Bridgewater Bronze Exterior With Tan Interior, B&o Sound System, F1 Transmission on 2040-cars

Auto blog

The Aston Martin Valkyrie and its V12 sound insane

Formula 1 is where the mind goes when we listen to this teaser engine clip of the Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar. And we're not talking about the lame-sounding turbo cars they're racing now. No, this sound brings to mind the stupid-high-revving machines of the 2000s. It makes sense too, because we've been told that the 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine is loosely based on Cosworth's 2.4-liter V8 it made for Formula 1. Rumors place the Valkyrie engine somewhere around 1,000 horsepower with a kinetic energy recovery system providing even more thrust. We've seen a number of reports putting the final combined figure around 1,130 hp, but the actual number will remain a mystery for the time being. The sound of "THE" GREAT British car company! Thank you @Cosworth @redbullracing #AstonMartinValkyrie #NaturallyAspirated#V12 pic.twitter.com/HmEICj29uH — Andy Palmer (@AndyatAston) October 3, 2018 This video with the Valkyrie's soundtrack layered behind it comes courtesy of Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer. Dramatic renderings of the Valkyrie cycle through in the background, but the noise is what we're paying attention to here. The engine's redline is reportedly 11,000 rpm and we don't doubt it after listening to the soundtrack more than a few times. No other production car revs that high — even LaFerrari tops out at 9,250 rpm. The team definitely has the engine working, and production is slated to kick off sometime in 2019. We'll be waiting impatiently until then to hear that insane V12 in person. Related Video: Aston Martin Coupe Performance Supercars hypercar Aston Martin Valkyrie

Aston CEO claims Cygnet cancelled because Toyota is dropping iQ in 2014

While slow sales and a $50,000 price tag may have been contributing factors to the Aston Martin Cygnet being cancelled last month, Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez is pointing the finger at Toyota for the demise of this luxurious little city car. In a discussion with Autocar, Bez is quoted as saying that the ultimate reason the Cygnet was cut is because Toyota plans on dropping the iQ (on which the Cygnet is based) in 2014 - a claim denied by the Japanese automaker.
Interestingly, the article also cites another publication reporting that a Toyota importer in the Netherlands heard the same news as Bez, and it has already stopped importing the cars. If the European Toyota iQ is cancelled, that would likely spell the end of the slow-selling Scion iQ in the US, which has sold just 3,365 units through September (a drop of 51 percent year over year).
Regardless of why production of the Cygnet ended, Bez also says that a lack of support from Toyota on the project prevented it from being offered in the US or receiving a supercharged engine, which are two factors that likely would have made the car appealing to more buyers.

Aston Martin mulls Formula E, but one thing must change

It may be the off-season, but Formula E is on fire. It seems that everybody is scrambling for a spot on the grid. Jaguar relaunched its racing program in the electric series, and is doubling down with a support series. Audi took a more prominent position for next season. BMW's in. Mercedes-Benz will be joining, too. Porsche has ditched WEC for Formula E. FCA is interested. So it shouldn't be too surprising, then, that Aston Martin is now considering a Formula E entry, as Automotive News Europe reports. Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer told the outlet that the series could support the company's development of electric vehicles, such as the upcoming RapidE, pictured above. "We don't have an electric car yet, but we will have in 2019," he said. "You can imagine the two coming together. I love Formula E." Palmer said, though, that Aston Martin wouldn't want to join the series until it does away with car swaps mid-race. "For me, the use of the two cars reinforces the range anxiety," Palmer told Automotive News Europe. "That will change, and then it starts to get interesting." In the past, other automakers have expressed similar concerns about car swaps. The upcoming season will be the last to use the practice, and Formula E will move toward using a single car per driver for each race beginning in the 2018-19 season. Aston Martin scaled back plans for the RapidE electric car after its partner LeEco pulled out of the project. Instead, Aston Martin will rely on the engineering expertise of Williams, and limit the RapidE to 155 units, priced at around $255,000. Related Video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin RapidE concept View 12 Photos News Source: Automotive News EuropeImage Credit: Aston Martin Green Motorsports Aston Martin Electric Racing Vehicles Formula E aston martin rapide fia formula e championship