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Aston Martin's Vanquish S Red Arrow aerobatics special edition is a stunning tribute

Aston Martin's in-house custom car division, Q, has just revealed its latest model, the Aston Martin Vanquish S Red Arrows Edition. The Vanquish is themed around the Red Arrows, a British aerobatics team like the American Blue Angels. The connection to the team starts from the outside, with a bright, gloss red paint job with white and blue accents on the carbon fiber trim to replicate the look of the Red Arrows' planes. The badges have red, white, and blue enamel to evoke the Union Jack flag, and a white stripe along the side is meant to look like the smoke trails left by the planes. Inside, the interior is finished in black leather with khaki green leather inserts and matching seatbelts. According to Aston Martin, this color scheme echoes the flight suits worn by the Red Arrows team. The flight team's logo, which shows their diamond-shaped flight formation, is embroidered into the seat backs. The door panels also receive custom embroidery, which shows the "Vixen Break" maneuver. This particular Vanquish S loses its rear seats to make space for a pair of racing helmets that come with the car. The helmets are painted in Red Arrows colors. In addition to the helmets, Aston Martin will include scale models of the car and a Red Arrows plane, a racing suit, embroidered bomber jacket, and a custom luggage set. In keeping with the Red Arrows theme, only nine of these cars will be sold, one for each member of the aerobatics team. Each car will also be signed by the corresponding Red Arrows pilot. Aston will build a tenth car that will be donated to the RAF Benevolent Fund, which helps support veterans and their families. Related Video:

Best of 2016 | The List

The List hosts Jessi and Patrick spent all of 2016 checking awesome adventures off their automotive bucket list, from escaping a car dangling off a cliff, to taking part in The Great Race road rally. In total, our hosts checked 12 challenges off Autoblog's list of "1,001 car things to do before you die," taking them on travels across the United States and the United Kingdom. Check out some highlights from the season as our hosts drive everything from the super modern to the refreshingly classic, and even take their lives into their own hands all for the sake of completing the ultimate car enthusiast's bucket list. As we look ahead to 2017, be sure to send us your automotive bucket list items. Who knows, maybe your submission will inspire Jessi and Patrick's next escapade. Click here to find more episodes of The List Click here to learn more about our hosts, Jessi and Patrick Aston Martin Bentley Land Rover McLaren The List Videos

Aston Martin Vantage Roadster limited edition gets 100-year-old styling cues

Aston Martin's oldest-known car is turning 100 years old in 2021, and the British firm is celebrating the occasion with a limited-edition Vantage Roadster built by its Q division. It was commissioned by the company's oldest dealer. Located in Walton-on-Thames in England, distributor Aston Martin HWM worked with Q to bring some of the 1921 A3's design cues into the 21st century. The process was easier said than done considering the A3 and the Vantage share little more than four wheels, and creating a completely new car from the ground up was seemingly not an option.  Instead, the commemorative car is a Vantage Roadster that wears a specific grille with a black mesh insert, a bright aluminum frame, and a replica of the emblem fitted to the A3. It also gains redesigned fender inserts painted in a shade of gray that echoes the A3's hood and fitted with black strap above a "No_3" emblem. Most of the Vantage's exterior trim is black, and bronze brake calipers visible behind 20-inch wheels add a finishing touch to the look. Obsidian Black leather dominates the cabin, though Chestnut Tan inserts and stitching ensure the Vantage isn't fully blacked-out. One of the coolest design features found in this limited-edition convertible is the use of brass for three of the dials found on the center stack. They create a visual link between the 2021 Vantage and the 1921 A3. Aston Martin made no retro changes under the hood, which is just as well considering the A3 used a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 11 horsepower. Power for the Vantage comes from a 4.0-liter V8 borrowed from Mercedes-AMG and twin-turbocharged to develop 503 horsepower and 505 pound-feet of torque. It spins the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Aston Martin quotes a 3.6-second sprint from zero to 60 mph and a top speed of 190 mph. For context, the A3 made headlines in 1923 by lapping the Brooklands track at 84.5 mph. The 1920s-inspired Vantage is on sale now, though Aston Martin chose not to reveal how many units will be made, how much each one will cost, and whether any will be sold in America. We've contacted the firm for more details. As for the A3, it's not for sale, even if you ask nicely and bring a big wad of cash; it's owned by the Aston Martin Heritage Trust. It will be shown at the annual Concours of Elegance taking place in September 2021 near London. Related video: Aston Martin DBX crossover review