2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Base Hatchback 2-door 4.3l on 2040-cars

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Here's what Top Gear thinks of the Aston Martin Vulcan

With a limited run of just 24 units, the Aston Martin Vulcan isn't an easy vehicle to get your hands on. Even if you find one, the next challenge is locating a suitable track to drive it because these rare beasts aren't street legal. Top Gear (the website, not the TV show) arranged both and reported on the amazing experience of driving this rare hypercar in must-read story. Top Gear lapped the Vulcan around the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix circuit and came away thoroughly impressed. The author admits that the McLaren P1 GTR has a greater output, but driving the Aston Martin is still an incredibly visceral experience. Downshifts judder through the chassis, flames shoot from the side pipes, and the 820-horsepower V12 screams. "Five laps and I'm spent – I start to get a headache, I need to drink, sweat gathers, ears ring," the writer says. The Vulcan trains its handful of wealthy owners to be racers, but the interior still cossets them in Aston Martin's traditional luxury. As they learn the car, drivers can turn the power up from 550 hp, 675 hp, and to the full 820 hp when they feel ready. The suspension is also fully adjustable. So there's a touch of understeer out of the box, but a person can mitigate that as they gain experience. Plus, the writer claims the cabin fit and finish is marvelous. Head over to Top Gear to get the full story, it's well worth a read. Related Video:

Aston Martin DBS GT Zagato previewed in renderings

Last fall, Aston Martin and Zagato announced that they would be building special continuation versions of the DB4 GT Zagato to celebrate the Italian design house's 100th anniversary. But the two companies wouldn't stop there, as each DB4 would come with an yet-to-be-revealed DBS variant. Now the companies have released detailed renderings and information about what is officially called the Aston Martin DBS GT Zagato. The car will be based on the hottest DB11 model, the DBS Superleggera. That means it should have a twin-turbo V12 making at least 715 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque with all of that going to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic. Outside of the bones, the DBS GT Zagato will have a thoroughly revised exterior. As shown in the photos, the front grille is one piece and is more reminiscent of what's found on the smaller Aston Martin Vantage. An exaggerated double-bubble roof is a highlight, and it stretches out to the pointy tip of the tail. The hood echoes the double bubble in its center. The taillights have an afterburner shape that Zagato has favored lately. Neither Aston nor Zagato has said when we'll see the actual car, but we expect it will be shown sometime this year. Buyers will start getting their DBS GT Zagatos at the end of 2020, a year after their DB4 GT Zagato continuation cars are delivered. As a reminder, the price for each of the 19 pairs of cars is 6 million pounds, or $7.93 million at current exchange rates and before taxes.

Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer to leave in favor of AMG chief Tobias Moers

Aston Martin Chief Executive Andy Palmer is leaving the business as part of a management shake-up and will be replaced by Tobias Moers, CEO of Mercedes-AMG, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday. The luxury carmaker said in an emailed statement that it is reviewing its management team but declined to comment on Palmer's fate. Palmer and Germany's Daimler, which owns a 5% stake in Aston Martin and supplies the carmaker with Mercedes-AMG engines, also declined to comment. The Financial Times newspaper had reported earlier that the Aston Martin chief was going to leave as part of a shake-up of its leadership, with an official announcement expected on Tuesday. Palmer had not been informed of the upcoming announcement, the newspaper reported. Aston Martin, famed for being fictional secret agent James Bond's car of choice, has seen its share price plummet since floating in October 2018. The 107-year old British luxury carmaker earlier this month posted a deep first-quarter loss after sales dropped by almost a third due to the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak. The company has been banking on its sport utility vehicle to drive sales in a new segment, and said production was on track. In January, dire conditions forced the company to bring in Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll who bought a roughly 20% stake for nearly 200 million pounds ($263 million), as the ailing carmaker sought to raise funds. The coronavirus pandemic and shutdowns caused by it have hit demand and forced factories around the world to suspend production, negatively impacting many industries, including car manufacturers. "We were obviously fairly significantly hit by COVID-19, starting with China in January but more clearly in what we saw as it came across towards Europe and the United States," Palmer told Reuters earlier in May. Related Video: