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Aston Martin considers offering new Lagonda Taraf outside of Middle East

Aston Martin officially took the wraps off its new Lagonda sedan in Dubai on Monday, revealing the luxury limousine in all its glory and revealing its nameplate as Taraf – derived from the Arabic word for "luxury" (not for some Kurdish starlet). A fitting name, since it will only be offered to select customers in the Middle East, where a large number of its '70s-era predecessors have found homes. But while the model was clearly and emphatically targeted at the Persian Gulf clientele, Aston Martin is reportedly considering offering the Lagonda Taraf in other markets as well. Both Car and Top Gear are citing Aston's new chief executive Andy Palmer on the matter from the unveiling in Dubai: "I can confirm today that we are also evaluating the opportunity to offer this Lagonda in other markets." Whether it would carry the Arabic name along with it, we don't know. Nor do we know, for that matter, if the US would be among those markets which Aston would consider selling the sedan. "We have enjoyed excellent levels of interest in the Lagonda and we are investigating possibilities for other markets besides the Middle East," said Matthew Clarke, the company's spokesman for the Americas, in correspondence with Autoblog. "However, we can't add any more or be any more specific at this very early stage." Understandable, of course, but we hope to hear good news in the near future.

Aston Martin begins building continuation DB5 with fake machine guns

We could have written this sentence in 1963: "Aston Martin has launched production of the DB5." Then, it would have referred to a shapely new coupe introduced to the popping of flash bulbs to replace the DB4. In 2020, it signals that the first batch of "Goldfinger"-spec continuation cars announced in 2018 by former CEO Andy Palmer are nearly ready to roar out of the Aston Martin Heritage Division's workshop in Newport Pagnell, England.  Workers build each DB5 from scratch, they're not starting with a donor car, and the process takes approximately 4,500 hours (or six full months). The firm explained it builds cars by hand using period-correct manufacturing techniques when possible, but it's not opposed to embracing modern engineering advancements when needed. Aston Martin enlisted the help of EON Productions, the company that makes James Bond films, to ensure the continuation cars are accurate replicas of the DB5 used in "Goldfinger." Most of the gadgets that wowed movie fans on the big screen are accounted for, including a rear smoke screen delivery system, a simulated oil slick delivery system, a set of revolving license plates to fool the bad guys, and twin machine guns hidden behind the headlights. Fear not; they're fake, so you don't need to invest in an armored Mercedes-Benz G-Class if you spot a new DB5 in your neighbor's driveway. Buyers can pay extra for a hatch above the passenger-side front seat. Inside, the add-ons include a telephone integrated into the driver's door, a radar screen tracker map (which is also fake), and a tray used to store weapons under the seats. Watch your elbow if you're lucky enough to ride in one: Some of the buttons used to activate the aforementioned gadgets are integrated into the armrest. The aluminum hood hides a 4.0-liter straight-six engine that slurps gasoline through three SU carburetors to deliver about 290 horsepower. It spins the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission and a mechanical limited-slip differential. Aston is also installing disc brakes all around and non-assisted rack-and-pinion steering, so the continuation cars will accelerate, handle, look and sound like a DB5 should. Aston Martin is only making 25 examples of the modern-day DB5, and it priced each one at GBP2.7 million (about $3.3 million at the current conversion rate). Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the second half of 2020, which is when the DB5 will return to the big screen in the next installment of the James Bond series.

Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro | Screaming Viking from the Valhalla of speed

This summer, two years after Aston Martin debuted the 800-horsepower, track-only Vulcan, the English carmaker unveiled the harder, faster, more-aero-focused Vulcan AMR Pro. We still haven't seen the final version of the road-ready Valkyrie, but as of right now we know Aston Martin's 's how-fast-can-you-go roadworthy jewel will get a track-only Valkyrie AMR Pro flavor. Detailed specifics will need to wait, but we're told to expect lap times rivaling "recent Formula One cars." For perspective, insider trading on the Valkyrie road car suggests 1,130 horsepower and a 2,270-pound curb weight. A naturally aspirated, 6.5-liter V12 takes credit for most of those horses, the remainder coming from a Rimac-developed, F1-style kinetic energy recovery system. Yes, that Rimac. The Valkyrie AMR Pro will send owners to a g-force-induced Valhalla, having more power, less weight, and "significantly increased downforce." The designers used a lighter grade of carbon fiber, replaced the windscreen and side windows with polycarbonate, traded for a lighter, molded racing seat, threw out the infotainment system, installed carbon fiber wishbones on the new suspension uprights, and bolted on smaller, 18-inch wheels that will fit the same Michelin tires used on LMP1 cars. Beyond larger front and rear wings and new programming for the active aerodynamics, Adrian Newey's team tweaked every aero surface. Powering all that with a lustier, remapped 6.5-liter V12, Red Bull simulations show the Valkyrie AMR Pro capable of close to 250 miles per hour. Sustained cornering forces should hit 3.3g. Thanks to F1-style carbon brakes, deceleration force tops 3.5g. Here's more perspective: the Telegraph spoke to Red Bull F1 in 2010 about in-car g-forces, and wrote, "Breath control is crucial — you cannot breathe freely above 3g because to do so would expose you to the risk of passing out." Since those numbers hint at something like ground-based flying, Aston Martin has sensibly organized a ground-based flight school. Owners will get "an intensive and comprehensive driver development program" that takes advantage of the same facilities and simulator used by Aston Martin Red Bull Racing F1. Fitness training comes with it. If you haven't signed the paperwork for a Valkyrie AMR Pro, you're too late. Twenty-five examples — one more than the Vulcan AMR Pro — will be produced, with expected delivery in 2020, and all are sold. Related Video: