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Aston Martin and Zagato will offer $7.9M limited edition sold only in pairs

Aston Martin and Zagato are planning to collaborate for a limited production run of a couple of incredible cars it's calling the DBZ Centenary Collection. There will be 19 DB4 GT Zagato Continuation cars and 19 DBS GT Zagatos made. These cars are only to be sold as pairs, meaning you get one DB4 and one DBS (based on the 2019 DBS Superleggera) when you buy. So why are Aston and Zagato doing this? Well, Zagato reaches its 100th anniversary in 2019, so a celebration is clearly in order. Aston Martin and Zagato have quite the storied recent and not-so-recent past. You might remember that Aston unleashed 25 DB4 GT Continuation cars sans Zagato earlier this year. The idea is the same here, but Zagato gets included on this project. Back in 1960, Aston Martin and Zagato had planned to make a 25-car run of Zagato-bodied DB4s. When demand wasn't high enough, it was cut off at 19, which explains why it's making 19 cars today as well. Aston and Zagato created those DB4s to race against others like Ferrari in the '60s, and the Continuation DB4 Zagato will be sold as a race car as well. Set to be built at Aston Martin Works in Newport Pagnell, England, the goal is to make the new car resemble the old as accurately as possible. At the same time, Aston is benefiting from modern engineering to make the car even better looking. So while it still uses a tubular frame and thin-gauge aluminum body panels, Aston also uses digital scanning technology to ensure the bodywork is absolutely perfect in fitment and consistency. Looking at the mechanical side of things, we've got an inline-six engine that makes 380 horsepower hooked up to a four-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential. That's significantly more power than the 331 hp DB4 Continuation that Aston made before. The commitment to looking and feeling the part is there, but we really wonder how the driving experience differs from that of a Zagato from the '60s. That's only the first half of the pair. Wealthy owners will also receive a DBS GT Zagato. It's unclear exactly what that car will look like just yet, because Aston has only provided us with what looks like a rough design sketch. It says we'll see a fresh take on the "double-bubble" roof, new grille and a truncated tail to differentiate it from the run-of-the-mill DBS Superleggera. As a reminder, the DBS Superleggera has a 5.2-liter turbocharged V12 that makes 715 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque.

Aston Martin Valkyrie gets insane 1,100-horsepower AMR Pro model

We still have yet to see the final production version of the road-going Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar, but that hasn't stopped Aston from creating an even more extreme version of the already radical car. It's called the Valkyrie AMR Pro, and it's lighter, more powerful, has more downforce, and is only for use on the track. Powering the Valkyrie AMR Pro is a version of the standard car's naturally aspirated hybrid V12. In this guise, Aston says it produces 1,100 horsepower, more than the standard car. That engine won't have much to carry around, either, since Aston is aiming to have the Valkyrie AMR Pro weight just about 1,000 kilograms, or about 2,200 pounds. To hit that weight, Aston is using lighter carbon fiber for the body, carbon fiber control arms, a lighter exhaust, polycarbonate windows, molded seats, and it has removed the HVAC fan and infotainment system. Fortunately, Aston is including heater elements in the windows so that they don't fog up in wet or cool weather. The Valkyrie AMR Pro's body shape is different, too, and it has been changed to increase downforce. It has usual changes such as large front and rear wings. It also has a tall center fin like that found on prototype and F1 race cars. The body itself is wider, too. All told, Aston expects the car to produce over 2,200 pounds of downforce. The combination of all these performance enhancements means the car can achieve a claimed top speed of 225 mph, as well as cornering forces of over 3G. Aston Martin didn't reveal pricing, but it doesn't matter. Aston already sold all 25 Valkyrie AMR Pros it will build. The company says that they'll be delivered sometime in 2020. Related Video:

James Bond's Aston Martin DB10 sells for $3.5 million

We expect the person that just paid 2,434,500 pounds ($3.48 million at current exchange rates) for James Bond's Aston Martin DB10 from Spectre enjoyed a stiff martini after writing the check to Christies. The sale price shattered the original estimate of at least $1.4 million. The proceeds from the coupe's auction went to Medecins sans Frontieres, and the movie's memorabilia brought a total of 2,785,500 pounds ($3.98 million) for charities. Aston Martin made just 10 examples of the DB10 to shoot Spectre, but the crew modified most of them to film the movie's stunts. This was one of two that the production left untouched. It's also the first DB10 available for sale to the public, and actor Daniel Craig signed the car. The DB10 features a carbon-fiber body that's perfect for the world's best known secret agent, and underneath the beautiful design, these cars have the platform, 4.7-liter V8, and six-speed manual gearbox from a V8 Vantage. Even though they use production-based parts, Aston Martin doesn't certify the DB10s for public roads. However, we presume the new owner has a sprawling estate to enjoy his or her purchase. Related Video: