2011 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster--rare 1 Of 1 Color Combination on 2040-cars

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2020 Aston Martin DBX Prototype Drive | Sliding into your mentions

OMAN, Persian Gulf — The last time I got an Aston Martin this filthy was 5 years ago in dusty Anza-Borrego, California, where I ripped several illicit burnouts in a low-slung V12 Vantage S. This time around is dramatically different: Chief Engineer Matt Becker, seated alongside me, is actually egging me on to powerslide an Aston Martin DBX across an off-road trail in Oman — the first time IÂ’ve ever been encouraged by Aston brass to hoon one of their vehicles, let alone a priceless prototype, in the dirt. You wouldnÂ’t expect Becker, who spent 26 years at Lotus, to be an SUV guy. But the hardcore chassis and handling guru says the DBX project gave him a new respect for the genre because sport utes need to do far more than just go around a track quickly: TheyÂ’re required to tow, support weight on their roofs, and manage all manner of terrain, all while creating a comfortable living space for their passengers. “Once you push them and understand what they can do off-road, on-road, on-track,” he tells me while IÂ’m tackling a rock-strewn trail at highway speeds, “you really start to respect what theyÂ’re capable of.” Building the DBX will also show us what Aston Martin is capable of — capable of surviving, that is. The new decade is shaping up to be the most challenging yet for the storied carmaker, so bringing a viable sport utility vehicle to market is essential. And though weathering severe business headwinds seems to be an ongoing pastime for Aston Martin, the brandÂ’s first-ever crossover gets a rather ambitious hardware package. The DBXÂ’s bonded aluminum chassis is entirely unique to the model, as is the brandÂ’s first-ever air suspension system. While thereÂ’s no V12 available in the DBX — that honor remains reserved for Rolls-Royce's almighty $325,000 Cullinan — the AMG-sourced, 4.0-liter twin turbo V8, while similar to the mill found in the DB11 and Vantage, has also been coaxed to produce more power: 542 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, capable of launching it to 60 miles per hour in 4.3 seconds and a top speed of 181 mph. But building AstonÂ’s first-ever SUV from the ground up enabled unique packaging opportunities in addition to the specific hardware. For instance, market research revealed female drivers were often frustrated because most cars donÂ’t have a place to stash their purse.

First Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation complete

Two years ago, Aston Martin announced a run of 25 DB5 Continuation cars that would be track-only reproductions of the gadget-laden DB5 from the James Bond movie "Goldfinger." A long gestation involved collaborating with Bond production house Eon Productions and longtime Bond stunt coordinator Chris Corbould on gadget reproductions. About six weeks ago the English luxury maker announced it had begun building the first DB5 from scratch and by hand, mainly using the same techniques that went into creating the original DB5, saying each car would need about 4,500 man-hours to fabricate. Today we have the first fruit from Aston Martin's Heritage Division workshop in Newport Pagnell, England. All trickery is accounted for with the show car, including recoiling machine gun barrels that erupt from behind the headlights, front and rear bumper battering rams, tire slashers, revolving triple license plates, rear smoke screen and oil spray systems, a bulletproof shield rising from the decklid, telephone in the driver's door, center console radar screen, weapons tray under the seats, an ejector seat button under the shift knob to send ornery passengers through the partial sunroof, and a remote control to work Q Branch's driver safety features when away from the leather-wrapped seats. Anything deadly only simulates genuine operation, naturally. But the smokescreen works and the oil delivery system sprays real fluid, so we see some hot-lap mishaps and cleanups at Turn 4 in some track's future. The first DB5 built in 55 years comes with a 4.0-liter straight-six sprouting three SU carburetors, shooting 290 horsepower to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox and a mechanical limited-slip differential. Deliveries are certain to begin soon, each of the 25 examples starting at GBP2.7 million (about $3.4M U.S.). That's real money, sure, but a half-off bargain compared to the $6.4M paid for the 1964 DB5 used in the movie. Related Video:

Aston Martin Vantage gets fresh new nose from Revenant Automotive

BMW's second-generation 4 Series has become the poster child of the shift towards oversized grilles, but Aston Martin jumped on this bandwagon before many when it revealed the current-generation Vantage in late 2017. Its wide, low grille continues to split opinions in 2020, and a British engineering firm thinks it has a better solution. Revenant Automotive redesigned the Vantage with a smaller, subtler grille. It's mounted higher on the front fascia than the original car's, it has black horizontal slats, and it's shaped like a grille Aston's designers could have drawn in-house. It doesn't look aftermarket, which is highly unusual in this corner of the industry. The twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8 engine still needs air to stay cool, so stylists chiseled an air dam into the bottom part of the bumper and concealed it with black trim. The end result is a cleaner, more low-key look. Aston Martin integrated the Vantage's grille into its bumper, so installing Revenant's new-look part is relatively straight-forward. The transformation requires removing the original bumper, probably selling it on eBay for a hefty sum, and bolting on the new one. There is no cutting, sanding, welding, taping, gluing, or riveting required. Revenant's redesigned Vantage bumper is on sale now in the United Kingdom, and it can be shipped to the United States, though the company told Autoblog pricing depends on how it's configured. It's hand-made, and it's available in exposed carbon fiber at an extra cost. Looking ahead, the firm plans to expand its range of aftermarket Aston Martin parts by branching out into paint work and trim pieces, among other areas. It told us it's even planning on redesigning the car's rear end, though it's too early to tell what it will look like yet. Related Video: