2002 - Aston Martin Db7 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2019 Aston Martin designed by Daniel Craig is this year's Neiman Marcus car

The Neiman Marcus holdiay gift catalog is known for its extravagant offerings that sometimes involve cars. One year there were gold-painted Infiniti Q60 coupes, and another year there weren't high-powered Mustang convertibles, which ended up at a Michigan Ford dealer. This year, Neiman Marcus is offering some special James Bond-themed 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera supercars. Only seven will be built, and they're all done to the specifications set by current 007 actor Daniel Craig. They're quite attractive and subtle, with a gray-blue paint and matching leather interior. Nothing changes on the performance front, but we doubt anyone will be disappointed by the 715 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque produced by the standard twin-turbo 5.2-liter V12. With each car, Neiman Marcus will include a special Omega Seamaster Diver 300M watch, with dials that have the trademark 007 gun barrel rifling design. And of course, only seven of these watches are being made. Buyers of the Aston and its watch will also get tickets to the world premiere of the latest Bond film, "No Time to Die." Also, 12% of the purchase price will go to Opportunity Network, a charitable organization that helps minority and low-income students get into and through college. All of this can be yours for the also-Bond-themed price of $700,007. That's more than twice the $304,995 base price of a normal Superleggera. Such is the cost of exclusivity.

Aston Martin Valkyrie officially makes 1,160 horsepower

The Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar will have a total system output of 1,160 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. We knew the raw figure from the naturally aspirated V12 engine was 1,000 horsepower, but a few details on the KERS-style hybrid assistance system were released today. In doing the math, this means the single electric motor mounted in the gearbox is responsible for adding 160 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque to the equation. Aston says the electric motor and battery pack were developed with the help of Integral Powertrain Ltd and Rimac as suppliers and partners. We all know Rimac for its ridiculous electric supercars it has made, so it looks to be a smart partnership for now. Peak combined power is made at a dizzying 10,500 rpm, with peak torque coming in at a still-high 6,000 rpm. If you missed out on the engine breakdown from this past December, then know the 6.5-liter V12 will keep spinning until 11,100 rpm. We're guessing this race-car-like number drops your jaws, just as it does ours. Cosworth and Aston Martin teamed up to create this beauty of an engine — sound clips of it running make us think we're listening to historical Formula 1 footage; it's that good. This news comes ahead of the 2019 Geneva Motor Show next week, which could prove itself a launching pad for even more information to be learned about the Aston Martin hypercar. At this point we know there will be an even more exclusive AMR Pro track-only variant and a track pack option for the "normal" Valkyrie, which isn't all that normal itself. It's expected to weigh a light 2,200 pounds and have an unrestricted top speed of 254 mph. Aston appears to be continuing development on the car, so don't consider those final quite yet. Related video:

Watch Prodrive build an Aston Martin race car in 60 seconds

It's always fascinating to watch a racecar's production whether the construction is out of Lego blocks or a cutting-edge mix of aluminum and carbon fiber. This time-lapse clip offers a glimpse of the latter as Prodrive creates an Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE in just 60 seconds. The process took nearly three weeks in real time. Starting from just a bare shell, you first notice bits of wiring, suspension, and brakes appear on the chassis. Then the engine eventually arrives, but there's still a lot of work to do. The builders keep adding body panels and do lots of other wrenching. The process reminds us of building a plastic model kit but with much more expensive consequences if parts go missing. The #98 Vantage GTE will compete in the GTE Am class this season in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Drivers Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy, and Mathias Lauda are the lucky folks who get to pilot this beauty.