2009 Aston Martin Dbs 6-speed Manual 619 Miles Lightning Silver Obsidian As-new! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Aston Martin proves the battery-electric Rapide E prototype can drive

On April 2, 2015, we wrote a report detailing an electric version of Aston Martin's Rapide sedan that could launch in two-to-three years. Today, January 25, 2019, we are here to post a video of the electric Rapide E prototype driving on its own for the first time. Chalk that long wait up to Aston's high bar of making it feel like a V12, the fact that it's Aston's first EV, and the company's thorough testing regimen. President and CEO of Aston Martin Andy Palmer took to Twitter to share with his followers "a moment of Aston Martin history." The video showed the first validation prototype of the Rapide E, the electric variant of the four-door performance car, moving under its own power. This was no Tesla Roadster warehouse video showing its incredible performance. It was simply the first footage of the Rapide E in slow action in a parking lot. ....and by coincident on 21/01/2019, at 8:14pm, another piece of @astonmartin history was made...... but quite what will remain a tightly held secret for now — Andy Palmer (@AndyatAston) January 21, 2019 This past September, Aston Martin officially announced it would build a limited run of 155 examples of the Rapide E. Co-developed with Williams Advanced Engineering, the Rapide E uses two electric motors to make 610 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque. It has a top speed of 155 mph and can do 0-60 mph in less than four seconds. Its WLTP range target is said to be over 200 miles, and an hour of charging is good for 185 miles, using a 400V, 50-kW charger. Aston says the car's 800V battery system can also be charged with a 100-kW+ charger at a rate of over 5 miles per minute. In addition to the video, Palmer commented that a second mark of Aston history occurred, but that it will remain a "tightly held secret for now." Expect the first Rapide Es to launch in the fourth quarter of 2019. Related Video:

Aston Martin sues supplier Envisage over copyright infringement

Automakers don't make the entire cars themselves. They typically design and engineer them, outsource many of the components to outside suppliers, and put them together at assembly plants. Farming out work to those suppliers can result in some leaks in the automaker's intellectual property, but while that's typically covered in extensive legal documents, disputes can arise. And in this case, it's arisen between Aston Martin and one of its suppliers. That supplier is the Envisage Group, a British firm based in Coventry that has, among its various clients, performed design work for Aston since 2007 and supplied parts and tooling since 2011. That means it has access to certain proprietary information regarding Aston and its products, and now the automaker is claiming the supplier has taken unlawful advantage of that access and its copyrights to further its other businesses. Among its other services, Envisage operates a coachbuilding operation that handles the production of vehicles like the Eagle's customized Jaguar E-Types and the Speedback GT for David Brown Automotive. The latter, pictured here, bears more than a passing resemblance to classic Astons, and the company name itself suggests a certain affiliation as well. However both Aston Martin and David Brown Automotive insist that the lawsuit is unrelated. In correspondence with Autoblog, the latter sent the following statement: Following speculation in recent press reports that David Brown Automotive and Speedback GT are the subject of, or involved in, legal proceedings by Aston Martin Lagonda Limited against Envisage Group Limited, David Brown Automotive can confirm that it, and its products, are in no way implicated and the production of our vehicles continues unaffected by the litigation. According to the report from the Telegraph, the lawsuit filed with the UK's High Court makes specific mention of badges, wheels and headlights belonging to Aston Martin that Envisage has allegedly used in promoting its services. Featured Gallery David Brown Automotive Speedback View 18 Photos News Source: The TelegraphImage Credit: David Brown Automotive Design/Style Government/Legal Aston Martin lawsuit court david brown automotive david brown automotive speedback

Aston Martin shares plunge to new low following half-year loss

LONDON — Shares in Aston Martin plunged 17% to a post-flotation low on Wednesday after the luxury British carmaker slumped to a half-year loss, the latest automotive firm to be hit by falling demand in Europe. Aston Martin, best known as James Bond's favorite marque, has been undergoing a turnaround plan since Chief Executive Andy Palmer took over in 2014, designed to renew and boost its model line-up and move into new segments. The plan led to an autumn 2018 stock market flotation. But its shares have since fallen by around three quarters from their 19 pounds float price to below 5 pounds, hit most recently by the group's weak performance in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, where half-year demand fell by nearly a fifth. The group posted a pretax loss of 78.8 million pounds in the six months through June from a 20.8 million pound profit in the first half of 2018. Its shares were down 17% at 4.71 pounds by 0748 GMT. "We are disappointed that our projections for wholesales have fallen short or our original targets, impacted by weakness in two of our key markets as well as continued macro-economic uncertainty," Palmer said. Overall wholesale demand grew by 6% in the first six months as the group posted strong increases in the Americas and Asia, but a decline in Britain and the rest of the continent prompted the carmaker to cut its full-year forecast. Aston has also been hit by expansion costs as it builds a new factory in Wales to make its first sport utility vehicle, and a lower average selling price. The company said that if it requires some additional financing it would pursue the funds from sources such as the debt markets. The global car industry has been hit by weakening demand in China and a drop in demand for diesel vehicles in Europe, as well as the cost of electrification. Nissan reported plunging profits last week and said it would undertake its biggest restructuring plan in a decade, axing nearly a tenth of its workforce. But 106-year old Aston also faces the risk of a disorderly Brexit disrupting its wholly British production, as delays at ports due to new bureaucracy could slow down the movement of vehicles and components. "We do not want a no-deal Brexit because of the disruption that causes to issues at the border," said Palmer.