2006 Aston Martin Db9 Base Coupe 2-door on 2040-cars

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Aston Martin and Mercedes will share F1 safety car duties

LONDON — Aston Martin is set to join Mercedes next season as a provider of Formula One's official safety cars, according to media reports on Tuesday. Racefans.net reported that Aston Martin would supply safety and medical cars at 12 of the 23 scheduled races in key markets, with the existing Mercedes cars used at the rest. It said Aston Martin's new DBX SUV, which uses a Mercedes-AMG V8 engine, would be used as a medical car. There was no official confirmation from Aston Martin or Mercedes. Sources indicated to Reuters that the report was accurate, however. Mercedes has been the official provider of the cars, which are deployed in the event of an incident or bad weather to keep the field lapping safely, since 1996 but that deal runs out at the end of this year. A shared supply would make sense for both carmakers, who already have close ties. Aston Martin's executive chairman Lawrence Stroll also owns the Racing Point team, who will race as Aston Martin from next season with four times world champion Sebastian Vettel arriving from Ferrari. Mercedes, a part of Daimler, is set to raise its stake in Aston Martin to up to 20% by 2023. Toto Wolff, principal of the Mercedes factory team, also has a private stake in Aston Martin. Related Video: Motorsports Aston Martin Mercedes-Benz F1

'Sylvan Rock' by Aston Martin could be your home for $7.7 million

Aston Martin is known for some of the most gorgeous automotive designs ever produced, but occasionally it lends that expertise to other items. Sylvan Rock, a 55-acre luxury residential resort to be constructed in New York's Hudson Valley in partnership with New York's S3 Architecture, is one such venture. It's also Aston Martin's first collaboration in the design of a private home. Sylvan Rock will be built about 80 miles north of New York City, near Rhinebeck. Calling it a house is underselling it; even the property's own website refers to it as a "compound." It comprises a nearly 6,000-square foot primary residence, three guest "pods," a pool, pool house, tree house and garden. Oh, and yes, there's a three-car garage, but that's not what really sells Sylvan Rock as a driver's home.  "Driving down a bucolic country road, enjoying the curves in the road, you arrive at an unassuming gatehouse entrance to the private driveway. Along the driveway, the property unfolds onto a secluded luxury retreat," the promotional material enthuses. Sounds like a nice little spot, doesn't it? That's straight from the description on the property web site, which is linked above. It has detailed plans and a much larger gallery of rendered images. Here are the quick specs: Residence | 5,983 SF 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2 half baths 3 car garage Pool and deck Pool House | 873 SF Three Guest House “Pods” | 1,574 SF Treehouse - Architect designed Food Garden and Trails Total finished spaces in compound: 8,430 SF If you can part with a cool $7.7 million, it could be your new home away from your 17 other homes, provided you can wait until 2022, when construction will be finished. Oh, and if you have another couple hundred grand burning a hole in your pocket, Aston Martin will even throw in a new DBX in matching Onyx Black. Honestly, if you can flash the cash, I'm sure they'll sell you as many cars as you want — or, you know, shares. They'll even throw in a picnic basket for free. Yes, that last part is real.  Featured Gallery Aston Martin Sylvan Rock View 9 Photos Auto News Design/Style Marketing/Advertising Aston Martin Luxury

Wingsuits are somehow involved in new season of 'Top Gear'

It's a shame that Matt LeBlanc is leaving "Top Gear," but there's a bit of solace in the situation: There's still one more season of him as frontman. BBC just released the new trailer for series 26, and it shows LeBlanc, Chris Harris and Rory Reid getting into all sorts of shenanigans around the globe. "Top Gear" announced LeBlanc's imminent departure back in May 2018, but he still had to finish one more season before leaving. Thus, the upcoming series will be his last, and it looks like he'll go out in a whirlwind of dust, bent metal, water spray and burnt rubber. The trailer shows everything expected from a season of the storied automotive show (well, everything except Hammond, May, and Clarkson, if you're one of those people). There will be precision driving, dubious stunts, name-calling and gobs of stunning videography. In the short one-minute clip, there are flashes of numerous attention-piquing vehicles. The new Bentley Continental GT, a Bentley Le Mans racer, Porsches, Ferraris, the Aston Martin Vantage, and the Mercedes-AMG GT all make appearances. And for some random fun, the boys are seen in wingsuits (doubtful it's actually them), and playing polo in some three-wheel rickshaws (before wrecking said rickshaws). We'll update with more information as soon as we know when the show will start. Related Video: News Source: BBC Celebrities TV/Movies Aston Martin Bentley Ferrari Mercedes-Benz Porsche Videos Top Gear chris harris matt leblanc rory reid