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This guy bought a 1971 Aston Martin DBS instead of a house

The right classic car can make its dedicated owner do seemingly crazy things to non-enthusiasts, but Michael von Trzebiatowski goes to serious lengths for his 1971 Aston Martin DBS V8 in the latest episode of Petrolicious. Faced with a choice between a house or this classic coupe, von Trzebiatowski did the only rational thing. He bought the Aston Martin. It took von Trzebiatowski a decade to find his DBS, and even then affording it was a stretch. The coupe first attracted him as a kid after seeing Roger Moore driving one on TV, but the car's understated design lured him as an adult. "It's a bit portly, good-natured, and robust," he says to describe this British V8 grand tourer. Von Trzebiatowski once worried that his connection to the Aston Martin could have faded over time, and he might eventually have regretted the big purchase. That hasn't happened, thankfully. We'll let him explain why on Petrolicious. News Source: Petrolicious via YouTube Design/Style Aston Martin Coupe Performance Classics Videos petrolicious

Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato goes into limited production

Thanks to "unprecedented customer interest," Aston Martin has confirmed plans to build a limited production run of Vanquish Zagato coupes. Just 99 wealthy owners will get the privilege to park one of these beauties in their garage, and each will be built to order. Deliveries are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2017, so there may still be time to put in a request, should you have the means and the desire. The Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato debuted in concept form at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este at Lake Como, Italy in May 2016. We loved it then, and we still love it now. The entire body is hewn from carbon fiber, with a 6.0-liter V12 delivering 576 horsepower to the rear wheels. That's good enough for a 0-60 run of 3.5 seconds, though this Grand Touring car won't really be about racing any stopwatches. Aston says the Zagato's suspension will be specially tuned for "a unique GT experience," which we assume means more long-distance comfort than race track dominance. This is the fifth time Aston Martin has teamed up with Zagato, starting with the DB4 GT racecar in 1960. The last time the partnership bore vehicular fruit was in 2011, when the V12 Vantage Zagato was unveiled. Check out the high-resolution image gallery at the top to see the new Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato in all its bright-red glory. Related Video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato View 19 Photos Design/Style Aston Martin Coupe Luxury Performance Supercars zagato aston martin vanquish aston martin vanquish zagato

Aston Martin sheds light on its first two electric vehicles

Aston Martin's on-again, off-again electric car rollout is beginning to take shape. Bolstered by stakeholder Daimler, the British carmaker detailed the first two battery-powered models that it plans to bring to the market. Speaking to the Financial Times, company stakeholder Lawrence Stroll confirmed that at least two electric Aston Martin models are on their way after several false starts. One will be a sports car in the vein of the DB11, and the other will be an SUV. Both will be built in the United Kingdom, so they will not roll off a Mercedes-Benz assembly line, but neither's design has been finalized yet. Stroll affirmed that his team hasn't even decided what to call them. As we previously reported, both of these EVs are likely to use at least some technology borrowed from Mercedes-Benz. Daimler will increase its stake in Aston Martin to 20% by 2023, and it's granting the company access to its hybrid and electric powertrains in return. It's a win-win situation: on one hand, Aston Martin receives state-of-the-art turnkey components. On the other hand, Mercedes-Benz is able to leverage the benefits of economies of scale. It's still too early to tell precisely which parts Aston Martin will use to build its first electric cars. It could borrow a platform from Mercedes-Benz, it could use powertrain components (like batteries and motors), or it might sign up for both. "We're looking at all options," explained Stroll. Regardless, the company's much-hyped plans to recycle the decades-old Lagonda name to denote a luxurious sub-brand focused on electric cars have been canned. Tobias Moers, the company's CEO, confirmed that the first electric Aston Martin models will go on sale in 2025 or 2026. In the meantime, the company will launch several hybrids, including a fuel-sipping version of the DBX. Aston Martin needs to go electric, because it will no longer be allowed to sell cars powered by an internal combustion engine in its home country of England after 2030. It's not entirely phasing out its gasoline-powered models, however. Stroll previously stressed he doesn't think the internal combustion engine will ever fully disappear. Related Video: