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Aston Martin V12 Speedster will ditch roof and windshield

If your hunger for supercars with no windshields wasn't satiated with the McLaren Elva, we have good news. Aston Martin has one of its own to be revealed later this year. It's simply called the Aston Martin V12 Speedster, and sounds like it will be entertaining. Though the car hasn't been fully revealed, the teaser image gives us a good look at the profile. The nose is pointy with a huge grille like the Aston Martin Vantage. The short deck with tall rear spoiler is also Vantage-esque. Between the wheels appear to be some very aggressive air vents and character lines. And of course, there's no roof or windshield. There are cowls behind the seats, which are fitting since Aston says this car is inspired by the Le Mans-winning 1959 DBR1 race car and the 2013 Aston Martin CC100 concept car, both open sports cars. Powering the V12 Speedster is, obviously, a V12 engine. It's a version of the twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter that's been used in different versions of the DB11. In the Speedster it will produce 690 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, which is less than the 715 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque in the monster DBS Superleggera. The engine is matched to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive. Only 88 V12 Speedsters will be built, and Aston is taking orders now. Completed cars will be delivered in early 2021. Pricing hasn't been announced, but we doubt that will be an issue for those ordering one. Related Video:    

Aston Martin crafts one-off equestrian-themed DB9 Volante

Ask most people what kind of cars Aston Martin makes and they'll probably tell you it makes sports cars. But it doesn't. No, Aston Martin actually makes luxury GTs that focus at least as much on fine craftsmanship as they do on outright performance. In other words, any Aston Martin – from the 'entry level' V8 Vantage to the flagship Vanquish – packs an unrivaled attention to detail. But for those looking for that extra measure of exclusivity and intricacy, there's Q by Aston Martin. And this is its latest project. Similar to the Ferrari Tailor Made program, Lamborghini Ad Personam, Porsche Exclusive or Rolls-Royce Bespoke, Q by Aston Martin is dedicated to meeting the specific needs of individual customers who want their luxury GT crafted just so. We've seen several specially crafted and eye-catching Q projects at auto shows around the world, created to showcase what the division can do. This one was commissioned by a dealership in Los Gatos, CA. Starting with a DB9 Volante, the Q division gave it an equestrian theme with saddle tan leather with diamond-quilted ivory Alcantara trim, light burlwood veneer, specially-embroidered horse-head logos and saddle-style luggage fitted to the rear console. The exterior is finished in Ashen Blonde metallic with ten-spoke diamond-turned wheels in satin champagne and Howlite stone-inlaid logos. This one-off DB9 will be auctioned off at the Menlo Charity Horse Show, held August 5-10 at the Menlo Circus Club in Atherton, CA, with proceeds to benefit the Vista Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired.

Aston Martin speeds ahead with October IPO worth perhaps $6.7 billion

LONDON — Luxury British carmaker Aston Martin is seeking a valuation of up to 5.07 billion pounds ($6.7 billion) from its stock market flotation and has taken steps to prepare for any eventuality over Brexit, it said on Thursday. The company, famed for making the sports car driven by fictional secret agent James Bond, said last month it was pursuing an initial public offering (IPO), the first British carmaker to do so for decades. The automaker will publish a prospectus later on Thursday and hopes to announce its final pricing on or around Oct. 3. It expects its shares to be admitted to the London Stock Exchange on or around Oct. 8. Carmakers have warned about the impact of any customs checks introduced as a result of a no deal or hard Brexit which could slow down production and add costs when Britain leaves the bloc in March 2019. The boss of Aston, which builds all its cars in Britain, said the company had boosted its stock of engines and components in case free and unfettered trade with the European Union ends in a few months' time. "We're up to five days of engine stock for example and we've got a very large warehouse in Wellesbourne (in central England) where we have at least five days of car stock," Chief Executive Andy Palmer told Reuters, an increase from the previous three days' worth of components held by the firm. "If there are tariffs ... for every car we lose because of a 10 percent tariff into Europe, we presumably pick up from Ferrari and Lamborghini in the other direction because obviously their cars become more expensive in the UK," he said. London and Brussels hope to conclude a Brexit agreement by the end of the year, but fellow carmakers such as BMW and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) are worried that failure to agree could lead to snarl-ups at motorways and ports, disrupting production. JLR boss Ralf Speth warned last week that the wrong Brexit deal could cost tens of thousands of car jobs and risk production at the firm, Britain's biggest carmaker. Aston, which has set a price range of 17.50 pounds to 22.50 pounds per share for the 25 percent of stock it is floating, is targeting a market capitalization of between 4.02 and 5.07 billion pounds. The carmaker, which has long said it could pursue a listing, has undergone a turnaround plan since Palmer took over in 2014 as it boosts its volumes and expands into new segments with a new factory due to open in 2019.