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Aston Martin says DBX is an obvious candidate for the AMR treatment

The 2021 Aston Martin DBX made its debut at the Los Angeles auto show with a Mercedes-Benz-sourced V8 engine under the hood. While that's the only engine that will be available at launch, the British company's chief executive confirmed there are several other options on the table. Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer told Road & Track the twin-turbocharged, 5.2-liter V12 found in models such as the DB11 AMR and the DBS Superleggera fits in the DBX's engine bay. On its own, that's not a guarantee that a V12-powered model will arrive; just because there's space to install a 12-cylinder engine doesn't mean it makes sense to drop it in. Palmer didn't confirm or deny that the DBX will gain four additional cylinders, but he stressed that Aston hasn't mined the DBX's full potential yet. "We'll probably do other engine derivatives, we'll do other spec derivatives. As you do with any lifecycle management," he explained without going into more details about what's next. The twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8 delivers 542 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque when bolted between the DBX's fenders, which means there's already room for improvement. The same engine makes 603 horses in the GLS 63 and GLE 63 S that Mercedes-AMG unveiled in Los Angeles, and its output checks in at 630 horsepower when it's under the GT 63 S's long hood. Swapping the V8 for a V12 would also bring the DBX's output above 600 horsepower — the DBS Superleggera's 5.2-liter packs a 715-horse punch — but it would put a Lagonda-sized dent in the vehicle's fuel economy. Aston Martin, like its peers, is under intense scrutiny in the emissions department. Time will tell which direction Palmer's team takes the model, but it's safe to bet we'll see a sportier variant. "We're committed to doing an AMR in every one of our range, so that would be an obvious candidate," Palmer told Road & Track. When it arrives, there's a good chance it will face serious competition from the long-rumored Urus Performante that Lamborghini is allegedly working on.

Aston Martin Vantage GT3 gets it done the old fashioned way [w/video]

Aston Martin may be looking towards the future with new product unveiled here at the Geneva Motor Show like the Vulcan track car and DBX electric crossover concept. But it's not about to leave its existing lineup behind. That's where the model you see here comes in. What you're looking at is the new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Special Edition. As you might have guessed, it's based on the Vantage that first arrived a decade ago, but has come a long way by now: where the original packed a 4.3-liter V8 with just 380 horsepower, the GT3 goes with Aston's long-serving 6.0-liter V12 tuned to 592 horsepower. That's more powerful than anything this side of the One-77. Of course Aston didn't just toy with the engine and then head to the pub. It also replaced many of the body panels with carbon fiber and junked anything extraneous to cut the curb weight by 220 pounds (compared to the V12 Vantage S), fitted it with a more aggressive aero package and mounted semi-slick tires on a wider track. Only 100 examples will be offered, so if you're not on the list, the closest you're likely to get is in the slideshow of live images from the floor of the Geneva Palexpo. Featured Gallery Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Special Edition: Geneva 2015 View 10 Photos Related Gallery Aston Martin Vantage GT3 View 22 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Geneva Motor Show Aston Martin Coupe Performance Videos 2015 Geneva Motor Show aston martin v12 vantage aston martin vantage gt3

Aston Martin Valhalla project rebooted with Mercedes-Benz technology

Aston Martin will leverage its access to the Mercedes-Benz parts shelf to revise the Valhalla it plans to release in the coming years. Specifications haven't been finalized yet, but the supercar will most likely arrive with a German heart. Announced in early 2019 as the Project 003, and named Valhalla later that year, the Ferrari-punching model was on track to make its debut with a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 mounted behind its passenger compartment. Aston Martin proudly pointed out that the six was the first engine it developed in-house since the Tadek Marek-designed 5.3-liter V8 entered production in 1969. These plans changed after Daimler purchased a 20% stake in the firm, however. Aston Martin boss Tobias Moers (whose last position was at the head of Mercedes-AMG) told investors that his team is "re-assessing" the Valhalla, and that it will "probably have a different drivetrain" than the concept. He didn't reveal what the model will be powered by, and he stressed that nothing is off the table. Mercedes-Benz has a wide range of four-, six-, eight-, and 12-cylinder engines in its parts bin, plus hybrid technology and electric motors. Electrification remains in the pipeline regardless of the path the company chooses to take. "With the transformational technology agreement with Mercedes-Benz, there are other chances for us regarding combustion engines, but we still have an electrified drivetrain," he said without providing more specific details. It sounds like Aston will make visual tweaks to the Valhalla, too, because Moers revealed that buyers will be shown an updated version of the car in the next four months. It's unclear whether it will be presented to the public, too. Regardless, the car's introduction is tentatively scheduled for late 2023, so it will likely arrive here as a 2024 model. Moers confirmed that a plug-in hybrid model with what he described as "a reasonable electric range" will join the Aston Martin range in the coming years, too. He added that three new variants of the DBX, the firm's first SUV, are on their way as well. One is a plug-in hybrid. Details about the others aren't known, but another could be a sportier version positioned at the top of the range. Finally, the first electric Aston Martin will arrive in about 2025.