Coupe 5.9l Cd Locking/limited Slip Differential Traction Control Keyless Start on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Aston Martin Valkyrie is set to lose its roof at Pebble Beach with roadster variant

Aston Martin is coming to Monterey Car Week with a new car reveal. The specific model name isn’t explicitly mentioned by Aston, but one look at the “teaser” gives us all the information we might need to suss it out. The Valkyrie is losing its roof for a new Roadster variant that will join the existing hardtop and racing-only AMR Pro model. You must look rather closely at the roof area of the teaser, but upon inspection, the roof of the Valkyrie shown here is missing. Additionally, the doors have a new design to accommodate the missing roof. Instead of opening via the roof in gullwing fashion, they appear to be scissor doors. Beyond these details, weÂ’re left to guess at the rest. The car looks similar to the standard coupe up front, and the convertible appears to keep the roof scoop, too. Aston says the wraps will officially be taken off this new model on Thursday, August 12. After being revealed at a private event, the car will be available to see by invitation-only beginning the following day at the Aston Martin Club 1913. All Aston will say about the model so far is that itÂ’s “a new product from the brand which extends the companyÂ’s performance credentials a step further.” In addition to the new Valkyrie, Aston is also bringing the Valhalla supercar to North America for the first time. You can read all about that mid-engine car here, and then go check it out on Pebble BeachÂ’s 18th fairway. If you want one, Aston just made its production run official — only 999 Valhallas will be built over the next two years. Related video:

Aston Martin mulls Formula E, but one thing must change

It may be the off-season, but Formula E is on fire. It seems that everybody is scrambling for a spot on the grid. Jaguar relaunched its racing program in the electric series, and is doubling down with a support series. Audi took a more prominent position for next season. BMW's in. Mercedes-Benz will be joining, too. Porsche has ditched WEC for Formula E. FCA is interested. So it shouldn't be too surprising, then, that Aston Martin is now considering a Formula E entry, as Automotive News Europe reports. Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer told the outlet that the series could support the company's development of electric vehicles, such as the upcoming RapidE, pictured above. "We don't have an electric car yet, but we will have in 2019," he said. "You can imagine the two coming together. I love Formula E." Palmer said, though, that Aston Martin wouldn't want to join the series until it does away with car swaps mid-race. "For me, the use of the two cars reinforces the range anxiety," Palmer told Automotive News Europe. "That will change, and then it starts to get interesting." In the past, other automakers have expressed similar concerns about car swaps. The upcoming season will be the last to use the practice, and Formula E will move toward using a single car per driver for each race beginning in the 2018-19 season. Aston Martin scaled back plans for the RapidE electric car after its partner LeEco pulled out of the project. Instead, Aston Martin will rely on the engineering expertise of Williams, and limit the RapidE to 155 units, priced at around $255,000. Related Video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin RapidE concept View 12 Photos News Source: Automotive News EuropeImage Credit: Aston Martin Green Motorsports Aston Martin Electric Racing Vehicles Formula E aston martin rapide fia formula e championship

Aston Martin Valhalla project rebooted with Mercedes-Benz technology

Aston Martin will leverage its access to the Mercedes-Benz parts shelf to revise the Valhalla it plans to release in the coming years. Specifications haven't been finalized yet, but the supercar will most likely arrive with a German heart. Announced in early 2019 as the Project 003, and named Valhalla later that year, the Ferrari-punching model was on track to make its debut with a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 mounted behind its passenger compartment. Aston Martin proudly pointed out that the six was the first engine it developed in-house since the Tadek Marek-designed 5.3-liter V8 entered production in 1969. These plans changed after Daimler purchased a 20% stake in the firm, however. Aston Martin boss Tobias Moers (whose last position was at the head of Mercedes-AMG) told investors that his team is "re-assessing" the Valhalla, and that it will "probably have a different drivetrain" than the concept. He didn't reveal what the model will be powered by, and he stressed that nothing is off the table. Mercedes-Benz has a wide range of four-, six-, eight-, and 12-cylinder engines in its parts bin, plus hybrid technology and electric motors. Electrification remains in the pipeline regardless of the path the company chooses to take. "With the transformational technology agreement with Mercedes-Benz, there are other chances for us regarding combustion engines, but we still have an electrified drivetrain," he said without providing more specific details. It sounds like Aston will make visual tweaks to the Valhalla, too, because Moers revealed that buyers will be shown an updated version of the car in the next four months. It's unclear whether it will be presented to the public, too. Regardless, the car's introduction is tentatively scheduled for late 2023, so it will likely arrive here as a 2024 model. Moers confirmed that a plug-in hybrid model with what he described as "a reasonable electric range" will join the Aston Martin range in the coming years, too. He added that three new variants of the DBX, the firm's first SUV, are on their way as well. One is a plug-in hybrid. Details about the others aren't known, but another could be a sportier version positioned at the top of the range. Finally, the first electric Aston Martin will arrive in about 2025.