2006 Aston Martin Db9 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lagonda All-Terrain Concept previews electric SUV shaped by planetary forces

Coming soon to an ultra-wealthy desert oasis near you is Lagonda, the spinoff from Aston Martin that will be devoted to creating luxury cars rather than sports cars. They will be electric and have autonomous driving features, and although their final production guises are still to be revealed, the Lagonda All-Terrain Concept introduced in Geneva provides a second clue as to what a production Lagonda might be like. Whereas last year's Vision Concept was a road-going quasi-sedan that mostly centered on autonomous driving, the All-Terrain Concept is going for the Range Rover crowd. Taller and obviously a crossover, Aston Martin describes it as "an ultra-stylish, supremely luxurious, fully electric, emission-free vehicle that can transport its occupants to remote and spectacular locations." It certainly isn't bereft of adjectives. Like other EVs, the concept utilizes a skateboard-style vehicle platform that spreads the battery weight low throughout the floor, which not only raises that floor to provide a more SUV-like view out, but actually lowers the center of gravity for superior handling. It also makes the car very stiff, which allows for the All-Terrain Concept's rear-hinged coach doors and flip-up gullwing roof bits. "The Lagonda All-Terrain Concept adds a hugely exciting sense of adventure to the unique brand of luxury, emission-free vehicles that Lagonda is planning to produce," said Aston Martin Lagonda President Andy Palmer in the press release. "This is a car that would be at home whisking someone straight from a glamorous red carpet event to a remote scientific research lab." Remote scientific research lab? Good grief. Who does this guy thinks his customer is, James Bond? Oh wait. The Aston design team drew design inspiration from super yachts, which can mostly be seen in the rear-leaning tail and severely swept-back profile. The high ground clearance and chunky fenders imply a certain degree of ruggedness that's not entirely dissimilar to the Rivian R1S. In terms of other styling details, well, take it away press release. "The surfacing is incredibly futuristic, with forms and shapes that look like they have been created by the huge, planetary forces of gravity fields." Okey dokey. The rear hatch is described as having a clamshell design, and it houses a thin LED strip hidden beneath a lip. This allows the light to be beamed downward and reflected out, thereby concealing the actual LED elements from the viewer. Nifty.

1965 Aston Martin DB5 Shooting Brake: Rare, stylish, practical, and up for auction

Have you ever looked at a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 and thought, "I would totally buy one, but it's just not practical enough." If so, we're a little surprised, but at least you're not alone. According to RM Sotheby's, David Brown, the man who ran Aston Martin for several decades and started the line of DB models that continues today, felt similarly. Apparently he couldn't fit his polo gear into a regular Aston coupe, and he wanted somewhere for his dog to sit that would keep it from tearing up the seats. As such, the Aston Martin DB5 shooting brake was created for him and a few wealthy customers by coachbuilder Harold Radford. The grand total was 12. One of those 12 cars is going up for auction by RM Sotheby's. It's one of four built with left-hand drive and was sold to a Swiss buyer who optioned it with a power antenna, seat belts, passenger-side head rest, air horns and initials on the doors. The car has had two other owners and has gone through a couple restorations. The second owner picked it up in 2003 and had it restored by Aston Engineering, which bumped the displacement from 4.0 liters to 4.2 and replaced the factory automatic with a 5-speed manual. The second owner acquired it in 2009 and upped the displacement even further to 4.7 liters along with upgraded shocks and springs. The car will be auctioned at RM Sotheby's Monterey event during the week of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The company expects it to sell for between $1,000,000 and $1,400,000. Considering the rarity of the car, that doesn't seem terrible, but according to the Hagerty price guide, it's rather high. It values the DB5 Shooting Brake at $790,000 for a concours-quality car. For reference, Hagerty values a concours-quality DB5 coupe at $1,450,000.

All of the Bond cars of 'No Time To Die' (caution for spoilers)

Note: The following overview of the cars in No Time To Die contains spoilers. Read at your own risk, or come back after seeing the film to make sure you caught everything.   No Time To Die picks up right around where Spectre leaves us. James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux) are driving along in Bond’s restored and iconic DB5 in Matera, Italy. Things donÂ’t stay all that cheery for long in picturesque Matera, though. As is tradition in Bond films, the first car chase hits us with an explosion of action in what's a super-long opening scene. Fourth-gen Maserati Quattroporte: The baddies in the beginning are driving a Maserati and chasing after Bond in the DB5. Specifically, theyÂ’re in a fourth-gen Quattroporte, which feels right for a chase scene in Italy. Its squared-off looks are mean enough, and its Italian growl is a good background soundtrack to the DB5Â’s inline-six. In addition to the Quattroporte, the chase scene in Matera is home to a couple of the best stunts of the entire movie, including the arch jump done with a Triumph motorcycle seen in trailers — Matera is extremely hilly. Eventually, Bond and Swann find themselves in the DB5 again together, which is where the famous gatling gun scene from the trailer commences, but not before the bulletproof windows and body of the DB5 are thoroughly tested. RIP to the first-gen Range Rover Classics and Jaguar XFs that joined the Maserati in pursuit of Bond (here's a list of other Bond cars over the years). As the DB5 escape scene concludes, we catch a glimpse of what appears to be a Ferrari from the 1970s. However, the view was far enough away that weÂ’ll need a second look to be sure of the exact model. Land Rover Series III: Next time we see Bond, heÂ’s fishing in Jamaica and driving around a blue Land Rover Series III. ItÂ’s yet another of the many Land Rover products featured throughout the film, and unlike most of BondÂ’s Aston Martins, this one doesnÂ’t seem to have any unique features. The other intriguing vehicle out of Jamaica? An old Chevrolet Bel-Air expertly and effectively piloted by Bond newcomer, Ana de Armas. Next up, we get a few shots of the new and still-not-for-sale Aston Martin Valhalla mid-engine supercar (also seen in trailers). BondÂ’s old boss M is in the scene which appears to have been shot in some secret wind tunnel of sorts. Much to our dismay, nobody ends up driving the Valhalla in the film. Could it be a teaser for what the next 007Â’s car is?