2007 Aston Martin Vantage V8 Auto Paddle Shift Nav 12k Texas Direct Auto on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Aston Martin is building eight Valkyrie prototypes, here's the first trio

Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing are still developing the high-performance Valkyrie supercar, and recently, Formula One drivers Max Verstappen and Alex Albon were given the opportunity to test out the prototypes. Verstappen and Albon were given the reins to verification prototype 1 (VP-1), while never-before-seen VP-2 and VP-3 lapped Silverstone at the hands of Aston Martin test driver Chris Goodwin and Aston Martin Racing World Endurance Championship drivers Darren Turner and Alex Lynn.  After publicly unveiling VP-1 at the 2019 British Grand Prix, Aston Martin recently brought two new verification prototypes into the fold. Aston Martin has been using the Silverstone circuit near Northampton, England, for its testing process, and it seems that will continue for the rest of the verification prototypes. In total, Aston Martin will build eight.   Aston Martin collects data and observations not only from its own test drivers and engineers but from its professional drivers too. For Albon, it was his first time seeing the car in person. In a press release, Albon offered some details about how the car will position itself to its customers.  "Obviously there’s still some development to do, but already it feels very good, especially the balance between the corners," he said. "ItÂ’s light; it feels sharp. Sure, compared to an F1 car, youÂ’re missing the outright downforce, but you still feel the Gs in the corners and it definitely reacts closer to an F1 car than a normal road car."  Aston Martin plans to have the Valkyrie tuned and ready for customers in the coming months, but don't expect deliveries to begin until the second half of the year. In related news, Road & Track cites a Racer report that says Aston Martin will pull back from its intentions to race the Valkyrie in the 2020–2021 World Endurance Championship and Le Mans. The report, which says a formal announcement is coming February 19, comes shortly after news that Aston Martin received an investment from Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll. 

Drive an Aston Martin | The List #0568

Few cars can drum up feelings of intrigue like an Aston Martin. On this episode of The List, hosts Jessi Combs and Patrick McIntyre travel to England, the birthplace of Aston Martin, to drive the V12 Vanquish and learn more about this luxurious brand. From exploring narrow country roads to braving a rain storm on the track, we put this beautiful British sports car to the test. The 2016 V12 Vanquish is a sight to behold no matter the road, but there's something special about driving it around England. We visited the Aston Martin Works in Newport Pagnell, the site of an Aston factory from 1954 - 2007, to learn more about the brand's past. From the DB4 all the way to the Vanquish, the beauty of these hand-built machines has stayed consistent throughout their history. After admiring the classics, it was time to push the shiny new Vanquish to its limits on the track. Fighting through intermittent rain didn't make it easy. "Getting a little squirrelly for sure," said a visibly excited Patrick. "Too much. Way too much on that one." When it was Jessi's turn, her self-proclaimed lead foot actually led her to an interesting conclusion about the vehicle. Because of the subpar track conditions and because the car is in fact a grand tourer, Jessi actually makes that claim that "I think I'd rather have it out on the open road." Regardless of environment or driving conditions, it's certain that the Vanquish is an incredibly impressive machine. Perhaps most importantly, it helped us check "Drive An Aston Martin" off of our List. Click here to find more episodes of The List Click here to learn more about our hosts, Jessi and Patrick Aston Martin Luxury Performance Supercars The List Videos Original Video aston martin vanquish

Aston Martin confirms 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 for Valhalla

When the Aston Martin Valhalla hits the scene in 2022 (hopefully), it will be powered by an all-new 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 engine that will be fortified and electrified in a hybrid configuration that we don't yet know much about. Interestingly, Aston Martin says the V6's hybrid element will be tuned and sized for each specific vehicle in which it's installed. In the Valhalla, the dry-sump engine will be mounted directly behind the passenger compartment, and its so-called 'hot V' design will allow for relatively compact dimensions. And compact also means lightweight — the automaker says the complete engine weighs less than 440 pounds. Just the fact that the British automaker is investing the engineering effort to produce a new engine is significant. The company hasn't engineered its own in-house powertrain since 1969, when Tadek Marek's 5.3-liter V8 engine found its way under the hood of Aston Martin's aptly named DBS V8. The new 3.0-liter V6 is codenamed TM01 in Marek's honor. With that in mind, we expect this powerplant to serve in various Aston Martin models for a number of years. We look forward to further details in the future, especially the all-important horsepower and torque figures. In the meantime, feel free to peruse the high-resolution image gallery above, where you'll see intricately milled castings along with the engine undergoing dyno testing and running red hot with the lights down low.   Related Video: