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Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider loses roof, swaps doors, keeps the speed

The Aston Martin Valkyrie family has officially expanded to three models with the introduction of the Valkyrie Spider at Monterey Car Week. And as the name suggests, it's a convertible. The new roof required a few tweaks, but the car is still basically the same as the hardtop. The Valkyrie Spider's roof is a removable hardtop made of carbon fiber and featuring hinged polycarbonate windows on either side. This is to allow easier entry and exit with the roof in place. Also, because the roof is removable, the Spider couldn't have the gull-wing doors of the coupe. So Aston Martin reengineered it to have butterfly doors. A few other undisclosed aerodynamic changes were made, too. Though Aston Martin didn't say by how much, the company did say the Spider is a bit heavier than its closed counterpart. But owners are unlikely to really notice since they'll be working with the same 1,139 horsepower from the 6.5-liter V12. And really, even if the weight change were noticeable, it would probably be covered up by the fact that you'll be able to hear that engine much better. It's still extremely fast, capable of around 205 mph with the top off, and around 217 mph with the top in place. Aston will build 85 Valkyrie Spiders. No pricing or availability was given, and there's a distinct possibility all the examples have been sold already. The people who are lucky enough to get one should expect their cars to arrive in the second half of 2022. Related video:

Aston Martin and Airbus reveal ACH130 AM helicopter collaboration

The Aston Martin DBX is one of the brand's several recent forays into novel territory. In November, the carmaker unveiled a motorcycle co-created with Brough Superior, the AMB 001. A month later, the brand teased a liaison with Airbus Corporate Helicopters with the ACH130 model at its heart. Here we have the result after 12 months of planning, the ACH130 Aston Martin Edition. The exterior lines of the six- or seven-seat chopper most often used for "sightseeing services, charter operators, and emergency medical services" are unchanged. Aston Martin's creative hand came in composing four exterior color combinations and an interior embellished with the carmaker's hallmarks. The pictured ACH130 AM wears livery in Stirling Green that fades into Jet Black underneath, accented with Skyfall Silver cowlings. The remaining three choices use Xenon Grey, Arizona, or Ultramarine Black as their primary colors. Seats profiled to recall Aston Martin road cars can be dressed in hides of colored Oxford Tan, Pure Black, Cormorant, or Ivory. Brogue detailing decorates the strip of Pure Black ultra-suede running down the center of the front seatbacks, stopping at hand-crafted leather satchels affixed to the lower portions. The rest of the interior is trimmed in matching leather and Pure Black ultra-suede, with embossed Aston Martin wings "tastefully positioned throughout the cabin," and a plaque inscribed with the edition number of the particular ACH130 AM. The bird can be ordered as of now, with deliveries to begin this quarter. Aston Martin and Airbus didn't release the price, but a standard ACH130 costs $3.3 million before frills. That makes the ACH130 AM the most wallet-friendly offering among Airbus' carmaker collaborations; the Mercedes-Benz ACH145 costs about $8.5 million, the ACH160 developed with Peugeot's design consultancy requires roughly $18 million. Related Video:

The only road-legal Aston Martin Vulcan dressed up in bomber camo for Gumball

The Gumball 3000 is to cars what the Met Gala is to fashion. Whereas Gala guests are flexing their money with outrageous outfits and costly designer customs, Gumball participants show off with expensive and rare vehicles covered in eye-popping temporary skins. One of the biggest stars at the 2019 Gumball 3000 will be the only road-legal Aston Martin Vulcan in the world. This year, the Gumball 3000's path takes drivers from Mykonos, Greece, to Athens, Greece, to Thessaloniki, Greece, to Tirana, Albania, to Porto Montenegro, Montenegro, to Split, Croatia, to Venice, Italy, to Monaco, to Barcelona, Spain, to Ibiza Town, Spain. Approximately 114 teams will be participating in the ostentatious party rally, and few will have a car more special than the Vulcan. YouTube personality Mr. JWW will be behind the wheel of the Team 106 car, which is wearing a slick camo look that is inspired by the Avro Vulcan bomber used by the Royal Air Force (and featured in the James Bond movie Thunderball as another point of reference). JWW will also be joined by G. Stepanovs and S. Tompkins. Of the 24 Vulcans made, the one you see here is the only road-legal version of the bunch. In the video above, JWW shows exactly what makes it capable of driving on public roads. The mods include Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, an increased ride height, a different front splitter, a revised radiator, removed steering lock stops, revised steering rack, and an altered rear wing. The biggest adjustment is the addition of proper headlights, which give the Vulcan an entirely new front-end style. Aston Martin changed a few minor things inside, as well. Check out all of the features in the full video above, and watch the JWW and Gumball 3000 social channels this weekend and next week for ongoing rally coverage. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gumball 3000 (@gumball3000) on Jun 7, 2019 at 6:43am PDT