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Aston Martin to race with solar power

Aston Martin may be more about luxury GTs than performance-obsessed supercars, but when it comes to racing, it's no holds barred. Aston Martin Racing has developed competition-spec versions of the Vantage and DB9, and even done a few LMP1 prototypes. But while some have been powered by V8s and others by V12s, the one underlying commonality is that they have all – in contrast with championship-winning diesel and hybrid prototypes – been powered exclusively by internal-combustion engines burning gasoline. That's what makes this announcement noteworthy. At Le Mans last weekend, the factory team announced a partnership with the Hanergy Global Solar Power & Applications Group that will see solar panels installed on the roof of the Vantage GTE it fields in the World Endurance Championship. Only the thin panels won't be powering the wheels, boosting the engine somehow or powering the batteries for a hybrid assist. They'll be used to power the air conditioning system. Which may seem inconsequential, but when you consider that the AC typically saps power from the engine – and it can sap quite a lot on a hot race day – that could amount to a serious performance advantage while keeping the drivers comfortable. While the system wasn't ready to use at Le Mans last weekend, temperatures at the French track don't get too high, so the air-con wouldn't likely be a big factor. The team (operated on Aston's behalf by Prodrive) does expect, however, to have the system up and running in time for next round at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, where it can get insufferably hot. Aston and Hanergy also hope to install the system on the V12 Vantage GT3 and V8 Vantage GT4 it supplies to customer teams, and install solar panels on the roof of the new facility Prodrive is building in Banbury, UK. Aston Martin Racing Joins Hanergy in Solar-Powered Project Le Mans, 13 June 2014 - Banbury, 13 June 2014 - Aston Martin Racing has signed a partnership agreement with solar technologies experts Hanergy Global Solar Power & Applications Group, in a project exploring how the sun's energy can be used to improve race car performance at the pinnacle of sportscar racing, the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), starting with the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend (14-15 June).

Enterprise adds Aston Martin DB9, Rapide S to rental fleet

It'll cost you at least $100k to put your name on the title of a new Aston Martin, but if you just want one for the day Enterprise will soon be able to hook you up. The car rental company just announced a deal with the British automaker to bring its grand touring to locations across the US as part of its Exotic Car Collection. Enterprise will place the DB9 and Rapide S initially in select markets, including Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, San Francisco, SoCal, Miami, Naples, Orlando, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Las Vegas. So if you're anywhere above the Mason-Dixon line, you'll have to sit tight. While Enterprise has locations in Boston, Indianapolis, Seattle, Toronto, and DC (not to mention Nashville and Austin), those fleets aren't getting their Astons just yet. Enterprise can also hook you up with a variety of other exotic machinery, including an Audi R8, BMW i8, Bentley Continental GT, Chevy Corvette, Ferrari California, Jaguar F-Type, Maserati GranTurismo or Porsche 911. Prices vary, but they're not cheap. Related Video: Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Aston Martin Agreement Offers Exotic Car Collection Renters New High-End Vehicles ST. LOUIS, April 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Ever dreamed of getting behind the wheel of an Aston Martin DB9 or Rapide S? Starting today, Enterprise Rent-A-Car can make that dream come true. The brand has announced an agreement with Aston Martin that brings the DB9 and Rapide S sports cars to the Exotic Car Collection by Enterprise, in select locations throughout the U.S. Through the agreement, Enterprise Holdings, the world's largest car rental company and which owns the Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand, will carry the largest fleet of Aston Martin vehicles available for rent compared to any other car rental company. The Exotic Car Collection was founded in 2006 to meet customer demand for luxury vehicle rentals. Today, there are more than 30 locations in cities throughout the country, and expansion into new markets throughout North America continues at a rapid pace. "We pride ourselves on providing high-end renters with access to some of the most sought-after vehicles on the planet, and our consistent growth continues to reinforce strong demand for these luxury rentals," said Brice Adamson, senior vice president, Enterprise Holdings. "This agreement with Aston Martin is a terrific addition to our Collection.

Aston Martin appears to be testing a V12 Vantage in these spy photos

For a few years now, the Aston Martin Vantage has been without V12 power. It's technically been without Aston Martin power, too, since its twin-turbo V8 comes from Mercedes-AMG. But that may change in the near future based on these spy photos from the Nurburgring. They show a Vantage, but one that's wider and with exhaust that suggest it may get a few more cylinders like its close cousin, the V12 Speedster. Staring us down is the prototype's enormous front grille, taller and wider than standard Vantage units. It's flanked by two smaller inlets and underlined by an aggressive front splitter. The whole front seems to be wider, as evidenced by the mismatch around the front fender and hood. Speaking of the hood, there's a big mesh "V" sitting on top to cover what are likely heat-extracting vents, which would probably be important for handling the heat from a twin-turbo 5.2-liter V12. Changes at the back are a bit more subtle, but only a bit. The rear fenders have large fender flares, suggesting the production car will also be wider at the back with correspondingly larger tires. There's a little gurney flap on the rear spoiler, so we may see a more aggressive spoiler in production. We also see a center exhaust instead of each of the dual pipes on the ends of the rear diffuser. This exhaust looks a lot like what Aston used on the V12 Speedster, itself based on the Vantage, but without the roof section. This is probably the strongest evidence that the car has the extra cylinders. With Aston clearly knowing how to shove a V12 into a Vantage chassis, and the high-end sports car market's never-satiated desire for more powerful and rarer items, a V12 Vantage seems like a slam-dunk product. The question will be, what output will it make. The V12 Speedster made 700 horsepower, but it was a limited-production special edition. The V12 Vantage could get the DB11's 630-horsepower variant to give the Speedster a bit of breathing room. And that would still be a nice power increase over the 503 horsepower of the regular Vantage. Based on these spy shots, we'd bet we have around a year before we see the production model, maybe a little less, maybe a little more. Related Video: