2007 Aston Martin Vantage on 2040-cars

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Aston Martin updates Vanquish, Rapide S for 2015 [w/videos]

For such a small company, Aston Martin certainly keeps busy. Having already previewed its new V12 Vantage S Roadster ahead of its Pebble Beach unveiling, the British marque recently confirmed the arrival of a new Lagonda super sedan. But now it's turning its attention to its two flagship production models with a series of upgrades. The enhancements to the 2015 Vanquish (both coupe and Volante convertible) and Rapide S sedan center around the inclusion of the new Touchtronic III eight-speed automatic gearbox that brings with it enhanced performance, efficiency and comfort. Along with reprogrammed Bosch electronics, the new transmission and updates net a 3-horsepower boost in Vanquish (bringing output up to 568 hp) and 2-hp boost in Rapide S to 552. Torque rises to 465 pound-feet in both, along with revised stability control and steering systems. Upgraded dampers on the Vanquish are 15-percent stiffer up front and 35-percent firmer in the rear, while the Rapide S gets larger front brakes. The result of this suite of minor updates results in a rather substantial performance boost. According to Aston, the upfittings cut a good half-second off the 0-60 sprint for both models: the Vanquish drops from 4.1 seconds to 3.6, and the Rapide S from 4.7 seconds to 4.2. Additional visual enhancements to differentiate the new models are limited to new wheels, paint options and interior trim, the details of which you can scope out in the press release and pair of videos below. DYNAMIC ENHANCEMENTS FOR ASTON MARTIN VANQUISH AND RAPIDE S - Acceleration, top speed, emissions and economy improve significantly - Debut of state-of-the-art eight-speed Touchtronic III automatic gearbox - New engine management system, enhanced trim and specification options 6 August 2014 - Aston Martin is today revealing details of a raft of important enhancements to two of the brand's most popular and successful sports cars: the Vanquish ultimate GT and Rapide S four-door, four-seat, sports car. With the arrival of 15 Model Year (15MY) cars in markets around the world over the next few months, the luxury British brand is offering not only considerably enhanced performance and much-improved fuel economy and emissions, but also an even more honed, precise and responsive driving experience.

Aston Martin's AM-RB 001 hypercar will have a 6.5-liter Cosworth V12 and so much more

It's been a while since we heard any big news about the Aston Martin-Red Bull hypercar, the plainly named AM-RB 001. When it debuted last year, we got a look at the shape – and that's about it. Sure, a super-powerful V12 hybrid powertrain was promised, but we didn't have any concrete details on it or what was going into the pretty wrapper. Well, now Aston has made some announcements about partners, and they certainly have our attention: Cosworth, Ricardo, Multimatic, and Rimac. Cosworth, the famed engine supplier, will be supplying the engine. It's a 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12. Aston had previously said the car will be a member of the one-horsepower-per-kilogram club, and so people are expecting the engine to make about 900 horsepower. It will of course be augmented by an electric motor, which will be fed by a high-performance battery from Rimac. (Yes, the same Rimac whose Concept_One has been shown in videos beating everything from Teslas to LaFerraris.) The as-yet-undefined amount of power will be routed through a seven-speed paddle-shift transmission supplied by Ricardo. And because you're going to want to stop, there will be big carbon-ceramic brakes – Alcon and Surface Transforms will supply the calipers and carbon discs. Multimatic, builders of awesome shocks, will make the carbon-fiber tub that everything goes into. Multimatic has worked with Aston in the past, including on its last limited-production vehicle, the One-77. Bosch is responsible for the ECU, traction control, and stability control. LED lights will be supplied by Wipac. So yeah, there almost aren't any high-profile companies left after this announcement. This car is going to be pretty extreme. Aston reiterates that it will build a maximum of 150for the road including prototypes, plus 25 more track-only models. They'll start going to customers in 2019. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Aston Martin Red Bull AM-RB 001 Aston Martin Coupe Hybrid Lightweight Vehicles Performance Supercars aston martin am-rb 001

Aston Martin eyes US market for growth

Aston Martin chief executive Andy Palmer is sitting in a rustic Tuscan villa on a sweltering summer night, but his mind is thousands of miles away. He's ruminating on the United States, a lucrative market that could secure Aston's future as an automaker that has proved elusive for decades. The reason? Aston has an identity crisis. Sure, Americans know what Aston Martin is. Mostly. Palmer compares it to the British game of cricket. Many Americans have heard of it. They might even have a vague notion of what it is, but that's about as far as things go. It's the same with Aston. Candidly, Palmer places the blame squarely on his company, admitting Aston executives have been complacent about America. "We've got some work to do in the United States. I think we have assumed that you guys get it because you speak our language," he told a group of mostly US journalists at the launch of the 2017 DB11. That ends now, Palmer said, and Aston's plan to fix the problem will come into sharper focus with the launch of the DBX crossover for 2019. The utility vehicle was designed for an American buyer because the US market is SUV heavy. The target consumer? Someone named Charlotte, a 42-year-old from Southern California. Palmer describes her as someone who wants an elevated ride height and functionality. "She's looking for that safe, secure feeling," Palmer said. The company is adding 750 people and building a factory in Wales to produce the DBX. The site will be able to make 7,000 units annually, which dovetails with Aston's goal of making 7,000 sports cars per year. It's an ambitious plan for a company that made 3,615 cars in 2015 and posted an operating loss. This potential growth is still a few years off, meaning the brand's new DB11 must be a success. Early signs are trending well, and Aston had taken 2,000 orders by the end of June. After that, the company will redesign the Vanquish and Vantage and add the usual open-top variants. Aston's investors have already funded the sports cars and the DBX, and product development spending rose 40 percent in 2015. Aston's ownership group includes a Kuwaiti consortium, Italian backers, and a minority stake held by Daimler, which provides technology like infotainment and V8 engines. In total, Aston plans seven new vehicles in six years.