2012 Aston Martin V12 Vantage 900miles Warranty Till 2017 Goodwood Green 1 Of 1 on 2040-cars

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Aston may build fewer than 100 Lagonda super saloons

Aston Martin has owned the Lagonda nameplate since the late '40s, but in the roughly 70 years since that acquisition, the use of the name has been kept largely exclusive for four-door models. The two most famous modern Lagondas are the angular, futuristic sedan built in the '70s and '80s and the infamously ugly SUV concept from the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. UK magazine Car claims that the classic name could make its return on a svelte four-door as soon as this summer, which makes sense considering our spy shooters recently caught what looked like a modernized incarnation of the 70s super saloon last month. Interestingly, while Aston Martins are rare birds as-is, Car says that the neo-Lagonda could be even more scarce – its sources suggest that the model could be limited to under 100 units. That's because Aston Martin's Q customization service is reportedly taking up construction duties for the project, and with its small team, that means production is going to be slow, limited and very expensive. Even covered in camo as spied above, there's something special about the new car. The squinting headlights and thin A-pillar echo the '80s model in a modern way and make this four-door look a lot sportier than the Bentley, Maserati and Rolls-Royce models that it will likely compete against. It's rumored to be using composite body panels to keep weight down. The powertrain is said to be an evolution of the Rapide, Aston's sole existing four-door model. The Lagonda would use Aston Martin's 5.9-liter V12 with power tuned to around 600 horsepower, backed by an eight-speed automatic replacing the Rapide's elderly six-speed unit. That would put power just short of an Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG, but the composite panels could lend it a weight advantage. The latest rumor only indicates the Lagonda's unveiling sometime later this summer, with no exact date or location. Still given the relative completeness of the test car, it doesn't look like it could be too far away. We can't wait to see it when the camo comes off.

Aston and Jag from James Bond Spectre have at it

Daniel Craig hasn't made a bad James Bond film yet. Spectre is his next step into the iconic role that's due to hit theaters on November 6, and it doesn't look likely to ruin his streak. Still, that's a long wait for such an exciting movie. If you're willing to possibly spoil just a little for yourself, a new featurette shows part of one of the big car chases right now. From what we've seen so far, the chase through Rome in Spectre has earned a good amount of screen time. While the reason for it in the plot is a mystery, that doesn't really matter anyway. What's important is that the scene stars Bond in the Aston Martin DB10 and a villain played by Dave Bautista in the now supercharged V8-powered version of the Jaguar C-X75 racing around the Italian capital's tight streets at night. This clip gives a glimpse at some of the work necessary to get the difficult filming completed. We've seen some of that effort before, though, when footage of the preparation for one shot leaked out. Craig reportedly sustained a pretty bad bump on the head during the shooting, and an earlier rumor also suggested that Bond might get behind the wheel of a Fiat 500 at some point in the scene.

Aston Martin find unique way to recycle scraps of leather

Ever wonder what happens to the scraps of leather left over after skilled craftsmen are done upholstering the interior of a luxury automobile? There's a lot of hide left over, as we've seen first-hand from visiting the upholstery workshops at various factories, but much of the waste is made up of tiny cutoffs. Some of those pieces might be used for repair kits, some scraps for smaller pieces of merchandise, while others might be sold to nearby craftsmen. Aston Martin found a different use for some of its leftovers. The British automaker put down a canvas in the VIP atrium at its headquarters in Gaydon, UK, and equipped a team of artisans with a whole pile of leather samples. What they did with it is perhaps the most compelling example of recycling we've seen to date. The end result, as you can see from this latest video, is an artistic representation of the Vanquish, made entirely out of leather – as if the interior of the luxurious sports car isn't already clad in enough of the stuff. Of course, it doesn't have the Vanquish's 6.0-liter V12 and its 568 horsepower, so unlike most Astons, it won't be going anywhere in a hurry. Perhaps it could be hung in the upholstery workshop for future workers to admire. Related Video: