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Aston Martin Rapide puts the future on display at CES

Aston Martin looks to be on the verge of a technological revolution. That includes a new platform, powertrain, design language... the works. And at CES, it's showing how its next generation of vehicles will incorporate new infotainment technologies, as well. Stemming from a partnership recently signed with Chinese company Letv (which we're not sure how to pronounce either), this Aston Martin Rapide S is decked out with bright tech. It has a 13.3-inch high-def touchscreen display in the center console, a 12.2-inch display in the instrument cluster, new speed-recognition technology, and remote services. All the features come from Letv's Internet of the Vehicle program. Few of these features are ground-breaking, but everything being relative, it's a big step for Aston Martin. After all, the British automaker makes almost all of its models based on a platform that dates back fifteen years, a V12 engine that's even older, and no transmission with more than a single clutch. But that's all about to change with a new generation on the horizon, and this demonstrator hints at just one way in which we'll soon see that transformation take shape. Related Video: LETV AND ASTON MARTIN REVEAL THE AUTOLINK RAPIDE S AT CES 6 January 2016, Las Vegas USA: Leading global technology company Letv and luxury sports car brand Aston Martin today revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show the first results of their collaboration – an Aston Martin Rapide S incorporating the latest Letv Internet of the Vehicle (IOV) system. Aston Martin and Letv signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on December 3rd 2015 to confirm research projects that include the development of connected electric vehicles through to manufacturing consultation on future electric vehicles. The ideation and engineering of the Aston Martin Rapide S project has been led by the Letv IOV team and has focused on a new concept for the centre console and instrument panel. The center console is now a 13.3 inch HD touch screen and the instrument panel is now a 12.2 inch screen incorporating electronic instrumentation and gauges. The original human-machine interaction (HMI) has also been updated by integrating Letvs latest speech recognition technology. Letv first showed its Autolink system in November 2015, the first time the technology company had released a product specifically developed for automotive applications.

2018 Aston Martin Vantage Drivers' Notes Review | English style, German heart

Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore — The Vantage continues Aston Martin's evolution as a modern sports- and supercar maker. This machine feels special. It's gorgeous and translates Aston's design language effectively. It sounds intoxicating. I blasted around Detroit's sleepy suburbs one chilly night and felt a bit like James Bond. The AMG-sourced V8 is well-calibrated and works smoothly with the eight-speed automatic. Pulling the paddles is obviously fun. The steering returned proper feedback with adequate weight. The chassis is tight but not abusive. Considering the Vantage has so much power and technical prowess, it's still imminently drivable. I was comfortable almost immediately, and it's the kind of car that left me feeling satisfied and wanting more. That's the essence of Aston. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Synder — The V8 Vantage holds a special place in my heart, and my heart was beating faster just looking at it in our parking lot. It's a gorgeous car, and it stands up to close inspection. I love the detail, the colors, the look of the materials and how they accentuate the car's design. That attention to detail is even more pronounced inside the car, where there's something interesting going on everywhere you look, including the headliner. Driving the car is a lot calmer than you might expect. Yeah, it's fast and a bit stiff, but not jarringly so. The AMG V8 and eight-speed transmission work wonders together. The acceleration is smooth and linear, with shifts happening in an instant, and without drama. Plus, I love the giant paddle shifters mounted on the steering column. They're thin, but extremely long, and they're always right where you expect them to be when you reach out with your finger. There were just a couple things that stood out to me as imperfect. On the infotainment interface on the center tunnel, the control wheel is tucked away, which helps keep you from accidentally bumping it, but makes it a little awkward to use. The other thing was that the whole driver seat moved around underneath me. I'm sure Aston saved some weight with these seats, but this didn't feel very securely attached to the floor. I forgot about both of those things as I found my way out of traffic and onto some curvy roads. This thing builds and carries a ton of speed with ease. And as good as it looks in its natural state of motion, this car was turning heads — and cellphones — when prowling through the parking lot.

Zagato reveals custom Aston Martin Virage Shooting Brake

Of all the pan-European collaborations, the decades-old partnership between Aston Martin and Zagato is among our favorites. It's a tie-in that dates back to the DB4 GT from 1960 and has materialized in numerous forms over the years since. What you see here is the latest. Unveiled today at the Chantilly Art & Elegance show in France, the Aston Martin Virage Shooting Brake Zagato follows in the same style as the DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial and the DB9 Spider Zagato Centennial one-offs revealed last year as part of Aston's 100th anniversary celebrations. It adopts a similar rectangular style to the previous two examples, but reinterpreted in a classic, low-slung, three-door wagon form to celebrate Zagato's 95th birthday. Completing the trilogy, this coachbuilt custom is based on the Virage model that itself was based on the DB9 and slotted in below the DBS until being discontinued two years ago. The atelier didn't reveal much in the way of technical details, but its underpinnings suggest it's powered by Aston's long-serving 6.0-liter V12 with 490 horsepower. Whereas the previous models were commissioned by American and Japanese collectors, the Shooting Brake was built for a European customer. This shooting brake follows in a long line of Zagato-bodied Astons including the aforementioned DB4 GT, the 1986 V8 Vantage Zagato and V8 Volante Zagato, the 2002 DB7 Zagato, the one-off 2004 Vanquish Roadster and the 2011 V12 Zagato. Scope out the latest in the quartet of images in the gallery above and the press release below. ZAGATO ATELIER ANNOUNCES THE WORLD DEBUT OF THE ASTON MARTIN VIRAGE SHOOTING BRAKE ZAGATO AT THE CHANTILLY ARTS & ELEGANCE CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE Chantilly, France (7 September, 2014) – For Zagato, 2014 is a very important year. It commemorates 95 years of continuous activity, innovative design and three generations of Zagato family leadership. Following the world debut of the Lamborghini 5-95 Zagato at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, Zagato Atelier continues celebrating its 95th anniversary with the grand debut of the Aston Martin Virage Shooting Brake Zagato at the Chantilly Art & Elegance. This mark's Zagato's second world premiere in 2014. This one-of-a-kind car was commissioned by a European client who desired an atelier-level, collectible modern car.