2700 Miles. One Owner. Maron Black. on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2015 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster

Aston Martin previewed its most powerful, quickest-accelerating and fastest production roadster ever at this year's Pebble Beach Concours. The 2015 V12 Vantage S Roadster is essentially a convertible version of the V12 Vantage S Coupe, which we reviewed last year, a model that drops the automaker's most potent powertrain into its smallest chassis. Unlike the outgoing V12 Vantage Roadster, this new S model boasts a more powerful engine, a new transmission, new adaptive suspension and more luxurious appointments along with freshened styling. While last year's beloved six-speed manual gearbox is gone – a thought that continues to bring tears to our eyes – everything else about the updated roadster piques our interest. We recently spent a full day in the mountains and deserts surrounding Palm Springs with a China Grey (with red carbon fiber accents) version of the British automaker's latest. Driving Notes Mirroring its coupe sibling, the Vantage S Roadster features an all-aluminum monocoque platform with lightweight aluminum body panels. To replace stiffness lost when the roof was removed, a rigid cross member has been added to the open platform. The Roadster's power-operated soft top is fully automatic in operation, opening and closing in about 20 seconds at speeds upwards of 30 miles per hour with the touch of a switch. When tucked away, the entire assembly is hidden cleanly beneath an integrated hard tonneau cover. So as not to be mistaken for its predecessor, Aston Martin has upgraded the model's signature grille from aluminum to carbon fiber with black or titanium silver mesh, with or without body-color accents. The lightweight, forged aluminum, 10-spoke alloys are also new, as is the obvious scripted red "S" on the trunklid. Inside, occupants will find additional grippy Alcantara on the seats and new patterns in the stitching. There are also a slew of upscale options and access to Aston Martin's bespoke Q treatment available. Aston's famed, naturally aspirated, 6.0-liter V12 has been upgraded with a larger throttle body, dual variable valve timing, a revised intake manifold, an improved fuel pump and fully machined combustion chambers. Combined, the improvements are enough to warrant a new AM28 engine designation. On a dyno, the engine cranks out 565 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque.

Kahn Design to reveal Aston Martin Vengeance in Geneva

The major automakers won't be the only ones with new metal to showcase in Geneva next month, so will aftermarket tuners and coachbuilders like Kahn Design. The British outfit is rolling into the Swiss expo this year with the long-awaited Vengeance, its own take on the Aston Martin DB9. We first caught wind of the Vengeance project in May – just after a similar project by Henrik Fisker was quashed. But unlike the proposed Fisker Thunderbolt, Kahn secured Gaydon's blessing in developing the Vengeance: "Aston Martin has entered into a supply agreement with Kahn Design," AML spokesman Kevin Watters confirmed to Autoblog at the time, "and will supply a very limited number of DB9s for an extensive coachbuild conversion." The design, as you can see, bears the familiar hallmarks of a contemporary Aston, but rendered more aggressive in a style that looks similar to the manufacturer's own One-77. It won't be the first such coach-built Aston Martin we've seen, but most of the others to date have resulted from a longstanding collaborative effort between the British automaker and famed Italian carrozzeria Zagato. Another recent project saw Bertone convert a Rapide into the Jet 2+2 shooting brake in a revival of the Vanquish-based Jet 2 from 2004. In a bit of a role reversal, Aston served as something of a coachbuilder itself in rebodying the Toyota/Scion iQ as its own Cygnet, having previously outsourced production of the Rapide to contract manufacturer Magna Steyr. Alongside the Vengeance, Kahn plans to display the Flying Huntsman 6x6 pickup based on the Land Rover Defender at the Geneva Motor Show. It will be joined by a customized red Range Rover and blue Range Rover Sport done up as pace cars, and a widebody Jeep Wrangler from its Chelsea Truck Company division. Related Video:

Aston Martin Vulcan teased again with shooting flames

Aston Martin is definitely bringing the noise to the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, and one of the company's debuts features blasts of flames to go along with it. The British sports-car maker is yet again teasing the Vulcan, and the vehicle appears to be absolute automotive insanity. Aston still isn't saying much about the car – anything really. But where the first teaser video showcases its noise, the latest one gives viewers a light show. Not only does the clip show off the vehicle's rear end, but the Vulcan belches fire about a foot out of each side. It still sounds superb, too. The company's Geneva booth is going to be quite a sight to see for performance fans. In addition to the Vulcan, Aston is debuting the Vantage GT3 there with a pavement-scraping body kit and a 592-horsepower, 6.0-liter V12 growling under the hood.