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2017 Aston Martin DB11 Prototype First Drive

Flashback: Geneva. The 2017 Aston Martin DB11 debuts, its artfully sculpted body signaling a departure from the brand's luscious yet familiar design language. But this time, the car in question is more than just a pretty face. Beneath the gently arced bonnet is the first turbocharged engine in the Aston's 103 year-old history. Gone is the so-called Vertical Horizontal architecture, replaced with a bonded aluminum chassis that's so new that it has yet to be graced with a catchy marketing name. Sumptuous interior? Check. Slick multimedia system? Finally. The quickest, fastest, and most powerful DB to date? Hell yes. With radical changes coming in hot from Gaydon, the DB11 isn't just an all-new car; it's nothing short of golden opportunity to reinvent the brand. There's so much new stuff in this DB9 replacement that the double integer leap in nomenclature seems justified (the DB10 was already taken by a certain spy from Blighty). In the grand scope of the Aston Martin lineup, the DB11 inherits the DB9's role as the archetypal grand touring car—elegant but quick, thirsty for miles. But as our wheel time revealed, it takes some time to comprehend the depth of the DB11 story. When you settle into the $211,995 Aston Martin DB11 there's a lot to take in, especially since our tester is a "verification prototype" that's two stages away from final production. Hence, the data logging equipment and big red fire suppression button. The engine has shrunk from 6.0-liters to 5.2, but now churns out 600 horsepower and a whopping 516 lb-ft of torque at only 1,500 rpm thanks to those turbos. Aston claims 0 to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 200 mph. The rear double wishbone suspension has been replaced with a multilink setup for greater compliance, and the DB11 also gets Aston's first-ever torque vectoring (via brakes) and electronic power steering system. The prototype car is a visual paradox, with its camouflaged exterior contrasting with the delightfully gaudy baby blue leather interior (made from extra trimmings of hide). In terms of development, the car is about "85 percent there" according to Aston brass. Disclaimer: this car's traction control system is only about 70 percent complete, and the torque-vectoring feature isn't active on this particular car. The big V12 fires up with a full-sounding rush of exhaust, though the tone isn't quite as naughty or shrill as the old naturally aspirated mill.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage N430 is the V8 Vantage's hardcore cousin [w/video]

Aston Martin's racy Vantage N430 made its auto show debut, popping onto the show floor of Geneva's Palexpo for the world's media. The lightweight, hardcore version of the V8 Vantage now boasts 430 horsepower (as indicated by its name) from a 4.7-liter V8. A retuned exhaust should add to this engine's already sonorous belching. 60 miles per hour arrives in 4.6 seconds while the N430 tops out at 190 mph. A six-speed manual is standard, while a seven-speed Sportshift II automatic is optional. The N430 is available in both coupe and convertible variants, but regardless of which body style you choose, you'll be getting weight-saving carbon-kevlar seats and lightweight, ten-spoke wheels. That doesn't mean the N430 lacks luxuries, though. Aston Martin will happily fit a 1,000-watt Bang and Olufsen stereo and the choice of either carbon-fiber or piano black interior trims. Take a look above for our entire batch of live photos of the new N430, and then scroll down for a promo video, official photos and the press release from Aston Martin. ASTON MARTIN UNVEILS TWO EXCLUSIVE NEW SPECIAL EDITIONS AT GENEVA - Striking V8 Vantage N430 builds on heritage of successful 'N' cars - Bold new styling options derive from N430's clear sporting pedigree - Debut of dramatic DB9 Carbon Black and Carbon White Aston Martin is unveiling two exclusive new special editions at the 84th Geneva International Motor Show. The great British sports car marque, now in its 101st year, is debuting a bold addition to its iconic V8 Vantage range as well as dramatic new special editions of the timeless DB9. Building on the appeal of the sports-focused Vantage range, and enhancing the enduring allure of Aston Martin's seminal GT, the DB9, the new models deliver eye-catching looks and classic elegance. V8 Vantage N430: race breeding, sports styling Pure, unadulterated fun is what lies at the heart of the new V8 Vantage N430. Honed on the track to excel on the road, N430 – available in Coupe or Roadster form – boasts a power hike to 436 PS at 7,300 rpm that brings its output up to that of the spirited V8 Vantage S. Ian Minards, Director of Product Development at Aston Martin, said of the new car: "N430 is all about bringing track-honed excitement to the road in an accessible, emotionally engaging, and authentically 'analogue' way.

FIA introduces 'Hypercar Concept' for World Endurance Championship

One of the most common jabs at hypercars is the question, "Where can you drive them to their potential?" Imagine the answer being: to the checkered flag in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. We're not there yet, but the FIA World Motor Sport Council took a step closer to the possibility during its second annual meeting in Manila, the Philippines. One of three initiatives the WSMC announced for the 2020 World Endurance Championship was "Freedom of design for brands based on a 'Hypercar' concept." This "Hypercar concept" would replace LMP1 as the premier class in the WEC. The dream, of course, would be seeing racing versions of the AMG Project One, Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro, Bugatti Chiron, Koenigsegg Regera, McLaren Senna GTR, Pagani Huara BC, and the rest of the gang trading paint and carbon fiber through Dunlop in a heinously expensive version of "Buy on Sunday, sell on Monday." The reality is that we don't have all the details yet on the set of regulations called "GTP," but the FIA wants race cars more closely tied to road cars, albeit with the performance level of today's LMP1 cars. Exterior design freedom would shelter internals designed to reduce costs, the FIA planning to mandate less complex hybrid systems and allow the purchase of spec systems. One of the FIA's primary goals is lowering LMP1 budgets to a quarter of their present levels. Audi and Porsche budgets exceeded $200 million, while Toyota - the only factory LMP1 entry this year and next - is assumed to have a budget hovering around $100 million. Reports indicated that Aston Martin, Ferrari, Ford, McLaren, and Toyota sat in on the development of the proposed class. If the FIA can get costs down to around $25 million, that would compare running a top IndyCar team and have to be hugely appealing to the assembled carmakers. The initiative represents another cycle of the roughly once-a-decade reboot of sports car racing to counter power or cost concerns. The FIA shut down Group 5 Special Production Sports Car class in 1982 to halt worrying power hikes, and introduced Group C. In 1993, Group C came to an ignoble end over costs; manufacturers were spending $15 million on a season, back when that was real money and not one-fifth of a Ferrari 250 GTO. Then came the BPR Global GT Series that morphed into the FIA GT Championship, which would see the last not-really-a-road car take overall Le Mans victory in 1998, the Porsche 911 GT1. That era would be most aligned with a future hypercar class.