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Aston Martin previews a bespoilered Vantage; could it be a new AMR?

Aston Martin has teased a new sports car from its official Twitter account. The image shows the car's silhouette with a big green and lime swoosh above it. The car appears to be a Vantage variant, with the addition of a rear spoiler and Y-spoke wheels. It's also finished in the same Aston Martin Racing Green as its 2021 Formula One race car livery. The spoiler and colors evoke the new Vantage safety car that made its debut over the weekend at the pre-season test in Bahrain. That car features an AMRG paint job with a Lime Essence pinstripe along the front air splitter, side skirts, and rear diffuser. It's also equipped with a rear wing not found on standard Vantages. Like the car in the shadowy teaser, it also wore the optional vaned grille as opposed to the standard mesh. Could Aston Martin be taking a page from the General Motors playbook and making a pace car edition Vantage? That would be uncharacteristic of the British marque, so perhaps a new Vantage AMR is more likely. The previous AMR was limited to 200 units and, despite having the same power as regular Vantages, made waves for letting you row your own gears with a seven-speed manual. Since then the stick shift has been made standard for the Vantage, but the AMR boasted many other features that set it apart — carbon ceramic brakes, carbon fiber trim, forged wheels, a mechanical limited-slip differential, and 200 fewer pounds of curb weight. On the other hand, the F1 pace car's menu of modifications seems like it could easily form the basis for a new AMR. The Vantage safety car increased output of its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 by 25 horsepower to 528. The peak torque of 505 lb-ft was unchanged, but Aston Martin claims it could be sustained for longer. Additionally, the transmission was strengthened, the chassis stiffened with underbody bracing, and modifications were made to suspension, steering and dampers. It's not clear whether the pace car's bespoke splitter is on the teaser car. Aston Martin gave no information to accompany the teaser, so we'll just have to wait until March 22, when the car is scheduled for a full reveal. Aston Martin VantageDBXOfficial Safety and Medical cars of Formula One03 View 28 Photos

Aston Martin DB9 successor makes one sexy mule

It's been a dozen years since Aston Martin first introduced the DB9 to the world, and while it has undergone numerous revisions and updates over the course of its lifetime, twelve years is a long time. Fortunately the British automaker is preparing to launch a new version, and that's just what our shooters in Eiffel have spotted running around the Nurburgring. Now it's hard to tell much from these spy shots, because the prototype they depict is mostly wearing the bodywork of the existing DB9. So all the interesting stuff is happening beneath the skin. But it does appear that the front end is wider, giving the next-generation model – whatever it will ultimately be called – a wider front track and more room in the engine bay. Those who've been following the news will know that Aston has signed a deal with Mercedes-AMG that will see the German automaker's performance division supply it with a new powerplant, but that's not expected to be ready for the DB9 successor's arrival. Look for it to pop up in production guise sometime next year, then, with an evolution of Gaydon's long-serving and ubiquitous 6.0-liter V12 engine that's already developing 592 horsepower in the Vantage GT3... excuse us, Porsche: "GT12." Related Video:

Aston Martin DBX flies on two wings in wild Mansory treatment

Subtlety, thy name is most definitely not Mansory. The German tuner has revealed its latest subject, an Aston Martin DBX outfitted with the company's signature gaudiness. If you can look past the visual assault, however, the car is notable for being the first tuned DBX. Mansory modified the Aston's AMG-built twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine with a new ECU, bigger turbos, and reworked exhaust. That transforms the already powerful DBX from a 542-horsepower 516-pound-foot SUV into an 800-horse, 738-pound-foot behemoth. A shield-shaped badge reads "Mansory P800 Performance" just in case you have any doubts about its output, but nowhere is this alphanumeric sequence mentioned in its press materials. Mansory claims a 0-62 time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 202 mph. Brakes and wheels are not discussed either. The firm also claims that many of the aerodynamic changes are necessary to keep the DBX grounded as it reaches supercar speeds. Those include a widebody kit with pronounced fender vents, a front fascia that offers more openings than the Washington Generals, and the rear diffuser gives customers the choice of two placements for the dual exhaust. One places the tailpipes on opposite sides of the rear fascia, and one puts them side by side in the center. Many of these bits, including the side skirts, are made of forged carbon. We know it's supposed to be lightweight, modern and expensive, but we can't help but think they end up looking like the basic granite countertop in a Zillow flipper. You also may have noticed that the Mansory DBX has not one, but two elaborate rear wings. Each is made of forged carbon, and each also looks like a Klingon ritual battle weapon. You can have the Mansory DBX in any color you want as long as it's black with lime green. While the DBX's exterior isn't overly saturated in textmarker grun, the same cannot be said for its cabin. There, a dizzying pattern of chartreuse AM grilles on the seats, door panels and center console give life to the nightmare scenario of being trapped inside a Magic Eye poster. If you really have a jones for a faster DBX, may we recommend that you wait for the upcoming V12, which will likely retain Aston Martin's traditionally elegant styling. The DBX may have saved Aston Martin from financial ruin, but let's not ruin the DBX.