1997 Aston Martin Db7 Volante Convertible 2-door 3.2l on 2040-cars

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2021 Aston Martin DB11 Shadow Edition gives the V8 model some exclusivity

The entry-level 2021 Aston Martin DB11 with its Mercedes V8 is a very good sports car, and in some ways arguably better than the V12 versions, but it does lack some of the specialness of those with the most cylinders. Seemingly on cue, Aston Martin is bringing out a limited production DB11 Shadow Edition that's only available with the V8 engine. What sets it apart from other DB11s is that it gets lots of black trim. The exterior features darkened head- and taillights, gloss black wheels and hood "blades," and black chrome badging. The interior is finished in black leather and Alcantara with black anodized sill plates. The upholstery stitching is also matched to the brake calipers and can be had in gray, red or yellow. The Shadow Edition is available in coupe and convertible forms, but only with six color choices. For this lightly customized DB11, buyers will fork over $222,600, which is more than $20,000 more than a base V8 model. That's a lot of money for black trim, but customers are also getting exclusivity. Only 300 of these Shadow Editions will be sold globally. If you have the means and the desire for a limited production DB11, Aston is taking orders now. Related Video:    

Mid-engine Aston Martin Project 003 supercar teased

Aston Martin has officially announced its next mid-engine supercar with a teaser and a working name: "Project 003." From the teaser image, it should be a stunner with a body that's all curves and wide athletic haunches. We also dig the exhaust outlets through the engine cover. Aston says the supercar will borrow some technology from the Valkyrie, with that car's lightweight construction, active aerodynamics and active suspension likely candidates. Still, Project 003 will be a very different vehicle. For one thing, it doesn't have an absurdly high-revving naturally aspirated V12. Instead, it's a gas-powered, turbocharged hybrid. Aston Martin hasn't said how many cylinders, but it seems safe to say it will have at least eight. Then there's the fact that this will be more practical for road use, with Aston specifically mentioning that this car will actually have luggage space. How novel! We expect that the car will be a bit more civilized in the ride and noise departments, too. Aston Martin says that the first of 500 total examples will reach owners starting in late 2021. While it hasn't said for sure, we expect to see the car unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. Between the show and when it reaches customers, it will probably get a real name, just as the Valkyrie began life as Project 001, and the Valkyrie AMR Pro was Project 002. Related Video: Green Aston Martin Coupe Hybrid Luxury Supercars

Ford GT dominates Le Mans qualifying, gets slapped with performance adjustment

Fifty years after Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon drove the Ford GT40 to victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ford is poised for a historic return to the Circuit de la Sarthe. The new Ford GT took the top two qualifying positions in the LMGTE Pro class, and four of the top five. Ferrari's 488 filled in the rest of the spots in the top seven, the first two from AF Corse. In other words, we're primed for a reboot of the classic Ford-Ferrari feud at this year's race. Or not, as the ACO, which organizes the 24 Hours of Le Mans, announced sweeping pre-race Balance of Performance (BOP) adjustments this morning that make this year's GT class anybody's race. In LMP1, last year's overall winner Porsche locked up the top two spots with the 919 Hybrid and will lead the entire field at race start. Toyota's two-car factory effort followed with qualifying times 1.004 and 2.170 seconds behind the pole lap. Audi rounds out the manufacturer-backed LMP1 class in fifth and sixth. Full qualifying results can be found here. The storyline for the GT cars is perfect - some say too perfect. Ford's class-leading times came after BOP adjustment to the Corvette Racing C7.R before qualifying. BOP is intended to level the playing field in the class by adjusting power, ballast, and fuel capacity. (Check out this explainer video for more, or even just if you love French accents.) But the process is riddled with unknowns and ripe for accusations of sandbagging. That is, if the Ford cars were intentionally slow in practice they could hope for BOP adjustment to improve their race chances. On the Corvette side, last year's GTE Pro winner went from the top of the field to the bottom, barely improving from practice to qualifying. If you think Le Mans is as rigged at the NBA Playoffs, well, it's not that simple. Because if Ford and Ferrari held back until qualifying - the eighth-place Porsche 911 RSR is three-and-a-half seconds off the class pole time - it was a pretty dumb strategy. This morning, the ACO tried to put things back in order by limiting the boost in the Ford GT's twin-turbo V6 and adding 11 pounds of ballast. Ferrari was also given extra weight but allowed more fuel capacity. The Corvette and Aston Martin teams were both given breaks on their air restrictors, which will allow their engines to make more power. Both Ford and Porsche also received extra fuel capacity.