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Aston Martin debuts its first F1 race car in 61 years — green is for go

LONDON — James Bond said he was thrilled, and seven-times Super Bowl champion Tom Brady threw in support from afar as Aston Martin showed off its first Formula One car in 61 years on Wednesday. The launch, presented online by "Quantum of Solace" actress Gemma Arterton, played up the 108-year-old marque's connection to the fictional British secret agent as the Silverstone-based team started a new era. "I just want to send a massive congratulations to all at Aston Martin for getting back onto the F1 grid for the first time since 1960," Bond actor Daniel Craig said in a video message. "It is an incredible thrill for me, and I'm sure all F1 fans, to see Aston Martin racing again in their iconic Aston Martin Racing Green. "Go take it to them. I'll see you on the grid." The new James Bond film "No Time to Die," due for release in September, features four Aston Martins — the agent's car of choice. Four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel, freshly arrived from Ferrari, and Canadian Lance Stroll will be the ones with the license to thrill and both liked the look of the sleek green AMR21 car that marks Aston's return as a constructor. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Brady offered his support in a video message for a team that last year, as Racing Point, finished fourth overall but won a race and were often third fastest. "Hey Lance and Seb, looks like your ride is finally here and it looks amazing," he said. "I'll be cheering you guys every step of the way...good luck and kick some ass." Lawrence Stroll, team owner and father of Lance, is also the executive chairman of Aston Martin and has big plans for expanding the brand and taking his team to the top. "I have dreamed about this day for a very long time," he said. "My first dream was to own a Formula One team. My second dream was to acquire a significant shareholding in Aston Martin Lagonda. Today is about the merging of those two dreams. "This is just the beginning. The team is pushing forward, and our ambitions are limitless. We now have the pieces in place, the people and the partners, to make real progress."  Related Video:

249 reasons you want to go to Goodwood Revival

At its most basic, Goodwood Revival is a long weekend worth of car races featuring cars made before 1970. There are lots of those, though, including some pretty great ones all over the world. But nothing is like Goodwood Revival because it's so much more than "just" vintage car racing.  First, you have to look the part. Attendees are strongly encouraged to dress in period clothing from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, with a strict dress code enforced should you want to enter the paddock. The goal is to create a more authentic atmosphere to match the cars and the meticulously restored and recreated paddocks, grandstands and other facilities of the reborn Goodwood circuit. Now, the dress code was relaxed this year since the Saturday was literally the hottest Sept. 9 on record in that part of England, and the organizers didn't want people dropping dead because they needed to wear an ascot. Some people definitely took the "relaxed" bit too far, but there was still plenty of atmosphere maintained. It really does make a big difference, as those "relaxed" individuals were often akin to seeing a Starbucks cup in a scene from "Game of Thrones."  You can see what I came up with below along with former Autoblog editor Reese Counts and various other Goodwood attendees. Second, there's the parking lot. But I'll let this entire separate post detail that. Third, there's the enormous carnival-like area featuring vintage-looking rides and various boutiques. Both of those are on the outside portion of the track, and honestly, you could easily just spend your entire day in the parking lot and carnival/shopping area without even crossing over into the circuit area. There you'll find more shops, food and drink opportunities, plus obviously, race car paddocks and the track itself.  Fourth, there are airplanes! I heard there are fewer than in the past, but they're there and they're cool. The Goodwood circuit started out life as the perimeter road around the World War II airfield RAF Westhampnett.  Fifth, with all of the above, Goodwood Revival really is fun for the whole family. It isn't just a bunch of old guys sitting around in lawn chairs. There are plenty of women and adorably dressed children, including babies in vintage prams. It's also not an event that's exclusively for the uber rich, even if they are certainly in full force given who has the sort of money needed to go vintage racing.

This is Aston Martin's sexy 580-hp Vanquish S Volante convertible

You might remember that we drove the Aston Martin Vanquish S earlier this month. That was the fixed top twin to this car, the S Volante, which we're getting our first look at. Since they're mechanically identical save the top mechanism, we can give you a sense of what the S Volante will be like. In a word, it'll be awesome. Remember, the Vanquish S twins are lovable dinosaurs in the powertrain department. Both feature a naturally-aspirated, 5.9-liter V12 – that means no turbochargers. It might make a healthy 580 horsepower at 7,000 RPM and an equally healthy 465 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 RPM, but it's an endangered species. It is, however, a sonorous beast with incredible throttle response (no lag!) – and it's backed up with the smooth, well-regarded ZF 8-speed transmission, just like the coupe. The similarities are fun, but the vive la difference. Especially in profile, with the top down, the Vanquish S Volante is beautiful. The small cowl humps are a racey, tasteful touch. There's almost assuredly some sort of weight penalty associated with choosing the Volante version, and there's definitely a cost penalty. The Vanquish S Volante will start at $315,775, or an $18,000 premium over the fixed-top version. From there, you can spend a lot more with various personalization options. Update: An Aston Martin representative told us there isn't an official Vanquish S Volante weight figure to release at this time. For reference, the old non-S Vanquish Volante was 232 lbs heavier than the coupe. The Vanquish S coupe weighs 3,834 lbs, so it's a save assumption that the Volante version will be slightly north of 4,000 lbs. We'll update you when an official weight figure is released. Both versions will hit US dealers in April. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Aston Martin Vanquish S Volante Aston Martin Convertible Luxury Performance aston martin vanquish aston martin vanquish s