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Aston Martin considering three new model lines

With a new captain at the helm and flush with development cash, Aston Martin is undertaking an ambitious revitalization. The company provided some new details on that plan at the Shanghai Motor Show this week. Called the Second Century plan, the steps outlined by the company's new chief executive Andy Palmer include replacing every model in Aston's lineup by the end of this decade – now less than five years away. That's a pretty aggressive plan, but one that critics would say is sorely needed for a company with a model line as antiquated as Gaydon's. But that's not the end of the story. In addition to replacing its current models, Aston's revitalization plan also calls for adding "up to three new model lines" to its range. Now we already knew that the British automaker is working on bringing the DBX crossover concept to production, as well as a Lagonda sedan more widely available than the strictly limited Taraf. But just what that third model line would be, we don't know at this point. We could be looking at a new sports car, an additional Lagonda model (perhaps a larger crossover) or something else entirely. One thing's for sure, though: Aston isn't about to reskin one of its current models and call it a day as it has been (to considerable effect, mind you) for much of its recent history. It has a new platform under development, a new deal with Mercedes to provide engines and other technologies, and an influx of R&D funds provided principally by its new stakeholder Investindustrial. All of that adds up to a breath of fresh air being blown into the century-old automaker the likes of which it hasn't seen since Ford rescued it from obscurity in the 1990s and gave most of the building blocks it's still using today. ASTON MARTIN LAGONDA LOOKS AHEAD IN CHINA - Asia show debuts for DBX Concept and Lagonda Taraf - Comprehensive product renewal and expansion ahead - Aston Martin underlines commitment to the Chinese market 20 April 2015, Shanghai: Luxury British car brand Aston Martin Lagonda is confidently looking to the future at the 16th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, with CEO Dr Andy Palmer leading the company into an exciting new era reaching far into the next decade. For the first time in China the innovative DBX Concept and exclusive Lagonda Taraf were unveiled, spearheading Aston Martin's display at the show.

Everybody's doing flying cars, so why aren't we soaring over traffic already?

"Where's my flying car?" has been the meme for impending technology that never materializes since before there were memes. And the trough of disillusionment for vehicles that can take to sky continues to nosedive, despite a nonstop fascination with flying cars and a recent rash of announcements about the technology, particularly from traditional automakers. Earlier this month, Toyota applied for an eye-popping patent for a flying car that has wheels with spring-loaded pop-out helicopter rotors. The patent filing says the wheels/rotors would be electrically powered, while in on-land mode the vehicle would have differential steering like tracked vehicles such as tanks and bulldozers. At an airshow in July, Aston Martin unveiled its Volante Vision Concept, an autonomous hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle it developed with Rolls-Royce. Aston says the Volante can fly at top speeds of around 200 mph and bills it as a luxury car for the skies. Audi used the Geneva Motor Show in March to unveil a flying car concept called the Pop.Up Next it developed with Airbus and Italdesign. If the Pop.Up Next, an electric and autonomous quadcopter/city car combo, gets stuck in traffic, an app can be used to summon an Airbus-developed drone to pick up the passenger compartment pod, leaving the chassis behind. Audi said that the Pop.Up Next is a "flexible on-demand concept that could open up mobility in the third dimension to people in cities." But Audi also acknowledged that at this point it has no plans to develop it. The cash-stoked, skies-the-limit Silicon Valley tech crowd is also bullish on flying cars. The startup Kitty Hawk that's backed by Google co-founder Larry Page announced in June that it's taking pre-orders for its single-seat electric Flyer that's powered by 10 propellers and is capable of vertical takeoffs and landings. The current version can only fly up to 20 mph and 10 feet in the air and has a flight time of just 12 to 20 minutes on a full charge. The Flyer is considered a recreational vehicle, so doesn't require a pilot's license. Uber says it plans to launch its more ambitious Elevate program and UberAIR service in 2023. "Uber customers will be able to push a button and get a flight on-demand with uberAIR in Dallas, Los Angeles and a third international market," Uber Elevate promises on its website.

1965 Aston Martin DB5 Shooting Brake: Rare, stylish, practical, and up for auction

Have you ever looked at a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 and thought, "I would totally buy one, but it's just not practical enough." If so, we're a little surprised, but at least you're not alone. According to RM Sotheby's, David Brown, the man who ran Aston Martin for several decades and started the line of DB models that continues today, felt similarly. Apparently he couldn't fit his polo gear into a regular Aston coupe, and he wanted somewhere for his dog to sit that would keep it from tearing up the seats. As such, the Aston Martin DB5 shooting brake was created for him and a few wealthy customers by coachbuilder Harold Radford. The grand total was 12. One of those 12 cars is going up for auction by RM Sotheby's. It's one of four built with left-hand drive and was sold to a Swiss buyer who optioned it with a power antenna, seat belts, passenger-side head rest, air horns and initials on the doors. The car has had two other owners and has gone through a couple restorations. The second owner picked it up in 2003 and had it restored by Aston Engineering, which bumped the displacement from 4.0 liters to 4.2 and replaced the factory automatic with a 5-speed manual. The second owner acquired it in 2009 and upped the displacement even further to 4.7 liters along with upgraded shocks and springs. The car will be auctioned at RM Sotheby's Monterey event during the week of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The company expects it to sell for between $1,000,000 and $1,400,000. Considering the rarity of the car, that doesn't seem terrible, but according to the Hagerty price guide, it's rather high. It values the DB5 Shooting Brake at $790,000 for a concours-quality car. For reference, Hagerty values a concours-quality DB5 coupe at $1,450,000.