2003 Aston Martin Db7 Vantage Coupe 2-door 6.0l on 2040-cars

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Aston Martin Valkyrie gets a track package, moves closer to production-ready

Aston Martin continues to trickle out news for the upcoming Valkyrie hypercar, and today it's telling us about an AMR Performance Track Pack that will be on offer. We've previously told you about the Valkyrie AMR Pro, which is a track-only version of the car Aston intends to build. This new package will be on offer to the 150 lucky folks who will be buying the road-going version of the Valkyrie. The Track Pack consists of a new front clam producing greater downforce, a second set of exterior body panels, a track-focused suspension lowered by 2 inches, titanium braking components and magnesium wheels with carbon fiber discs covering them. All this results in lap times that are supposed to be 8 percent quicker than the standard car — an impressive improvement over a car with bonkers performance to begin with. The only catch you might ask? With the Track Pack accessories fitted, the Valkyrie loses its road-legal status like the AMR Pro. You'll need to hand the car over to Aston for them to put it back to street-spec after your track day is done. Aston Martin also announced some customization options that will be available for the car. The only limit here is your pocketbook, folks, as Aston's personalization program, Q by Aston Martin, will be helping buyers make the cars exactly the way they'd like. Four designer spec themes will be offered to those not interested in total custom work. Wherever you see paint or trim, carbon fiber is most likely possible. Colors and material choices on the interior will be up to your imagination, as well. The wildest option available appears to be the Gold Pack, wherein 24-carat gold livery is laid under the paint. Check out all the pictures of custom examples Aston has come up with on its simulator up above — this is going to be one sweet car, not to mention the 1,000 horsepower 6.5-liter Cosworth V12 that revs to 11,100 rpm. Related video:

Aston Martin skids in stock market debut

LONDON — Shares in luxury automaker Aston Martin fell as much as 6.5 percent on their market debut in London on Wednesday as investors and analysts raised concerns over Aston's ability to deliver an ambitious rollout of new models. The company, which last year made its first profit since 2010 and has gone bankrupt seven times, had priced its shares at 19 pounds each, giving it a market capitalization of 4.33 billion pounds ($5.63 billion). The shares fell to as low as 17.75 pounds. Aston Martin has plans to launch a new model every year from 2016 to 2022. "(It) has very aggressive growth plans. The execution of that growth needs to be flawless — nothing eats cash more than a car company when the cycle turns. There is concern that it's more cyclical than the commentary has been," said James Congdon, managing director of cashflow returns specialist Quest. "The banks have done a good job for their client — but there's no bounce." Aston is going all-in Aston Martin — full name Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings Plc — expects to produce around 7,100 to 7,300 cars in 2019, and 9,600 to 9,800 cars in 2020. It aims to increase production to 14,000 cars in the medium term, helped by new models and improving its manufacturing process. The company is investing all of its cashflow to try to achieve this, leaving nothing for dividends or paying down debt. "In terms of execution risk — this is what I've done for all of my career. I'm an engineer: we mitigate risk," Chief Executive Andy Palmer, who has led a turnaround plan at the company since 2014, told Reuters. Palmer played down risks to the business from Britain leaving the European Union, even as other car manufacturers step up warnings over a disorderly Brexit. He said Aston Martin was "relatively well insulated" from the effects of Brexit because Europe is not its biggest market and it may actually benefit from exporting with a cheaper pound. However, 60 percent of its parts are imported from the EU and will be hit by tariffs if there is no trade deal. "Obviously we'd all prefer no tariffs to be frank, no doubt, but the industry has to learn to adapt, and it always has adapted to changes," Palmer said. Valuation In 2017, Aston Martin had adjusted earnings before tax interest, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of 206.5 million pounds, up from 100.9 million pounds in 2016.

Aston Martin V12 Speedster is a $950,000 exotic dream that's wild as the wind

The roofless, windshield-less, ultra-rare, ultra-expensive supercar space is getting busy. We had the Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2; then we got the McLaren Elva, and now the Aston Martin V12 Speedster is joining the ranks. McLaren will let you add a windshield to the Elva, but there’s no mention of glass when it comes to the Aston. Invest in some sturdy goggles. Revealed at Aston MartinÂ’s Gaydon HQ (instead of the canceled Geneva Motor Show), the V12 Speedster is designed to provide the most visceral driving experience in the Aston lineup. There will only be 88 of them, and pricing starts at $950,000. ThatÂ’s an absolute bargain compared to the Elva, which has a base price of $1.69 million. But if youÂ’re considering buying one of these, its price is likely the last question youÂ’ll have. Aston says the V12 Speedster is powered by its 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12, making 700 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque. ThatÂ’s mated to a ZF eight-speed automatic, sending power to the rear wheels. ItÂ’ll hit 62 mph in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 186 mph — get some heavy duty headgear for that trip. The platform itself is made by combining elements of the DBS Superleggera and Vantage. It has 21-inch forged, center-locking wheels, huge carbon ceramic brakes and adaptive dampers. But the design is what really caught our eye. ItÂ’s billed as “a living show car,” and we completely agree. The body is made almost entirely from carbon fiber. Miles Nurnberger, director of design at Aston Martin, detailed the designÂ’s inspiration in a statement. “ThereÂ’s clear lineage from the 1959 Le Mans winning DBR1 to our Centenary celebratory CC100 Speedster Concept in 2013,” Nurnberger says. “There is also a bit of 1953 DB3S in the mid-section, so it really is our latest incarnation of the Speedster concept. ItÂ’s also inspired by fighter jets as much as it is by our history, and it has been created to deliver an incredibly visceral experience, hence why it is a V12, rather than a V8.” The front hood nostril is especially eye-catching. Aston hasnÂ’t implemented this design touch on a car in a long while, and we love seeing it on a new vehicle like this. Nurnberger says it allowed for some extra space under the long hood that it needed for the V12, too. That interior is similarly stunning. ItÂ’s separated into two distinct cockpit areas by a slab of carbon fiber, but it still allows for interaction between the two people in the car below that piece.