Aston Martin Db7 Collector Item 05,06,07,08,09,10 on 2040-cars

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Top Gear caught filming Best of British near Buckingham Palace

YouTuber and car-fan extraordinaire Shmee probably had very little trouble tracking down the Top Gear film crew recently, as the group was putting together an episode that could accurately be described as "excessive." With its flag-waving (literally) Best of British theme, the TG guys gathered a jaw-dropping array of British cars, and parked them all right in front of Buckingham Palace to make extra sure that the point was driven home.
Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May were outfitted with a trio of Jaguar F-Types festooned with gigantic Union Jacks, with which to survey the landscape of British motoring glory. In the video below, you'll see that this includes any number of Mini, Aston Martin, Lotus, McLaren, Land Rover, Bentley and Rolls-Royce models (just to name a few), as well as a healthy dose of weird stuff that most people would never guess at being built in the UK. The lawnmowers and military vehicles are especially cool.

Aston Martin DB11: Everything we know right now

With six and a half decades of heritage, the Aston Martin DB is one of the most storied nameplates in the savory sports car stratosphere. And we're (probably) just weeks away from seeing the next major chapter: the DB11. A few exclusive spy shots reveal new details, and we've gathered some crucial intelligence to help us get a better idea of what we can expect from the new DB11 when it launches later this year. Much like how the previous DB9 ushered in a new generation of cars from Aston's Gaydon, UK, headquarters, the British carmaker says the DB11 will kick off its "Second Century Plan." An insider told us that Aston is in the final tuning stages, and as such, the engineering prototype pictured here is likely the closest thing we've seen to a final production-spec car. While early mules had moldings and panels, we now have a good sense of the DB11's proportions, and can clearly see the rear-wheel-drive coupe's character lines. We can also see an aero-lip intake under the grille that appears to be significantly wider than on the DB9. Beyond being aesthetically pleasing, this is a necessary addition for better cooling. Our sources tell us power is expected to be above that of the naturally aspirated V12 Vantage's 565 hp and 458 lb-ft of torque. Gaydon's partnership with Daimler will soon yield the new Mercedes-AMG 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine for use in Aston Martin cars, but the Brits surprised us recently by showing a teaser of a 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12. The timing is curious, and makes us suspect that the DB11 will continue the 12-cylinder tradition, despite the pressure to be increasingly fuel efficient. Our sources tell us power is expected to be above that of the naturally aspirated V12 Vantage's 565 horsepower and 458 pound-feet of torque. While the current DB9 boasts a six-speed automatic gearbox, we understand the V12 will be mated to a new transmission with more speeds. It's possible the DB11 could get the ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic that Aston recently added to the Vantage and Rapide range. The DB11 will ride on an all-new chassis, and in continuing the industry trend, the new car should be lighter, tipping the scales below the current DB9's 4,000-pound mark, despite some new equipment. The Daimler partnership should improve a major area where Aston has historically lacked: in-car technology and infotainment.

This Aston Martin V8 Vantage prototype sounds like it has AMG power

We've known for a while now that the next Aston Martin V8 Vantage would get power from a turbocharged Mercedes-AMG engine, but this is the first time we've had a chance to hear it. The video above, recorded by Autoevolution, shows a prototype of the 2018 Aston Martin Vantage cruising around roads near the Nurburgring. The sound is definitely similar to other V8-powered Mercs, and absolutely does not an Aston power plant. As for how good it sounds, the office is split. At least we're in agreement that it's good the car will probably be offered with a manual transmission. We can also pick out a few little details from the body. This new Vantage will get fender vents like those on the DB11 starting from just behind the front wheel arch. The DB11's high and wide rear haunches will carry over as well. This particular prototype has a very deep chin spoiler up front, which may indicate there will be more than one version. The headlights are concealed well, but considering the similarities to the DB11 in other areas, we'd expect similar swept-back headlights up front. Basically, the Vantage is shaping up to continue Aston's tradition of similarly shaped sports cars in different sizes, but that's hardly a bad thing when the resulting cars look so good. Related Video: News Source: Autoevolution / YouTube via Road & TrackImage Credit: Autoevolution / YouTube Spy Photos Aston Martin Coupe Future Vehicles Performance Videos viral video mercedes-amg aston martin v8 vantage