2002 Aston Martin Db7 Vantage on 2040-cars

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Aston Martin documentary tells development story of Vantage GTE racer

Aston Martin doesn't merely go racing, the carmaker's name enshrines racing: Company co-founder Lionel Martin conquered the Aston Hill Climb in 1914 with a tuned Singer automobile; when Lionel needed a name for the car he built with funding from Robert Bamford, Lionel's wife suggested "Aston-Martin." That makes the Vantage GTE racer that will enter the 2018 FIA World Endurance Championship not only an obvious descendant, but a necessary one. To show us what went into the new standard-bearer, Aston Martin produced a nine-minute documentary on the Vantage GTE's development. The endurance challenger replaces the six-year-old V8 Vantage GTE race car that — even at the end of its development path — took WEC team honors in 2016 and class victory at Le Mans this year. The short doc visits Aston Martin Racing over the course of 18 months spent creating the new Vantage GTE, finding out how the road car got upgraded to race spec, what new partners like Ohlins and Alcon provided, and revealing that electrical wiring can't be mapped out entirely in CAD beforehand, the wiring has to be laid into the chassis by hand in order to find the shortest paths. The Vantage GTE rings in at 2,745 pounds dry, roughly 500 pounds lighter than the Vantage road car. The AMG-sourced twin-turbo V8 gets around 536 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque depending on circuit regulations, and shifts through an Xtrac six-speed sequential transmission with a carbon fiber driveshaft. Ohlins created a five-way suspension, Alcon supplies the brakes, clutch, and limited-slip differential, the Akrapovic inconel exhaust exits just behind the front wheels, and 18-inch forged magnesium TMS wheels wear Michelin tires. Unanimous feedback from the drivers says the new racer is already more durable, more torque-y, and more reliable than the one it replaces. The Vantage GTE debuts on track at the 6 Hours of Spa on May 5, 2018. You can watch it now in the video above. View 16 Photos Related Video: News Source: Aston Martin via YouTube Motorsports Aston Martin Coupe Racing Vehicles Videos fia wec world endurance championship aston martin vantage aston martin vantage gte

You can buy this gorgeous one-off Aston Martin Jet 2 Bertone shooting brake

It was the last project built by Italian coachbuilder Bertone before it went bust, a one-off project designed and commissioned by the man who drove a 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 around the world in 80 days, and now's your chance to buy it alongside the full-size clay model and fiberglass mold that preceded it. We’re talking about the Aston Martin Bertone Jet 2+2, a wagonized Rapide that we last saw at the Geneva Motor Show back in 2013. It was built in homage both to AstonÂ’s centenary and to mark six decades of cooperation between the automaker and the Italian design house. At the time, the identity of the client who commissioned it was kept secret. ItÂ’s being offered for sale by Barry Weir, the British motoring enthusiast famous for his four-continent, 22-country, 34,000-mile world rally record, set in 2000. He designed the shooting brake based on the Rapide saloon, added a rear hatch, full-length tinted glass roof and sliding rear floor, and got it approved by Aston, which reportedly intended to put the car into production after Bertone built 10 of them. But that never happened, as Bertone folded operations after this project. View 10 Photos Nevertheless, Weir says he found the fiberglass molds and clay model used to build the car earlier this year on auction in Italy while browsing the web. He managed to negotiate their removal from the auction and bring them back to the U.K., and heÂ’s even offering to sell the tooling set separately. “IÂ’m minded to sell the complete package, and the buyer can choose what they wish to do with it,” Weir says. “They could reproduce the moulds and model or, alternatively, have it as a one-off production car which is registered as Aston Martin Jet 2; which is a new model.” The finished product is said to share 70% of its DNA with the Rapide, including the stock 6.0-liter V12, offering 476 horsepower, and the same wheelbase and a nearly identical curb weight to the donor car. Inside, it features a 2+2 setup with four individual seats, the two in back foldable at the press of a button to make for hauling stuff, and Bertone gave the interior some wood, glazed aluminum and two-color leather trim, per request of Weir, whose name is etched on a plaque inside the cabin. The total design and build took around 3 1/2 months. Related Video:    

Aston Martin DBX leads a 224% increase in sales for the British brand

LONDON — Carmaker Aston Martin reported on Wednesday a 224% increase in sales to its dealers, boosted by its first sport utility vehicle, the DBX, as losses fell in the first half of the year. The DBX 4x4, which first rolled off the production line just over a year ago, accounted for more than half of its 2,901 vehicles between January and June. "Building on the success of DBX, our first SUV, we have since delivered two more new vehicles and with more exciting product launches to come we are well positioned for growth," said Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll. Fictional agent James Bond's car brand of choice has had a tough time since floating in 2018, as it failed to meet expectations and burnt through cash, prompting it to bring in fresh investment from billionaire Stroll last year. The DBX entered production in July 2020 and has helped the company widen its appeal in a lucrative segment of the market which has proven profitable for its rivals. Its pretax loss fell from 227 million pounds in the first half of 2020 to 91 million pounds ($126 million), with the company saying trading was in line with expectations as it aims for 2021 volumes of around 6,000 vehicles. Related video: