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Tom Brady, Aston Martin team up for special-edition Vanquish S

If we were to ask you what person comes to mind when we say the words "Aston Martin," who would it be? James Bond? No, are you crazy? New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is the person synonymous with Aston! Ok, no, not really, but the man has been involved with the company for a little while, having partnered for some sort of content series and a custom Vanquish S. Now that custom car, called the Tom Brady Signature Edition and built by Aston Martin's specialty vehicle division Q, has been revealed, and it's a seriously exclusive car with just 12 units being produced. For those who don't follow football, the production run of 12 cars isn't random. Brady's number on the field is 12, thus the number of cars produced. It also makes an appearance in a "TB12" logo found in badges on the exterior, and embossed on the seats. And of course, Brady's signature is found on the car, too, in the form of door sill plates. The badges aren't the only special touches added by Aston Martin's Q branch. The car features an array of carbon fiber body parts such as the grille, front splitter and rear diffuser. The whole car is painted a dark blue called Ultramarine Black, and it's complemented by a black leather interior. The interior also has a bit of blue lighting. It should be noted though that most of these cosmetic changes are also available on the regular Vanquish S models. These cosmetic additions and the exclusivity will cost you quite a bit of cash. According to ESPN, the car runs $359,950. Considering that a standard Vanquish S Volante starts at $311,650 before destination, and it can be customized however you'd like, even to look like a Tom Brady edition car, we would go that route. You could save even more money going with a coupe, which starts at $293,650 before destination. We also wonder if Brady will buy one of his special-edition cars, since ESPN reports he doesn't get one as part of his Aston Martin partnership. Related Video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin Vanquish S Tom Brady Signature Edition by Q News Source: Aston Martin, ESPN.comImage Credit: Aston Martin Celebrities Aston Martin Convertible Luxury Performance aston martin vanquish q by aston martin tom brady

Aston Martin to raise funds for new models including CUV, hybrid

Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer named three leads for new vehicle programs when he took the reins, now the company is looking for the money to give those leads something to do. Reuters reports that the Gaydon firm is considering debt or equity financing to raise 100 to 150 million pounds ($156M to $234M US) in funding for "an expansion from the current model range," according to an unnamed source. On top of that investment round, Aston Martin is overhauling its working capital streams to unlock more funds. As one of the industry's few remaining independent carmakers, the company has an intense five years ahead of it, working to revamp its current vehicles with a 500-million-pound investment, entering new segments to grow sales to roughly 10,000 units annually from 4,200 cars in 2013, and pay down hundreds of millions of pounds in current debt. The big high notes observers will be looking for over the next few years are the successor to the DB9, pegged for 2016, profitability predicted in 2017, a huge debt note due in 2018, and the formal end of the recovery period in 2020. Our own eyes will be locked on the DB10 in Spectre, naturally, and the Lagonda-honoring Taraf in other markets, hopefully. At least one of the new vehicles is expected to be a crossover, a segment Aston seemingly cannot ignore now that Bentley and Rolls-Royce are committed to making plays there. However, Reuters says an official announcement of what we can expect won't come until the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. Among the other models said to be up for funding? Sedans (perhaps including a Rapide replacement?) and an unspecified hybrid.

Best of 2016 | The List

The List hosts Jessi and Patrick spent all of 2016 checking awesome adventures off their automotive bucket list, from escaping a car dangling off a cliff, to taking part in The Great Race road rally. In total, our hosts checked 12 challenges off Autoblog's list of "1,001 car things to do before you die," taking them on travels across the United States and the United Kingdom. Check out some highlights from the season as our hosts drive everything from the super modern to the refreshingly classic, and even take their lives into their own hands all for the sake of completing the ultimate car enthusiast's bucket list. As we look ahead to 2017, be sure to send us your automotive bucket list items. Who knows, maybe your submission will inspire Jessi and Patrick's next escapade. Click here to find more episodes of The List Click here to learn more about our hosts, Jessi and Patrick Aston Martin Bentley Land Rover McLaren The List Videos