2012 Aston Martin Dbs Volante on 2040-cars

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Aston Martin to open test center at Silverstone, British racing's Mecca

LONDON — Aston Martin will open a test and development center at Silverstone, the home of British Formula One racing, as the luxury carmaker continues to expand ahead of a possible stock market offering. James Bond's car brand of choice is undergoing a turnaround plan designed to boost its model lineup, quadruple volumes and produce its first sport utility vehicle at a new plant in Wales. The firm, which sponsors the Red Bull Formula One team, said its Silverstone site would open in October and employ 60 people. Many Formula One teams have been based close to Silverstone in central England, leading the area to become known as motorsport valley. Silverstone hosted the first Formula One championship race in 1950. "The company is now investing for growth across the Aston Martin and Lagonda brands," said Chief Executive Andy Palmer in a statement, also announcing the opening of a central London office. Aston said the new locations would help increase the firm's total workforce by over half to 5,000 by the end of 2022. After six years of losses, Aston Martin swung to a pretax profit in 2017, and the company has said it is considering a stock market IPO, which sources have told Reuters could come as soon as this year. Reporting by Costas PitasRelated Video:

British carmakers facing hard choices as the clock ticks toward Brexit

ST ATHAN, Wales/GAYDON, England - In three cavernous former Royal Air Force hangars at an old airbase in Wales, luxury carmaker Aston Martin is forging ahead with construction of a new vehicle assembly plant. The paint shop is in, robots are being unpacked, and production of the company's critical new sport utility vehicle is on track to start this year – Brexit deal or no deal. "I still have to believe that we'll get to a proper and right decision because a no-deal Brexit is frankly madness," Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer told Reuters at the company's Gaydon headquarters in England, where designers are working on a diverse lineup of vehicles for the 2020s and beyond. Headlines have focused on plant closures and job losses ahead of Britain's divorce from the EU. Nissan has scrapped plans to build its new X-Trail SUV in the country, while Honda will close its only UK car plant in 2021 with the loss of up to 3,500 jobs - though it has been said the decision was not related to Britain's exit from the EU. However, many auto companies - from luxury marques like Aston Martin to mass-market brands such as Vauxhall - are working on ways to survive after March 29. On the outskirts of London, workers at Vauxhall's operation in Luton are preparing to produce a new line of commercial vans following fresh investment from the brand's French owner PSA, which they are counting on to sustain more than 1,000 jobs. While post-Brexit market conditions remain a big unknown, Vauxhall boss Stephen Norman told Reuters Britain's exit from the European Union could present an opportunity to increase the brand's market share. He is pursuing a marketing campaign to boost demand for the company's modestly priced cars and SUVs. The continued investment by some carmakers and the potential sales upside seen by Vauxhall reflect the conflicting decisions and opportunities that brands face depending on their size, their customers and where they are in the production cycle. All automakers in Britain will have to find ways to make Brexit work, even if only in the short term. Nissan builds nearly 450,000 cars and multiple models, making it hard to pull out of the country any time soon. Toyota builds just one model in Britain, the Corolla, but has only just started making it. The typical life cycle of a car is six years. RACKS OF DASHBOARDS Aston Martin and Vauxhall are as different as two auto companies can be.

Xcar gets first live look at Aston Martin Vantage GT3

Yesterday Aston Martin took the wraps off the Vantage GT3, a limited-edition version of its entry level model that has now become its most powerful and hardcore. But while we'll have to wait a couple of weeks until the Geneva Motor Show to see it up close and in the metal, Xcar has been granted an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Gaydon's latest. The Vantage GT3 packs the same 6.0-liter V12 as just about everything else Aston makes (save for the lower-spec V8 Vantage), but with 592 horsepower on tap and less weight to motivate, it'll out-perform them all. One of the best parts, though, is the engine note which Xcar was able to record and which sounds second to none. We're going to miss big naturally aspirated engines like this once the turbos have taken over for good. Related Gallery Aston Martin Vantage GT3 View 22 Photos News Source: Xcar Geneva Motor Show Aston Martin Coupe Performance Videos xcar aston martin vantage gt3