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London man keys $150k Aston Martin while pushing stroller

Police are looking for a man who was caught on a dashboard camera keying a supercar last month while out for a stroll with a child in east London. The Aston Martin V8 Vantage was sitting in a parking spot in the London borough of Hackney. It was minding its own business – with its dashboard camera running – when it caught the eye of man passing by. Not unusual for a sleek sports car, but what happened next was unexpected. Instead of admiring its British design from afar he angled the pram off the curb and walked toward the car. Footage shows he then took an object out of his pocket and dragged it along the side of the Vantage's aluminum body panel. The owner of the Vantage told the BBC the damage cost over $14,000 to fix. In terms of cars to destroy, this vandal has excellent taste. The Vantage is small, light, and agile. The most affordable version, the V8 Vantage GT, comes with a full leather and Alcantara cabin, with thick contrasting stitching, combined with real carbon fiber and wood finished in piano black. It can sprint from zero to 60 mph in about 4.6 seconds. News Source: BBC Auto News Weird Car News Aston Martin Videos viral video vantage scratch

Lagonda All-Terrain Concept previews electric SUV shaped by planetary forces

Coming soon to an ultra-wealthy desert oasis near you is Lagonda, the spinoff from Aston Martin that will be devoted to creating luxury cars rather than sports cars. They will be electric and have autonomous driving features, and although their final production guises are still to be revealed, the Lagonda All-Terrain Concept introduced in Geneva provides a second clue as to what a production Lagonda might be like. Whereas last year's Vision Concept was a road-going quasi-sedan that mostly centered on autonomous driving, the All-Terrain Concept is going for the Range Rover crowd. Taller and obviously a crossover, Aston Martin describes it as "an ultra-stylish, supremely luxurious, fully electric, emission-free vehicle that can transport its occupants to remote and spectacular locations." It certainly isn't bereft of adjectives. Like other EVs, the concept utilizes a skateboard-style vehicle platform that spreads the battery weight low throughout the floor, which not only raises that floor to provide a more SUV-like view out, but actually lowers the center of gravity for superior handling. It also makes the car very stiff, which allows for the All-Terrain Concept's rear-hinged coach doors and flip-up gullwing roof bits. "The Lagonda All-Terrain Concept adds a hugely exciting sense of adventure to the unique brand of luxury, emission-free vehicles that Lagonda is planning to produce," said Aston Martin Lagonda President Andy Palmer in the press release. "This is a car that would be at home whisking someone straight from a glamorous red carpet event to a remote scientific research lab." Remote scientific research lab? Good grief. Who does this guy thinks his customer is, James Bond? Oh wait. The Aston design team drew design inspiration from super yachts, which can mostly be seen in the rear-leaning tail and severely swept-back profile. The high ground clearance and chunky fenders imply a certain degree of ruggedness that's not entirely dissimilar to the Rivian R1S. In terms of other styling details, well, take it away press release. "The surfacing is incredibly futuristic, with forms and shapes that look like they have been created by the huge, planetary forces of gravity fields." Okey dokey. The rear hatch is described as having a clamshell design, and it houses a thin LED strip hidden beneath a lip. This allows the light to be beamed downward and reflected out, thereby concealing the actual LED elements from the viewer. Nifty.

Aston Martin Vulcan revealed with 7.0L V12, more than 800 hp

Herewith, Aston Martin would like you to turn your attentions to its Vulcan – in case the sound it makes or the flames it shoots weren't still on your mind. Those two sensory incitements come from Aston Martin's V12, but one that has been bored out from the usual 5.9 liters to 7.0 liters. We haven't been granted a precise horsepower figure yet, but it's quoted as being more than 800. That heart lies just in front of a carbon fiber monocoque and is wrapped in a carbon fiber body, those bits assembled by company motorsports partner Multimatic – the same Canada-based Multimatic that will be fashioning the body for the coming Ford GT. This is an FIA-approved treat for the track only, so it's got a pushrod suspension with adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars, a six-speed sequential transmission, carbon ceramic discs and adjustable anti-lock brakes with Brembo calipers, and adjustable traction control. The 19-inch wheels in back rest on 345-section Michelin tires. The bad news: there will only be 24 of them, so if you want one you should get on the phone this instant. If you can get your name added to the list, you might also wish to sign up for the racing development program offered with it. Factory pilot Darren Turner, he with two GT1 class win for Aston Martin Racing in 2007 and 2008, will "support owners on their learning journey" as they are coached at tracks around the world. Vulcan owners will get classroom lessons on top of practical instruction in wares including the V12 Vantage S and One-77 as they work their way up to getting the most out of their Vulcan. On top of that, they can book time in Turner's Base Performance Simulators for virtual driving time. Or for the money all of this is sure to cost, they could just have a simulator installed in one of their Mediterranean lake homes. For the rest of us, the Vulcan contains design cues we'll see in future Aston Martins. We could know more about that, and its specs, when it's unveiled next week at the Geneva Motor Show. There's a press release below for now. ON TRACK FOR GLORY: ASTON MARTIN VULCAN PREPARES FOR TAKE-OFF - Geneva global reveal for limited edition, track-only, 7.0-litre V12 supercar - Motorsport-developed technology for extreme on-track performance - Expert tuition, technical support and experience programme for owners 25 February 2015, Gaydon: Introducing the Aston Martin Vulcan – a track-only supercar and the British luxury brand's most intense and exhilarating creation to date.