2011 Aston Martin on 2040-cars

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Supercar parade entering highway is mesmerizing

In what must have looked and sounded to motorists on the M6 like an invasion of The Swarm, a parade of 50 enthusiast gems leaving a charity event were caught shooting down the on-ramp and merging into traffic. There were plenty of Porsches joining the 959 and Ducktail above, Aston Martins going back to the badboy V8 of the last millennium, a Ferrari Testarossa, a TVR and numerous other Easter eggs.
There were not, however, plenty of turn signals, with someone counting just five among the fifty engaging in proper use of the blinker. One reason put forth for that is the same reason we're posting this video, which is from last Summer, below: "because supercar." Enjoy.

Aston Martin DB11 AMR gets more power and carbon fiber

Aston Martin has pulled the wraps off the DB11 AMR, and the fact that it's just what we expected it'd be shouldn't diminish the impact of this ultimate (for now) DB11. But, if you're not down with AMR, a quick backgrounder for you: Early last year, Aston launched the Vantage AMR Pro and the Rapide AMR, the first salvos in a full broadside of AMR models that will encompass the entire range. There are two AMR subdivisions — AMR is handled by Aston's main design and engineering teams, while the Pros are handled by the Advanced Operations department. History aside, the DB11 sports a 30 horsepower bump, up to 630 horsepower. Previous AMR models made power bumps with new exhaust systems, and given the DB11 AMR's exhaust revisions, we wouldn't be surprised if some of the power increase came from the exhaust side of things. More to the point, the twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter V12 now scoots the DB11 AMR to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds, and top speed is increased to 208 MPH. Unspecified suspension and chassis changes are claimed to deliver "a greater sense of connection without harming the supple ride," Aston claims, and we've no reason to doubt it. A new transmission calibration rounds out the dynamic changes. On the visual side of things, there's much more exposed carbon fiber and a smattering of gloss black detailing, smoked tail lamps, and dark, monotone leather/Alcantara draped throughout the interior. It's darker, a bit harder-edged, and sportier, but very much in the vein of Aston's careful balancing act between conveying athleticism visually while maintaining a degree of traditional British comfort and decadence. The eye-popping, dayglo accents on some color combinations seem more Nike shoe than grand tourer, but that's AMR's thing. The U.S. MSRP will be $241,000, and the cars will be delivered to owners in summer 2018. The extremely limited edition Designer Specification cars, offered in Stirling Green with lime accents, will be limited to 100 units globally and are $29,000 more. If you want one of those, you should probably get on the horn with your Aston dealer right now. Related Video:

Aston Martin DB11 spied in production sheetmetal

Aston Martin has taken yet another step toward debuting its long-awaited replacement for the DB9, the DB11, ditching the heavy, obstructive plastic cladding for production sheetmetal and stick-on camouflage. The move gives us our best look yet at the automaker's next volume grand tourer. Opinions on whether or not this new car gets its inspiration from the DB10 featured in the James Bond film Spectre are divided. From what we can tell, the profiles are virtually identical between the cinematic machine and this DB11 mule, and it looks like the DB10's thin taillights sit in larger cutouts below a similarly shaped trunk lid. The DB11 does look to get some kind of spoiler, though, and it may even be a pop-up item, neither of which were featured on the Bond car. The biggest differences between the movie coupe and the road car are found on the front end. The headlights are certainly larger and have had their shape tweaked. They now run further up into the fenders, giving just a hint of Ferrari F12. Even so, they're still unmistakably Aston Martin units. That's also true of the grille, which ditches the concept-spec single element on the DB10 for a more conventional upper and lower unit. We have no explanation for one element, though. Look closely at the C-pillar, and you'll notice what looks almost like some kind of vent. Our spies argue that it's an aerodynamic item, like you'd see on the C-pillar of a BMW i8, but we aren't sure. Were it a pure aero aid, we'd expect to be able to see through the other side, like you can with the i8 or something like an Air Curtain. Instead, it could be some kind of air intake for cooling. That's just conjecture, but it's not unreasonable. But what's under the hood? Our spies did some digging and doubt that it's Aston's traditional 6.0-liter V12. Instead, registration data for the prototype shown above lists its engine displacement at 5.2 liters, with our spies claiming forced induction will be used. It's not clear if this engine is a product of of Aston's relationship with Mercedes-AMG – the only V12 you'll get from the Germans is a 6.0-liter twin-turbo, while it also sells a 5.5-liter, twin-turbo V8 – but it seems like a possibility. Check out the spy shots up at the top of the page for the full battery of spy images. Related Video: