V8 Vantage 4.7l Bluetooth Nav 2 Doors Convertible Abs Brakes 420 Hp Horsepower on 2040-cars

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The Acura NSX leads this month's list of discounts

For the second time in the last three months, the Acura NSX has a larger monetary discount than any other vehicle in America. Acura's hybrid super coupe packs 573 horsepower under its sleek bodywork, sufficient to send it sailing off to 60 miles per hour in a scant 2.9 seconds. But it doesn't exactly fly off the showroom floor with the same level of urgency. Buyers of the NSX are paying an average of $138,078 right now, which is a savings of $22,823 off its window sticker. That represents a 14.2% discount, which is also the largest percentage savings in February. And if the NSX doesn't quite fit into your future plans, Acura is also heavily discounting the ILX, TLX, RLX and MDX, so much so that those five models from the premium Japanese brand all appear in the top 10 biggest discounts this month. 2020 Acura NSX View 11 Photos The sleek 2020 Aston Martin Vantage slides into second place on the biggest discounts list, with an average of $18,763 lopped off its sticker price resulting in an average transaction price of $137,298. That's awfully close to the out-the-door price of the leading Acura NSX, which is a quicker and more technologically advanced machine, though arguably less traditionally beautiful. Rounding out this month's top three discounts is the 2020 Audi R8, buyers of which are averaging $17,888 off the sticker price for an average transaction of $179,238. Note that the Audi R8 is available as both a coupe and a convertible, with two power levels offered from its standard V10 engine. That means some R8s are certainly going to be much pricier than others. For a look at the best new car deals in America based on the percentage discount off their suggested asking prices, check out our monthly recap here. And when you're ready to buy, click here for the Autoblog Smart Buy program, which brings you a hassle-free buying experience with over 9,000 Certified Dealers nationwide.

Aston Martin's project 003 could have a name: Valhalla

When Aston Martin unveiled the Valkyrie at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, the carmaker's chief designer told Drive, "We have a bunch more V names that we've thought of and haven't used." Earlier this year, AutoGuide discovered a trademark application for the name Varekai, which Aston Martin will use for its crossover. Now the same site has found another trademark application at the with World Intellectual Property organization, this time for Valhalla, which it expects to be applied to the "Son of Valkyrie," formerly known as 003. The automaker made the filing on October 12, 2018. If you're unclear on all the connections, the Valkyrie was codenamed AM-RB 001, denoting the first collaboration between Aston Martin and the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team. The Valkyrie AMR Pro was AM-RB 002. That makes the Valhalla, nee 003, next in the chute. The naming inverts Norse myth, since the legends say Valkyries escorted fallen warriors to the Hall of the Slain in Valhalla. In Aston Martin's working, you need to go through Valhalla to get to the ferocious women with the swords. Although not thought to be co-developed with Red Bull Racing, the Valhalla will retain lightweight, carbon-fiber-intensive construction and active aerodynamics like its larger siblings, as well as an active suspension. As a road-legal and more practical step below the Valkyries, the Valhalla includes "space for luggage," and a quieter cabin. Instead of a naturally-aspirated V12, the third member of the family goes with a turbocharged V6 with hybrid help. Anticipated to be a full-on hypercar, the competitive set is thought to include the McLaren Speedtail and whatever succeeds the Ferrari LaFerrari. Aston Martin will make 500 Valhallas, deliveries commencing in late 2021. Before then, don't be surprised to see the Vanquish name return on the company's Ferrari 488 and McLaren 720S challenger. Related Video:

Aston Martin's front-engined sports cars getting big upgrades for 2023

On an investor call in March 2021 to go over financial results for the year 2020, Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers told listeners that the automaker's range of front-engined cars were going under various knives to get a "full refresh." At last, thanks to voluminous commentary provided at the launch of Aston Martin's AMR22 Formula 1 car, we have some idea of what Moers' meant. When Autocar spoke to carmaker CEO Lawrence Stroll, he told the outlet the DB11, DBS, and Vantage were going to be like "all-new cars" after receiving upgraded powertrains, suspensions, and infotainment systems. It sounds like there could be design tweaks in store as well, the honcho claiming, "There's no similarity at all to the current cars" save for "some carry-over" in the rear quarters. Autocar believes the AMG-sourced M177 twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 in the DB11 and Vantage will get more power, both of those coupes furnished with 503 horses from that mill at the moment. Meanwhile, the AMG GT 63 S four-door coupe is getting 630 horses from the same engine, more than the 600 hp Aston Martin elicits from its in-house, 5.2-liter V12. It will be interesting to see if the V12 is pushed further in order to retain the same daylight between it and the V8. Alongside this, Stoll told Bloomberg the next 18 to 24 months will bring us electrified versions of the entire model portfolio. The DBX will likely come first, in the next 18 months, with performance that will match or exceed the recently launched DBX707. The hybridized "front-engine program" will follow on its quad pipes. The interiors will take a luxurious step up thanks to the arrival of touchscreens. Before the English firm's tie-up with AMG, it used Volvo-sourced infotainment screens, a necessary cost-saving measure but one that wasn't up to the standards of the brand. Moving to the Mercedes-based system improved the perception, but Aston Martin had to agree to using three-year-old Mercedes technology, another move that didn't fit the standards of the brand. As Stroll asked rhetorically yet rightly, "How can you have an Aston Martin that sells for GBP150,000 with three-year-old technology?" To be clear, we're still taking about underlying Mercedes tech, but the up-to-date stuff that, furthermore, will issue directives with "a proper English accent." The results of the upgrade program are anticipated to reach dealer in 2023, perhaps as 2024 models.