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Behold the Aston Martin SUV: Officially named DBX, coming in 2019

It's official. The Aston Martin DBX SUV is named and it's on its way, folks. Oh, and Aston really wants you to know it can drive on dirt. Every official photo we have of the thing shows it doing something off the pavement. In other definite news on the SUV, it will be revealed in the last quarter of 2019 and be built at Aston Martin's new St. Athan factory in the U.K. Everything else about the tall Aston will remain a mystery for now. But we finally have a decent look at what's coming. The most obvious feature is the V8 Vantage-style grille. It's the most outlandish and distinguishing styling element on the Vantage, but we're not so sure about it on the DBX. There's plenty that looks unfinished behind the fake grille-looking piece, so we wouldn't be prepared to say that the design is what we'll see on the production SUV quite yet. It looks like standard, boring SUV fare down the sides, but then it gets funky in the rear. To our eyes, it looks like there are two spoilers back there — one extending from the roof, then another ducktail-looking thing coming out of the hatch. Once again, the design doesn't strike us as fully-baked yet, so it's tough to say what the rear end is going to end up like. The little exhaust outlets poking out of the bumper are pretty cool, though. This prototype pictured is being put through a Welsh rally stage for testing purposes, one of many different environments in which Aston says it wants the DBX to excel. The other notable spot is the Nurburgring, but we'd expect an Aston Martin SUV to handle well. We don't think an electrified version is coming right away, but Aston is building it in the same factory it says will be the brand's "Home of Electrification." It's safe to assume a hybrid or fully-electric vehicle from Aston will be coming when we get to the next decade, especially with the way Aston is talking. Related video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin DBX prototype View 13 Photos Image Credit: Aston Martin Aston Martin Crossover SUV Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Performance aston martin dbx

2018 Aston Martin DB11 Volante First Drive Review | The speed of style

If you're not a car designer, chances are you've tried to draw a sportscar, and realized just how hard it is to get those proportions just right. One false line, and the sleek coupe of your imagination looks like a kumquat. So you can imagine that transforming the striking V8-powered Aston Martin DB11 coupe into an equally stunning Volante ragtop was harder than it looked, a task which required Aston designers and engineers to nip and tuck everything past the windshield. "There were lots of healthy, heated debates," lead designer Julian Nunn says of how the DB11 Volante – fancy speak for convertible – was packaged. As it sits before us on a brisk winter morning in Southern France, the British drop-top has a sleek, fleet look thanks to the elegant rake of its nose, the sharp arc of its roofline, and the taut contours of its derriere. Aston's designers nailed the proportions – it's a stunner. How they got there was a game of millimeters, starting with a minuscule lift of the haunches to accommodate the eight-layer folding soft top. To soften the look of those lifted surfaces, the wheel arches are faceted slightly inboard, lending them more depth and dimension. The convertible loses the air vent at the rear, since there's no roof to create lift; as such, the so-called AeroBlade feature which ducts air through the C-pillar is also gone. But the rear spoiler remains, automatically deploying for downforce with a speed-dependent algorithm based on driving mode. The stack height (that is, the vertical space occupied by the folding roof) measures 10 inches, the lowest in its class, which helps the DB11 achieve its graceful looks with the added benefit of keeping the center of gravity low. The top takes 14 seconds to lower, and will drop at speeds up to 31 mph. A Volante with its top down puts Aston's typically gorgeous cabin on full display: the door's brogued leather details surrounded by an improbably shaped veneer surround; the complex curvature of the veneer around the capacitive touch-sensitive infotainment interface; the improbably generous swaths of leather and Alcantara upholstering the dashboard and A-pillar surfaces. There's even, for the first time, veneer on the backs of the front seats. The tiny rear seats come with ISOFIX car seat attachments, a first in a Volante. I could go on about the DB11's unusual and intriguing aesthetic choices, but I've also got a persistent gripe with the electronic instrument cluster.

Aston Martin DB9 GT breaks cover

Based on recent spy shots, it appears that the Aston Martin DB9 might be nearing retirement. Thankfully, the British sportscar brand isn't letting the high-performance grand tourer wither on the vine until a replacement arrives. Instead, the company is launching the most powerful version of the model yet with the introduction of the DB9 GT at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. With its tuned 6.0-liter V12 getting an extra 30 ponies to push output to 540 horsepower, the DB9 GT certainly doesn't lack for power, and that muscle routes through the brand's six-speed Touchtronic II gearbox. The potent powertrain can launch the luxurious model to 60 miles per hour in a claimed 4.4 seconds and to a reported top speed of 183 mph. The latest model offers more than just a performance upgrade, though. On the outside, the DB9 now wears a black front splitter and rear diffuser. It also rides on new 10-spoke, 20-inch wheels, and you can spot black-anodized brake calipers just behind them. For a further flourish, GT is engraved on the aluminum fuel cap, and if all of that isn't enough, buyers can spec a plethora of optional, carbon-fiber trim. Inside, the GT's big upgrade is a switch to Aston Martin's latest AMi II infotainment system. It features a revised menu structure that the company claims makes working the tech more user-friendly. This DB9 delivers on luxury too with fluted-leather seats and an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel. The DB9 GT is available for order now, and the price for the additional power and luxury in the US starts at $199,950. It's not the only Aston Martin receiving some attention, though, because the 2016 model year examples of both the V8 Vantage and Rapide S also get the AMi II system. They benefit from new color and upholstery options, as well. Aston Martin reveals DB9 GT – the ultimate in bespoke grand touring New GT model showcases the very best of DB9 Most powerful DB9 to date with 540 bhp from 6.0-litre V12 engine Colour, trim and equipment additions for Vantage and Rapide S models 24 June, 2015, Gaydon: Aston Martin is today revealing the DB9 GT – the luxury British sports car maker's most compelling production 'DB' to date. Designed to offer the best of what DB9 can be, the new car delivers world-class grand touring and hand-built excellence.