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Aston Martin to race with solar power

Aston Martin may be more about luxury GTs than performance-obsessed supercars, but when it comes to racing, it's no holds barred. Aston Martin Racing has developed competition-spec versions of the Vantage and DB9, and even done a few LMP1 prototypes. But while some have been powered by V8s and others by V12s, the one underlying commonality is that they have all – in contrast with championship-winning diesel and hybrid prototypes – been powered exclusively by internal-combustion engines burning gasoline. That's what makes this announcement noteworthy. At Le Mans last weekend, the factory team announced a partnership with the Hanergy Global Solar Power & Applications Group that will see solar panels installed on the roof of the Vantage GTE it fields in the World Endurance Championship. Only the thin panels won't be powering the wheels, boosting the engine somehow or powering the batteries for a hybrid assist. They'll be used to power the air conditioning system. Which may seem inconsequential, but when you consider that the AC typically saps power from the engine – and it can sap quite a lot on a hot race day – that could amount to a serious performance advantage while keeping the drivers comfortable. While the system wasn't ready to use at Le Mans last weekend, temperatures at the French track don't get too high, so the air-con wouldn't likely be a big factor. The team (operated on Aston's behalf by Prodrive) does expect, however, to have the system up and running in time for next round at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, where it can get insufferably hot. Aston and Hanergy also hope to install the system on the V12 Vantage GT3 and V8 Vantage GT4 it supplies to customer teams, and install solar panels on the roof of the new facility Prodrive is building in Banbury, UK. Aston Martin Racing Joins Hanergy in Solar-Powered Project Le Mans, 13 June 2014 - Banbury, 13 June 2014 - Aston Martin Racing has signed a partnership agreement with solar technologies experts Hanergy Global Solar Power & Applications Group, in a project exploring how the sun's energy can be used to improve race car performance at the pinnacle of sportscar racing, the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), starting with the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend (14-15 June).

Aston Martin plans to keep the internal combustion engine alive beyond 2030

As it stands, Aston Martin will be banned from selling gasoline-burning cars in its home country in 2030. California lawmakers want to push internal combustion technology off the scene by 2035, but Aston Martin's chief executive doesn't think that pistons, valves, and fuel injectors will completely disappear even as bans come into effect. "By 2030, 5% of business will still always be ICE. I never see it going down to zero," predicted Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin's chairman, during the Financial Times Future of the Car summit. He added that there is "always going to be enthusiasts" who will request a powerful gasoline-fueled engine, and who will be able to pay for it. If it's not delayed, loosened, or reversed, the United Kingdom's blanket ban on internal combustion engines will mean that any new gasoline-powered Aston Martin sold within the nation's borders will not be street-legal starting in 2030. Owners will presumably be allowed to drive them on private property, like race tracks, and companies like Porsche are ramping up their efforts to present synthetic fuels as a viable alternative to premium unleaded. Across the pond, no such ban has been announced by our federal government -- at least not yet. 2021 Aston Martin DBX View 40 Photos Aston Martin plans to keep investing in gasoline-powered engines in the coming years; if the technology is getting regulated into extinction, it's going out with a bang. Stroll announced that some of the company's future models will continue using engines built by Mercedes-AMG, but they'll be tuned in-house. "Our current AMG engines are just that: AMG engines in an Aston. With this new deal, we will have bespoke AMG engines for Aston with different outputs, torque characteristics, etc. They'll still be AMG components, but they'll be bespoke-manufactured in Germany," he announced. As it stands, the only engine the carmaker gets from its German investor and partner is a twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8, which powers a wide range of models. Its portfolio also includes a V12 it designed in-house, and a new 3.0-liter V6 is under development. Engines aren't the only bits with a "made in Germany" tag that future Aston Martin models will receive, however. Stroll confirmed that AMG's upcoming plug-in hybrid technology will permeate the British firm's range, and he revealed that the first electric Aston Martin will use drivetrain components (like motors and batteries) from AMG.

Q by Aston Martin makes a 430-hp V8-powered Cygnet

A V8-powered Aston Martin Cygnet with 430 horsepower and 361 pound-feet of torque could be the best definition of "Didn't see that coming" we've had all year. A customer requested the carmaker's customization arm, Q by Aston Martin — Commission, insert a 4.7-liter V8 from the last-gen Vantage S into the Cygnet's engine bay. The grafting job, dressed in Buckinghamshire Green, weighs 1,375 kilograms or 3,025 pounds with fluids, and posts a power-to-weight ratio of 284 hp-per-ton in U.S. parlance, 313 bhp/tonne in UK units. Aston Martin engineers shortened the intake system to keep the Cygnet's standard hood unmolested. The motor blows out the other end through a twin, centrally-mounted exhaust at the end of very short pipes. Other components carried over from the Vantage S include the front and rear subframes, suspension, most of the braking system, and seven-speed Sportshift II transmission. Torque steer isn't an issue, because the rears do the driving via a "miniature" torque tube that runs underneath a custom tunnel. Carbon wheel arches shield 19-inch wheels shod in 275/35 Bridgestone rubber, with six-piston monoblock calipers in front, four-piston monoblocks in back. In spite of Aston Martin calling this "The Ultimate City Car," additional modifications would indicate the owner has ultimate track plans for the V8 Cygnet. The Q department welded in a roll cage, occupants sit in fixed Recaro buckets with four-point harnesses, the driver grips a removable, Alcantara-covered steering wheel, there are leather pull straps on carbon door panels, a steel fuel tank fills the cargo area, and an FIA-compliant fire extinguisher system keeps things cool if the temperature gets too hot. Should the V8 Cygnet pretend to its city car origins, there's a Vantage instrument cluster, air conditioning, and two USB ports. Goodwood Festival of Speed visitors will get to see how she runs up the hill. The original Cygnet, based on the Scion iQ and out of production since 2013, got from 0-60 miles per hour in about 11 seconds. The V8 Cygnet does that in 4.2, and taps out at 170 mph — 60 mph past the standard Cygnet's top speed. Aston Martin says the original Cygnet "looks set to become a future classic." That could be optimistic. The V8 Cygnet, however, just might have the chops. Related Video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin V8 Cygnet View 12 Photos Aston Martin Hatchback Luxury Racing Vehicles Special and Limited Editions aston martin cygnet q by aston martin