-roadster,prem Audio,bluetooth,cruise,piano Trim,nav,satellite Radio,nice! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2021 Aston Martin DBX First Drive Review | A crossover that makes you forget it’s a crossover

Many times we test high-powered crossovers but view them through the same lens as their performance-oriented siblings. Is this a Mustang? Is this a Porsche? Is it worthy? The list of crossovers subjected to navel-gazing and hand-wringing is long. Rather than fretting over the badge or the shape, it’s helpful to simply judge these vehicles on their merits. After all, the 2021 Aston Martin DBX was created because crossovers are essential, not because Aston ran out of sports-car ideas. The DBX is the first and assuredly not the last crossover in Aston MartinÂ’s 108-year history thatÂ’s filled with glittering sports cars and financial unease. The latter is the reason the DBX exists, so as to allow for the former to continue to endure. Put another way: ItÂ’s 2021. Ya gotta have a crossover, and it needs to be able to do stuff. The last time I reviewed an Aston, the DB11, I piloted it through the sun-drenched Tuscan countryside at high speeds. Five years later I find myself measuring another Aston under vastly different circumstances on vastly different merits. ThatÂ’s actually perfect.  The DBX is a crossover that can run, but my first order of business is strapping my sonÂ’s rear-facing car seat in the back. It fits pretty well, and even with him right behind the driverÂ’s seat, I still had a decent amount of room. Despite the dramatic roofline, I was able to get him in and out of the DBX with reasonable comfort. A minivan with sliding doors and a low ride height is easier, but the Aston is about as fit for toddler duty as any coupe-styled crossover can be. My sonÂ’s reaction? He loved the blue leather with its white stitching and noted the car “yelled.” ThatÂ’s what an AMG-built turbo V8 sounds like, son. The DBXÂ’s cabin is worth our test car's nearly $211,000 sticker. ItÂ’s interesting and stylish, rather than decadent. The all-Aurora blue leather looks and feels expensive. The sea of blue is broken up by a camel-colored Alcantara headliner, the ivory seatbelts and a light olive aspen overlay that accents the center console. The contrasting white stitching is subtle but intricate on the seats and door panels, and the seatbacks and large steering wheel proudly display the Aston badge. ThereÂ’s no shifter, but the paddles are large and easy to use, returning a satisfying clack.

Aston Martin CEO calls Tesla Model S 'Ludicrous' mode stupid

To be fair, some would say paying as much as a quarter-million dollars for a car in itself qualifies as "ludicrous." But the CEO of Aston Martin, a company that is readying a pricier electric-vehicle competitor to the Tesla Model S, didn't mince words in discussing Tesla's newest gizmo that can propel the sedan from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than three seconds. In fact, Andy Palmer, Aston's CEO, prefers a slightly more balanced approach. Palmer was quoted in Automotive News as saying that Tesla's Ludicrous Mode was "stupid." He added that he'd rather have an electric vehicle that could last "a few laps of a decent race course" instead of one that does its best imitation of a Dodge Challenger Hellcat. Palmer also took to his Twitter account to note, among other things, that the Aston's "insane mode comes as standard - no button required." Aston Martin said earlier this week that it planned to make a battery-electric variant of its Rapide Sedan. That model will have 800 horsepower as well as a 200-mile single-charge range. The car will also cost between $200,000 and $250,000, or about twice the cost of a top-of-the-line Model S. As for the Tesla, its Ludicrous mode was announced last month for the Model S and it will eventually be added to the Model X for those who are big on flipping SUVs. Tesla said that the feature cuts the sedan's 0-60 mpg time to a tidy 2.8 seconds, though the option does cost about $10,000. Which is probably about the price of an Aston Martin door handle. Featured Gallery 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S View 32 Photos News Source: Automotive News (subs req'd) Green Aston Martin Tesla Electric ludicrous mode

Aston Martin DBX SUV officially enters production

On one hand, now is the perfect time for Aston Martin's very first production SUV to roll off the assembly line. Because there's nothing like an expensive luxury sport utility vehicle to rake in some cash when the going gets tough, as has been the case for the premium British automaker since it launched its stock IPO in 2018. On the other hand, even a flashy utility vehicle faces major headwinds in these difficult times as the coronavirus pandemic continues to dominate headlines. In any case, the Aston Martin DBX has officially entered production at the automaker's facility at St Athan in Wales. The first model was painted in a lovely hue that the automaker calls Stirling Green and that otherwise adorns Aston Martin's racing vehicles. The company says it has received more than 2,000 orders for the DBX so far, and the first deliveries will begin later this month. A milestone moment. Just over four years since we announced our investment in a brand new manufacturing facility at St Athan in Wales, the first Aston Martin to be “Hand Made in Wales” – DBX - has been driven off the production line.#AstonMartin #DBX #BeautifulIsRelentless pic.twitter.com/nI5V7BaZWr — Aston Martin (@astonmartin) July 9, 2020 Marek Reichman, executive vice president and chief creative officer, said from the launch, “We are incredibly proud of our first SUV, which is as much of an Aston Martin as any one of our sports cars. From my design team to the engineers, the vehicle dynamics team and all the experts who hand-craft this beautiful car, here at St Athan, the DBX has become the car that will drive Aston Martin into a bold new era.” Here's hoping Reichman is right and that Aston Martin can turn its fading fortunes around. Related Video: