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Aston Martin to display first DB4 GT Zagato Continuation at Le Mans

Aston Martin has announced its new DB4 GT Zagato Continuation series will officially debut at this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. The race is this weekend, June 15-16, and the first completed vehicle of the 19-car continuation production will be displayed at Aston's premises trackside. The DB4 GT Zagato Continuation #1 wears Rosso Maja paint, a hue which is not that common on classic Astons, but suits its flanks well. The interior is done in black leather, and the car comes with full FIA-specification roll cage. It takes Aston's Heritage Division some 4,500 hours to build one of these cars, so the words "artisan craftsmanship" aren't lightly thrown around. But like Aston Martin announced earlier, it is using modern technologies such as a digital body buck to help build these cars, even if traditional aluminum panel beating methods are also still in use. The body of this first car was readied in April. The car's engine is a 390-horsepower, 4.7-liter straight six that is coupled to a four-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential. The manufacturer remarks that the DB4 GT Zagato Continuation is the most expensive new Aston Martin on sale, and that can't be far from the truth: Prices for the "DBZ Century Collection" start from 6 million pounds, or $7.6 million, and the price will include a matching DBS GT Zagato delivered in the fourth quarter of next year. Customers will receive their DB4 GT Zagatos during Q3 of 2019. Featured Gallery Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato Continuation View 19 Photos Image Credit: Aston Martin Aston Martin

Aston Martin confirms new platform under development

It's been thirteen years since Aston Martin introduced the original V12 Vanquish. The model was effectively been replaced twice over by the time it reached its Bar Mitzvah, but its underlying platform is still around. And not just around, either: it underpins everything Aston makes and has made ever since it came on the scene, save for the Cygnet and the One-77 supercar. That includes the V8 and V12 Vantage, the short-lived Virage, the new Vanquish, the DB9, DBS, V12 Zagato and even the four-door Rapide. But while it may seem like forever that Aston's been using the VH platform, it won't be around forever more. In announcing its positive financial results for 2013, Aston Martin CFO Hanno Kirner confirmed: "We are engineering a completely new architecture and technologies to ensure that our next generation of sports cars is at the forefront of design, performance and technology." The new platform is expected to underpin the next generation of Astons Martin, and will be powered by a new V8 engine being developed by Mercedes-AMG, similar to the arrangement that sees V12s furnished to Pagani for the Huayra. Whether an AMG-developed V12 is also in the cards for Aston Martin remains to be seen – the company ran on V8 power alone from the mid 70s (when its six-cylinder engine was retired) until the Ford-developed DB7 brought six- and then twelve-cylinder power. That aging but glorious 6.0-liter engine, by the way, still powers the vast majority of the company's lineup. The platform and associated technologies are being funded by the influx of capital from shareholders Investindustrial, Primewagon and Adeem Investment and by a 13-percent increase in revenue due to the launch of the new Vanquish Volante and V12 Vantage S, as well as the company's expansion into new markets like Mexico and Thailand. It wasn't long ago that upon spending a week with the company's Vanquish coupe that we fell just short of love, wondering aloud how long Aston could weather its uncertain financial picture while still relying heavily on elderly technology and drivetrains cradled in elderly platforms. We now appear to have our answer, and we like what we're hearing. Aston Martin Holdings (UK) Limited Full Year Results 2013 28 April 2014, Gaydon: Aston Martin Holdings (UK) Limited is today announcing full year results for the 12 months ended 31 December 2013.

LeTV's SEE Project will introduce new EV in Shanghai

It's very unlikely that many people here in the states will have heard of Beijing-based LeTV. Aston Martin, on the other hand? That's pretty stylish company. LeTV is working on an electric-vehicle project called SEE (Super Electric Eco-system). The concept version is slated to debut at the Shanghai Motor Show next April. LeTV says that that same month, the car will "roll of the production line," as well. That sounds awfully optimistic, to us, but we'll just leave that alone for now. The racing-car-shaped vehicle, which will have "high- and low-powered" versions, is about 11'5" long and 5'4" wide. That's about a foot shorter and a few inches narrower than a Mini Cooper. The twist, such as it is, comes from the fact that LeTV says it will develop the model with the help of both Aston Marin and BAIC Motor Corp., which adds a shade of legitimacy to the project. Aston Martin is in the process of launching its battery-electric Rapide sedan, which will have 800 horsepower and a 200-mile single-charge range, so that would ostensibly be a competitor to Tesla. The Rapide EV could run as much as $250,000. As for BAIC, is has been looking to expand its role in the plug-in vehicle sector since 2009, when it debuted a division called Beijing New Energy Automotive Co. Just last month, BAIC opened an electric-vehicle research and development center in California's Silicon Valley, the company's first outside China. You can take a look at LeTV's press release below. LeTV Partners With Aston Martin to Deliver Next Generation Electric Vehicles BEIJING and BANGALORE, October 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The most significant (monetarily) deal that came out of Angela Merkel's visit to India was that of a Euro 1 billion solar power fund solidifying India's stance to develop 100GW solar capacity by 2022. These are positive moves in a time when the focus on the effects of climate change are intensifying and how economies across the globe decide to combat the effects of it. One particular way in which India could benefit hugely from alternative fuels is from the perspective of vehicles. The nation recently joined the Electric Vehicles Initiative, a forum for global cooperation on the development and deployment of Electric Vehicles (EVs). With an interest in the Indian market, LeTV, a multinational company based in Beijing, announced its electric car plan on December 9th, 2014, when its founder, Mr.