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Force India: 'Door still open' for Aston Martin partnership

Force India says a partnership that would bring Aston Martin back to Formula 1 remains a possibility for the future, despite talks last year failing to produce a deal. The Silverstone-based outfit had hoped to tie up a partnership with the British sportscar manufacturer for 2016, but in the end the discussions fell through. However, while the matter is off the table for this year, Force India's COO Otmar Szafnauer says his outfit is still hoping that it can resurrect the idea and bring Aston Martin on board for 2017. "I don't think the answer is no," Szafnauer told Motorsport.com. "It was just for 2016 we won't be collaborating. But we will have further discussions later on with Aston to see if there is a possibility for future years." Rules key Szafnauer said that the talks with Aston Martin had been "serious", but thinks that key to completing an agreement will be in F1 delivering a platform of rules that entices the manufacturer in. "For 2017 there is still a possibility and the door is still open," he said. "We will reconvene again and see if there is any possibility for the future. "There were just some decision-making points that were unknown at that time. And they just needed more time to see what the sport was doing about the engine and some other things. "They need to have some of those answers before they can make that decision of entering Formula 1 or not. And only time would give them those answers." When asked if finalized 2017 regulations would be a help, he said: "Well, that's one of the things. "So when those 2017 regulations are sorted out, everybody knows and then people can make decisions like: 'Do I like them or not?' "But if you're trying to guess what those are, than people say: 'Oh, let me wait and see.' That is exactly one of the reasons. To understand what the regulations are going to be in 2017." Related Video: This article by Jonathan Noble originally appeared on Motorsport.com, the world's leader in auto racing news, photos and video.

Aston Martin's front-engined sports cars getting big upgrades for 2023

On an investor call in March 2021 to go over financial results for the year 2020, Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers told listeners that the automaker's range of front-engined cars were going under various knives to get a "full refresh." At last, thanks to voluminous commentary provided at the launch of Aston Martin's AMR22 Formula 1 car, we have some idea of what Moers' meant. When Autocar spoke to carmaker CEO Lawrence Stroll, he told the outlet the DB11, DBS, and Vantage were going to be like "all-new cars" after receiving upgraded powertrains, suspensions, and infotainment systems. It sounds like there could be design tweaks in store as well, the honcho claiming, "There's no similarity at all to the current cars" save for "some carry-over" in the rear quarters. Autocar believes the AMG-sourced M177 twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 in the DB11 and Vantage will get more power, both of those coupes furnished with 503 horses from that mill at the moment. Meanwhile, the AMG GT 63 S four-door coupe is getting 630 horses from the same engine, more than the 600 hp Aston Martin elicits from its in-house, 5.2-liter V12. It will be interesting to see if the V12 is pushed further in order to retain the same daylight between it and the V8. Alongside this, Stoll told Bloomberg the next 18 to 24 months will bring us electrified versions of the entire model portfolio. The DBX will likely come first, in the next 18 months, with performance that will match or exceed the recently launched DBX707. The hybridized "front-engine program" will follow on its quad pipes. The interiors will take a luxurious step up thanks to the arrival of touchscreens. Before the English firm's tie-up with AMG, it used Volvo-sourced infotainment screens, a necessary cost-saving measure but one that wasn't up to the standards of the brand. Moving to the Mercedes-based system improved the perception, but Aston Martin had to agree to using three-year-old Mercedes technology, another move that didn't fit the standards of the brand. As Stroll asked rhetorically yet rightly, "How can you have an Aston Martin that sells for GBP150,000 with three-year-old technology?" To be clear, we're still taking about underlying Mercedes tech, but the up-to-date stuff that, furthermore, will issue directives with "a proper English accent." The results of the upgrade program are anticipated to reach dealer in 2023, perhaps as 2024 models.

Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition adds more power, downforce

Well, it seems we were onto something, Aston Martin really did give us a pace car edition of the Vantage. Or, in F1 parlance, a safety car edition. It's technically called the Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition, and fortunately, it's not just a Vantage with a fancy paint job. It actually boasts several performance improvements that it shares with the real safety car. You can even see some of those upgrades. The car features a front splitter and canards, rear wing, and under body tweaks. They all allow the F1 Edition to make an additional 441 pounds of downforce at top speed over a standard Vantage. Though not majorly affecting performance, the Vantage F1 Edition also receives a slatted grille, carbon fiber accents, quad-tip exhaust, exclusive 21-inch wheels, and a matte dark grey stripe. Only three colors are available, Aston Martin Racing Green, black and white, all three of which can be matte or gloss. Inside, the car gets black leather and grey Alcantara with your choice of green, black, grey or red stitching and center stripe. The F1 Edition gets extra power, too. The twin-turbo 4.0-liter AMG V8 makes 527 horsepower, an increase of 24, though torque is unchanged at 505 pound-feet. An eight-speed automatic is the only transmission available, and Aston Martin says it has been retuned to shift faster. Acceleration and top speed don't change, with 0 to 60 happening in 3.5 seconds for the coupe and 3.6 seconds for the roadster. The coupe's top speed is 195 mph and the roadster's is 190. Besides the extra grunt, the F1 Edition gets stiffer springs and retuned shocks along with a steering rack that Aston says provides better feedback. To pick up one of these upgraded Vantages, you'll need $162,000 for the coupe. Pricing hasn't been given for the roadster, but it will likely cost a bit more. Aston is taking orders now, and cars will be delivered to customers and dealers starting in late summer this year. Related Video: Aston Martin DBX in Stirling Green | On road, off-road and on the track