2005 Aston Martin Db9 With Only 12000 Miles on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Aston Martin tipped for F1 return with Red Bull, Mercedes

Aston Martin could be plotting a return to Formula One for the first time in over half a century. And not as a backmarker, either. That is, at least, if the latest rumors materialize. While most automakers that participate in F1 do so as either a team owner (like Ferrari and Mercedes) or as an engine supplier (think Renault or Honda), the rumored Aston Martin deal would take a different approach. According to Autosport, the proposal would have the Red Bull Racing team run Aston Martin branding – but not its engines. Those would be provided by Mercedes, just like the engines in the British marque's upcoming slate of road cars. In that regard, the deal would not be unlike the one which Red Bull currently has with the Renault-Nissan Alliance, which sees the team running Renault engines and Infiniti branding. Andy Palmer was a pivotal figure in brokering that unusual arrangement when he was working for Carlos Ghosn, and is now tipped to be brokering a similar deal in his new capacity as Aston Martin's CEO. Though Aston has found glory in sports car racing (including Le Mans and its various associated series), it was never much of a contender in grand prix racing. It competed in a handful of races in 1959 and 1960, but never achieved results worth bragging about. Aston was rumored to be plotting a return when David Richards sat as chairman of the company, having run Aston's racing program as well as Honda's F1 team previously. Those rumors, however, never materialized. Whether this time 'round gains any traction remains to be seen - Aston Martin declined to either confirm or deny the reports when reached for comment by Autoblog. Red Bull has been growing increasingly dissatisfied (and increasingly vocal about its dissatisfaction) with Renault engines over the past couple of seasons. Though the two parties won four back-to-back world titles together, things took a noticeable step backward after the new turbo engine regulations took hold for the 2014 season. Nissan/Infiniti and Red Bull are contracted to continue collaborating until the end of next season. After that is when the new Aston deal could take hold, and Mercedes is reportedly keen on the idea so that it could add another customer to its F1 engine supply business and offset the costs of development. That could effectively prove the end of Renault in F1 (at least for the time being). Aside from Red Bull, the French automaker currently supplies only that outfit's sister team Toro Rosso.

Aston Martin brings ice driving program to America [w/video]

With between four and six hundred horsepower channeled to the rear wheels from a V8 or V12 engine mounted up front, an Aston Martin – any Aston Martin, really – might not seem like the smartest choice for driving on ice and snow. But that can also make it the most fun, and the most enlightening to experience. That's the point behind the Aston Martin On Ice program: allowing customers to drive the latest Gaydon has to offer on slippery, wintery surfaces. But whereas the On Ice program has been established for years in St. Moritz, Switzerland and in the Swedish Lapland, this year it arrived in America for the first time. A series of custom tracks – including a braking/cornering loop, slalom, skid pad and a full circuit – were carved into the snow in Crested Butte, CO, where expert driving instructors taught customers a thing or two about how to handle a powerful twelve-cylinder GT car like a DB9, Vanquish or V12 Vantage. The program has concluded for the season, returning next February, but in the meantime Aston will use the Colorado base camp as the center of its driving experience through the Rockies. Check out the video footage and the details in the press release below. ASTON MARTIN... ON ICE - New US ice driving program launches in Crested Butte, Colorado - Affords customers the opportunity to drive full Aston Martin range in extreme winter conditions - Utilises custom-built Aston Martin facility Irvine, CA, 17 March, 2014 – Aston Martin has launched the company's first ice driving program in North America, hosted at Crested Butte, Colorado providing customers with the ultimate driving experience against a stunning mountainous backdrop. Offering customers the opportunity to experience the full potential of the Aston Martin range and hone their driving skills, the new On Ice program took place in the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains in a unique setting, with an ice track custom built for the occasion as illustrated in a new film from the event, released today. Comprising a braking/cornering exercise loop, slalom, skid pad and full circuit, the bespoke Aston Martin track was especially constructed for the occasion over the last four months. Under expert tuition, participants were guided through the facility, embarking upon a series of braking, cornering and handling exercises before putting their skills to the test on a mile-long frozen road course.

Top Gear caught filming Best of British near Buckingham Palace

YouTuber and car-fan extraordinaire Shmee probably had very little trouble tracking down the Top Gear film crew recently, as the group was putting together an episode that could accurately be described as "excessive." With its flag-waving (literally) Best of British theme, the TG guys gathered a jaw-dropping array of British cars, and parked them all right in front of Buckingham Palace to make extra sure that the point was driven home.
Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May were outfitted with a trio of Jaguar F-Types festooned with gigantic Union Jacks, with which to survey the landscape of British motoring glory. In the video below, you'll see that this includes any number of Mini, Aston Martin, Lotus, McLaren, Land Rover, Bentley and Rolls-Royce models (just to name a few), as well as a healthy dose of weird stuff that most people would never guess at being built in the UK. The lawnmowers and military vehicles are especially cool.