2008 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupe 19 Wheels Nav Bluetooth Premium Audio System on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Aston Martin DB11 Volante loses its roof and four cylinders

Aston Martin hasn't exactly hid the fact that it had a convertible version of the DB11 in the works. In fact it plastered the official release date on the sides of the prototypes. And now, roughly half a year before the Spring 2018 release date, the company has shown the car and provided all the specs. Right off the bat, it's clear the DB11 Volante hasn't lost any of its beauty in the chop job. Overall, it looks just as scintillatingly curvy as the coupe, and it manages to avoid looking too heavy and thick, regardless of whether the top is up or down. The top itself is rather pretty, with a taut shape and thin pillars helping maintain the DB11's lithe look. It can also be had in red, black-silver, or gray-silver, and is made up of eight layers for sound reduction. Losing the top also provides a great look at the optional seat back veneers, available in carbon fiber or, as in the photos above, in wood. In addition to looking attractive, the DB11 Volante has a number of performance advantages over its DB9 predecessor. According to Aston, it weighs 57 pounds less than the DB9, and it's 5 percent stiffer. Its top also takes up less trunk space. Unfortunately, the DB11 Volante's 4,134 pound curb weight is significantly more than the DB11 V8 coupe, which weighs around 3,800 pounds. It also roughly matches the V12 DB11 coupe. The comparison to the V8 model is important because the DB11 Volante will only offer the V8 engine. It's the same AMG-based unit from the coupe, displacing 4.0-liters and breathing through a pair of turbochargers. It's also coupled to 8-speed automatic and features a torque-vectoring limited slip differential. Despite the added heft over the coupe, the 503-horsepower engine still gets the DB11 Volante to 62 mph in 4.1 seconds, which is only a tenth behind the V8 coupe. It also will reach a top speed of 187 mph. The DB11 Volante will start at $216,495. That's $17,500 more than the V8 coupe, and the same price as the V12 coupe. Aston Martin is currently taking orders for the DB11 Volante. The first examples will be delivered in spring of 2018. Related Video:

Aston Martin underscores its independence with the DB11

Aston Martin's future looked murky under private ownership after it was cast off by Ford in 2007. The British icon had an aging lineup and seemingly little chance to weather the looming economic storm and transform into a modern automaker. Nearly a decade later, Aston has defied doubters and reaffirmed its independence, which was embodied by the 600-horsepower DB11 revealed this week at the Geneva Motor Show. This high-powered sports car is a microcosm of Aston's strategy and capabilities. The 5.2-liter V12 was developed in-house and uses twin turbochargers to outgun the old naturally aspirated 6.0-liter 12-cylinder. The aluminum platform and sleek, contemporary design are all Aston. These are the pillars of its so-called second century plan. "This is not only the most important car that Aston Martin has launched in recent history, but also in its 103-year existence," CEO Andy Palmer said in a statement. "The DB11 rightfully places Aston Martin once again as a leading brand in the luxury automotive market." Aston also knows its limitations under private stewardship, which is why it tapped partner Daimler for the infotainment system. The German giant holds five percent of Aston, which is owned by a Kuwaiti consortium and an Italian equity group. Aston leadership chose the areas that defined the company's future and outsourced the non-essentials. That strategy allowed it to focus on making the DB11 true to the company's heritage. Sure, it faces challenges against stiff competition from high-end sports-car makers, but it's already gaining traction. "[It] will have to prove the company's new platform and powertrain technology while generating solid profits," IHS analyst Tim Urquhart wrote in a research note. "However, the omens for Aston are good, with over 1,000 advanced orders already." Even though Aston has ambitious plans to expand its product portfolio with a crossover and electrified vehicles, the DB11 remains the flagship. In 2007, many would have questioned if this car was even possible. Now the question is: What's next? News & Analysis News: Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne wants to partner with Apple to build its car, according to Bloomberg. Analysis: Sure he does. A lot of carmakers probably do. Sergio isn't shy about partnerships. This is the guy who turned an earnings call into a manifesto on industry consolidation and used a bizarre hugging analogy to illustrate his pursuit of General Motors. In this case, he's right.

2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera First Drive Review | Nowhere I'd rather be

BERCHTESGADEN, Germany — The mountains at the border of Austria and Germany are full of rolling green fields bookended by tree-capped mountains. The roads that run along the mountainsides and valleys, despite being packed with tractors and a seemingly endless line of vacation travelers, are ripe with corners just waiting to be strung together. I'm standing on a hillside staring at the new Aston Martin DBS Superleggera when I realize there are few things I've ever wanted more than a V12-powered GT and a ribbon of clean pavement. The DBS Superleggera is the third new Aston Martin revealed this year, following the Vantage and DB11 AMR. It's based on the DB11 and serves as a replacement for the Vanquish S. In place of the old, naturally-aspirated 6.0-liter V12 is an upgraded version of the 5.2-liter engine found in the DB11 AMR. In the DBS, the engine makes 715 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque, up 85 horses and a gut-punching 148 pound-feet over the DB11. The extra power comes mostly from an increase in boost from the two turbos. The other big changes to the DBS come in the way of the relatively lightweight carbon-fiber bodywork. Every panel save for the doors and roof has been re-sculpted. The new panels are carbon fiber, and — with options such as carbon-fiber trim and a lightweight exhaust — the DBS weighs about 160 pounds less than a DB11. The styling is different, too, thanks to a massive grill and lower intakes that make up most of the front fascia. Aston Martin says the extra area is needed to cool the V12. It reminds me a bit of the wide-mouth Aston grilles from the '50s and '60s. The straked "curlicue" fender vents, F1-style double diffuser, and reworked Aeroblade increase downforce to nearly 400 pounds at the car's top speed of 211 mph without any major drag penalties. The Aeroblade pulls in air from behind the rear windows, moving it through the bodywork and over the rear wing. Rather than using an active wing like on the DB11, the DBS uses a fixed Gurney flap. The Aeroblade and Gurney flap give the DBS downforce while keeping the overall design relatively clean. The new DBS is handsome and purposeful, if not exactly beautiful. Sitting behind the wheel, you'd be forgiven for thinking you were in another DB11. The seats are the most notable and obvious change in the DBS, offering slightly more bolstering than what you get on the DB11 (though they lack fine-tuned adjustments). The rest of the interior simply looks like a reskinned DB11.