parliament over the terms of Britain's departure from the EU. Foreign minister Jeremy Hunt traveled to Japan earlier this month to try to persuade the Japanese government and Toyota, which has a big presence in Britain, that London was determined to avoid a no-deal Brexit. "Just a few years ago, industry was on track to produce 2 million cars by 2020 — a target now impossible with Britain's reputation as stable and attractive business environment undermined," SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said. "All parties must find a compromise urgently so we can set about repairing the damage and diverting energy and investment to the technological challenges that will define the future of the global industry." (Reporting by William Schomberg, editing by David Milliken)