2006 Aston Martin Db9 Volante on 2040-cars

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Supercar parade entering highway is mesmerizing

In what must have looked and sounded to motorists on the M6 like an invasion of The Swarm, a parade of 50 enthusiast gems leaving a charity event were caught shooting down the on-ramp and merging into traffic. There were plenty of Porsches joining the 959 and Ducktail above, Aston Martins going back to the badboy V8 of the last millennium, a Ferrari Testarossa, a TVR and numerous other Easter eggs.
There were not, however, plenty of turn signals, with someone counting just five among the fifty engaging in proper use of the blinker. One reason put forth for that is the same reason we're posting this video, which is from last Summer, below: "because supercar." Enjoy.

Movie Review: Spectre

I had only been sitting for two minutes in the screening of the twenty-fourth installment of the James Bond franchise, Spectre, before I met a fanatic. Sporting a James Bond 40th Anniversary Omega Seamaster ("number 007 of only 1007 made", he told me, beaming with pride), he boasted of his travels to the Furka Pass in Switzerland, to visit the location of the Goldfinger car chase, and of his Silver Birch Aston Martin DB5, the same car Sean Connery piloted around those treacherous roads just over fifty years ago. He bought it a while back for $125,000, and foolishly sold it a few years later for $160,000 (a mint 1965 DB5 will easily fetch over $1 million at auction today). The discussion of his Aston Martins continued, including his current Vantage and DB9, until the theatre started to fill up and the lights went down. This kind of automobile and movie culture is unique to Bond. 007 may have his signature drink, "shaken, not stirred," but just as famous are his cars, which, for a great number of films, are Aston Martins. This started fifty years ago, in the aforementioned Connery flick, Goldfinger, and the tradition has continued in Spectre, with a bespoke two-door coupe fittingly tagged the DB10. This latest Bond car is more concept than production. Built around the current V8 Vantage VH platform, the DB10's handsome styling is a look into the future for the British manufacturer. Perhaps outshining Bond's chariot are the cars of the villainous organization after which the movie is named, a highlight being the beautiful the Jaguar C-X75, driven by the eye-gouging villain, Hinx (Dave Bautista). The Jag is introduced when Bond infiltrates a Spectre meeting. His attendance doesn't go unnoticed, leading to a C-X75 vs DB10 race around Rome's midnight streets. Those who are going to see Spectre for the great car cinematography, prepare to be disappointed. The scene ends early on when – spoiler alert – 007 dumps the DB10 in the bottom of a river. Spectre is the longest of the 24-film canon, and due to an overstuffed second act, it feels like it. The first hour is fantastic, revealing enough of Bond's backstory to get the audience hooked, but somewhere in the second act we lose our way, torn between two predictable story lines.

Aston Martin opens new factory to build key first SUV

ST ATHAN, Wales — Aston Martin opened a new factory in Wales on Friday to build the British automaker's first sport utility vehicle, key to its hopes of a turnaround after a poor performance this year sent shares tumbling. Aston launched its DBX model last month, hoping that more female buyers will help boost sales after a year in which it has so far posted a pre-tax loss due to weaker-than-expected demand for its sports cars, particularly in Europe. "The opening ... is a hugely important milestone in the companyÂ’s growth plan and integral to our ambitions as a global luxury brand with a presence in all major sectors of the market," said Chief Executive Andy Palmer. The St Athan site near Cardiff in south Wales is the 106-year-old firm's second car plant after its existing site in Gaydon, central England. Aston has seen its share price fall by around 75% since a stock market flotation in October 2018 as the global automotive industry faces the challenge of falling demand in several important markets and the need to spend more electrification. On Thursday, Autocar magazine reported that Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, owner of Formula One team Racing Point, is preparing a bid for a major stake in Aston Martin, prompting its shares to rally. Aston declined to comment on the report.   Featured Gallery 2021 Aston Martin DBX: L.A. 2019 View 40 Photos Plants/Manufacturing Aston Martin SUV