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Aston celebrates Spectre with DB9 GT Bond edition

Sorry friends, but as of right now, you can't buy the Aston Martin DB10 that James Bond will be driving in the upcoming film Spectre. That's a bummer, as 007's preferred GT is offering a fresh update on Aston's traditional looks. What you can do, though, is snag the new DB9 GT Bond Edition. According to Aston Martin, this is the most powerful DB9 the company has ever built, with the 6.0-liter V12 pumping out 540 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque. Sixty miles per hour arrives in just 4.5 seconds, while the 007 DB9 will run all the way up to 183 mph. Those are some impressive figures – the top speed and torque output mirror the range-topping Vanquish – but you might still be wondering why not choose the king of the Aston range over this, which still gets to 60 mph 0.3 seconds faster, has an extra 25 horsepower at its disposal, and is arguably the better-looking vehicle. Well, the Bond Edition DB9 comes with a number of unique items. Outside, there's a set of handsome, 10-spoke, gloss-black, 20-inch alloys, a carbon-fiber splitter and diffuser, gray brake calipers, and bright finishes on the hood vents, grille, and side gills. If the little bits aren't enough for you, the entire car is finished in 007-spec Spectre Silver paint. Naturally, "007" badges are included. In the cabin, new sill plates and embroidered headrests call out this DB9's inspiration, while an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel makes the actual act of driving just a bit more pleasant. Sadly, machine guns and ejector seats are not part of the upgrades. Unlike so many special editions, though, there's even more to the Bond Edition DB9 than special trim bits. All 150 DB9s will come with a 21-inch Globe-Trotter wheeled suitcase, while horology geeks will likely gravitate towards the included time piece. Provided by Omega, 007's preferred watchmaker since 1995's Goldeneye, the Seamaster Aqua Terra comes with a unique, Aston Martin-branded strap. The suitcase costs around $2,000 while the watch generally goes for around $3,500 to $4,000. Their inclusion in this limited-edition DB9 might soften the blow of the price, which starts at $237,007. Still, if you're a fan of Britain's most famous secret agent and are in the market for a handsome GT, you could do far worse than this unique Aston Martin. Read on for the official press release.

Dany Bahar plans Aston Martin shooting brake at Modena-based tuner

You can't keep a good man down, or so the saying goes. The jury may still be out on whether Dany Bahar was a good thing for the automotive industry – with some portraying him as an overambitious opportunist and others pitting him as a genuine car guy against the bean-counters – but he's not about to stay down for long. Bahar, for those unfamiliar, was a top executive at Red Bull, serving as right-hand man to Dietrich Mateschitz right around the time that the energy drink company was getting into Formula One and NASCAR. He was then poached by Ferrari to serve as its commercial chief and brand director before taking up the reins as CEO of Lotus. Things didn't go quite so well for him there after new owners fired him, accused him of misappropriating company funds and canceling just about every one of his ambitious (or perhaps overambitious) projects to take Lotus into the modern age. But now he's back on his feet. According to Car and Driver, Bahar's new project is a tuning house and coachbuilder called Ares. Similar to an outfit like Mansory (with which Bahar, incidentally, fostered close ties while at Lotus), Ares is out to make high-end vehicles like the Range Rover Sport, Rolls-Royce Wraith and Lamborghini Huracan that much more unique. But the biggest project Ares is planning to undertake is to turn the Aston Martin Rapide S and Bentley Continental GT into shooting brakes for wealthy customers. Ares wouldn't be the first outfit to do so, Bertone having made a wagon version of the Rapide and Touring having offered an extended-roof Continental. But to show he's not messing around, Bahar has assembled a top team at Ares. Wolf Zimmermann, who worked for Mercedes-AMG before becoming Bahar's R&D chief at Lotus, is handling the technical aspects. 24-year-old Romanian designer Mihai Panaitescu, who is said to have worked on those aborted Lotus projects, is handling the style aspect. And the whole outfit is being based in Modena, Italy – the city that is home to outfits like Pagani, Maserati and nearby Ferrari. Predictably enough, Ares will launch initially in China, Russia and the Middle East, but reportedly plans to make it to the US sometime early next year. Featured Gallery 2014 Aston Martin Rapide S: First Drive View 32 Photos News Source: Car and DriverImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Drew Phillips / AOL Aftermarket Aston Martin dany bahar aston martin rapide s

Aston Martin shows electric Rapide, production possible in two years

Aston Martin is working with investment firm ChinaEquity to bring an all-electric version of the Rapide to production by the end of 2017. Aston received 50 million British pounds ($77 million) from ChinaEquity for development, according to Automotive News Europe. The model could have as much as 1,000 horsepower, which makes sense because its powertrain will be developed by an affiliate of the Williams Formula One team. Aston Martin also says an electric variant of its DBX SUV may be in the works by 2019. The electric Rapide could also have a 200-mile single-charge range, though the car may be priced at as much as $250,000. Aston Martin first announced plans to build the model earlier this year. The automaker launched the Rapide in 2010. Related Video: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience.