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Aston Martin DB11 fully exposed before Geneva debut

You're forgiven if you don't remember much about Daniel Craig's last adventure as James Bond 007 in Spectre. The movie was largely forgettable, but the Aston Martin DB10 built for the film was nice to look at, until it took a swim in the Tiber. Since the DB10 was never intended for production, the DB11 is on its way as a DB9 replacement. We've been seeing camouflaged DB11 prototypes running around Europe for a while now. And now, thanks to a photographer taking a picture when he or she wasn't supposed to, and posting that image to Twitter, we can show you what the front of the upcoming DB11 looks like well ahead of its probable Geneva Motor Show debut. Twitter user @Rudybenjamin13 posted the photo you see below earlier today, although with the caveat that the account was just sharing the photo and didn't take it. Whether that's the case is neither here nor there. On me dit que je risque d'etre emmerde donc tant qu'a faire ... #astonmartin #DB11 . Je relaie .... pic.twitter.com/Xle3BkjJF9 — RudyB001 (@Rudybenjamin13) February 17, 2016 It's a much more traditional front fascia than the DB10's concept-car aesthetic. Bigger, road-legal headlights and a more traditional Aston grille bookend an incredibly sculpted hood. Where the DB10 was shark-nosed and aggressive, the DB11 looks traditional and profoundly powerful. It will fit right into the lineup, which can't quite be said for the DB10, whatever you think of it. From this angle, it's both expected and satisfying. We can't wait to see it in the flesh, hopefully in Geneva. Related Video: Spy Photos Aston Martin aston martin db9 aston martin db11 spectre aston martin db10

Lotus and Aston Martin to hook up?

This has been a tumultuous year for Lotus - to say the least - from the company being sold off back in January to its CEO Dany Bahar being fired in June to its questionable financial status and rumors of the British automaker being sold off to another automaker. First, we heard that Volkswagen was interested in acquiring Lotus and parent company Proton, a rumor that was later dismissed. Now Automobile is reporting that fellow Brit Aston Martin could be in the market to work with or possibly even merge with Lotus.
While this is pure speculation at this point, such a venture could prove to be beneficial for both independent companies. That's because with Lotus focused on lightweight, relatively affordable sports cars and Aston Martin producing high-end performance cars, there is virtually no product overlap between the companies. The article suggests that a person or company wanting to merge these two automakers would have to raise between $1.1 billion and $1.6 billion in order to make a go of it, however.
We're not sure what to think of this latest rumor, but anything that can help get the struggling brand back to health at least has our interest.

James Bond's Aston Martin DB10 sells for $3.5 million

We expect the person that just paid 2,434,500 pounds ($3.48 million at current exchange rates) for James Bond's Aston Martin DB10 from Spectre enjoyed a stiff martini after writing the check to Christies. The sale price shattered the original estimate of at least $1.4 million. The proceeds from the coupe's auction went to Medecins sans Frontieres, and the movie's memorabilia brought a total of 2,785,500 pounds ($3.98 million) for charities. Aston Martin made just 10 examples of the DB10 to shoot Spectre, but the crew modified most of them to film the movie's stunts. This was one of two that the production left untouched. It's also the first DB10 available for sale to the public, and actor Daniel Craig signed the car. The DB10 features a carbon-fiber body that's perfect for the world's best known secret agent, and underneath the beautiful design, these cars have the platform, 4.7-liter V8, and six-speed manual gearbox from a V8 Vantage. Even though they use production-based parts, Aston Martin doesn't certify the DB10s for public roads. However, we presume the new owner has a sprawling estate to enjoy his or her purchase. Related Video: