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Aston teases a topless DB11 before official Spring launch

Aston Martin has a lot riding on the new DB11. Aston Martin's CEO Andy Palmer called the vehicle the most important car the automaker launched in recent history, and on our first drive we said the new coupe is a great first step into the automaker's second century. So it shouldn't come as a surprise to hear that the automaker is working on a Volante variant of the DB11. The automaker teased the upcoming 2018 Aston Martin DB11 Volante with three images on its Facebook page. The lightly-disguised DB11 Volante reveals the upcoming roadster will feature a folding soft-top roof, with the writing on the door indicating that the vehicle will come out in the Spring of 2018. The three images only show the upcoming Volante's rear end, which is just as good looking as the coupe's. The front end should also mimic the regular DB11's, but the fact that Aston Martin didn't release any images of the Volante's front fascia has us thinking that it could be slightly different than the coupe's. Power for the DB11 Volante is expected to come from the automaker's all-new 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 that generates 600 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. While the coupe is able to hit a top speed of 200 mph and can get to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds, the Volante will be a little slower to 62 mph and will have a lower top speed, as well. Having a roofless DB11 will also cost more than the coupe's base price of roughly $212,000. With the DB11 Volante set to be revealed in the early months of 2018, we expect to see a lot more of the roadster in the upcoming months. Related Video:

Aston Martin reportedly cancels electric RapidE amid money troubles

Aston Martin's first production-bound electric car won't be based on the Rapide after all, according to a recent report. The British firm allegedly canceled the RapidE project after several costly delays. British magazine Autocar learned from a source close to Aston Martin that it has consigned the sedan to the automotive attic to focus on ramping up production of the DBX, its first SUV. It's a hugely important model that will make or break the company's 2020 balance sheet. Other seemingly random projects like the ACH130 helicopter co-developed with Airbus are much less distracting because there's little substance to them; it's essentially just a nice interior and an eye-catching paint job. The RapidE, however, was a new car under a familiar body. Presented as "a truly historic step" that would pelt Aston into the world of electrification, it snubbed the Rapide's 6.0-liter V12 and instead offered drivers an electric powertrain with 610 horsepower and a 65-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. The firm quoted a 200-mile driving range, which is on par with the Porsche Taycan's EPA rating, and a 4-second sprint to 60 mph, which is about as quick as a gasoline-burning Rapide. Development work began in 2015 with the help of LeEco, a Chinese tech giant-turned-electric car manufacturer founded by Jia Yueting, the man behind Faraday Future. Aston Martin chose to finish funding the project on its own after money trouble forced LeEco out. Williams Advanced Engineering provided its expertise, but Aston Martin had to foot the bill on its own, so the RapidE went from a low-volume model to a limited-edition sedan. Aston Martin planned to make 155 examples of the RapidE in a new facility located in St. Athan, Wales. Each one carried a price tag reading "on application," which is automaker-speak for "really expensive," and one was spoken for by James Bond. We reached out to the company to verify Autocar's report, but were told they couldn't comment on future product speculation. There's no word yet on what this means for the other electric cars Aston has in the pipeline, including two luxury sedans previewed by concepts and intended to revive the dormant Lagonda name in the early 2020s. Featured Gallery Aston Martin Rapide E:Auto Shanghai 2019 View 11 Photos Green Aston Martin Electric Sedan

Aston Martin V12 Vantage revealed as the last of the line

The Aston Martin V12 Vantage is here, and it's a wild sendoff to the littlest 12-cylinder, front-engine sports car in the company's lineup. Yes, this will be the last Vantage to get the twin-turbo 5.2-liter V12. As such, it's going to be produced in very limited numbers with a whole bunch of special features to make the most of the beefy engine under the hood. That V12 is a familiar unit, as it has also appeared in DB11 and DBS variants, as well as the Vantage-based V12 Speedster. The engine is tuned to the V12 Speedster's specifications with 690 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque, the latter of which is available from between 1,800 to 6,000 rpm. It's paired to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission in the middle and a mechanical limited-slip differential at the rear. Aston says the powertrain will propel the V12 Vantage to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds on the way to a 200 mph top speed. Surrounding the engine is a thoroughly revised body. It's about 1.6 inches wider overall to accommodate the wider track and fat tires (275-mm front and 315-mm rear). The front grille is 25% larger than on a normal Vantage to provide more cooling, and the hood has a scalloped vent for the same reason. Many of the body components are made of carbon fiber for weight savings including the bumpers, side skirts, fenders, hood and trunk lid. Adding both visual excitement and additional downforce are the front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser and wing. They provide 450 pounds of downforce at top speed. If a buyer finds the wing to be a bit much, though, it can be deleted, though downforce would be reduced. The V12 Vantage also gets a special center-exit exhaust that weighs nearly 16 pounds less than the standard Vantage exhaust. Naturally, the chassis gets upgrades to handle the V12 Vantage's power. In addition to being wider, the V12 Vantage's chassis is stiffer thanks to added sheer panels, a rear shock tower brace and fuel tank bracing. The adaptive suspension features stiffer springs are stiffer, as are various bushings and the front anti-roll bar. The rear anti-roll bar is actually softer, though. Carbon ceramic brakes are standard with six-piston front calipers and 4-piston rear calipers. On the inside, the V12 Vantage is pretty similar to a regular model, but it gets standard Sports Plus Seats with semi-aniline leather with quilted stitching and perforations.