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Nissan could have bought a stake in Aston Martin as early as 2012

Aston Martin has a very interesting future ahead of it. While the British brand appeared to be struggling with aging tech for a while, fresh investment from Daimler may have shown a light toward the future with the brand getting engines and electronics from them. Also, former Renault-Nissan top exec Andy Palmer has jumped ship from the French/Japanese automaker to become CEO of the much smaller sports car company. Interestingly, though, new reports from unnamed Nissan sources have indicated that Palmer has been pushing to work with AM for years.
Three unnamed company insiders told Reuters that Palmer made attempts to convince Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn in 2012 and 2013 to invest in Aston Martin, but his proposals were shot down both times for unspecified reasons, according to Automotive News. "We looked carefully at the proposal but we passed on it," said one of the sources.
You can easily see why Palmer was eying Aston Martin even back in 2012. It's no secret that the British sports car mavens were in need of extra funding, well before the Daimler investment. Building vehicles these days is only getting more expensive with stronger safety and emissions requirements. Just look at the brand's desperate hope to get a side-impact crash exemption to keep selling its models in the US as an example.

Aston Martin 'Goldfinger' DB5 continuation cars' gadgets revealed

Awhile back, Aston Martin announced that it would create some Aston Martin DB5 sports cars that replicate James Bond's car in the movie "Goldfinger." What really got our attention was that Aston Martin intended to give it functional gadgets. The company has finally provided a list of the details it intends to replicate, along with some samples of progress, and it's all quite impressive. The list of functional or semi-functional gadgets that will be included is extensive. About the only thing that won't operate is the passenger ejector seat, which is completely understandable. Otherwise, the car will have rotating license plates, extending bumper rams, an oil slick system, smoke screen generator a simulated radar screen in the center stack, switches under the armrest and shift knob and a weapons storage tray under the seats. Under the semi-functional list are the machine guns and raising bullet shield. We say semi-functional because the machine guns don't actually fire anything, and we doubt the bullet shield should be put to the test. The company also released video showing the progress on the smoke screen, oil slick and machine guns. The oil slick is easily the most impressive, as the dispenser deploys from behind the taillight and sprays in the same fan pattern from the movie. And it very clearly will spray liquid, though actual oil spray is probably inadvisable in real life. The machine gun, while not actually firing shots, is still impressive to see. It deploys from behind the turn signals, and it lights up and recoils in a very convincing manner. The smoke screen is less impressive after all this, but it still looks true to the movie, since it appears it will send smoke out the tailpipe. This car is turning out to be the ultimate piece of Bond memorabilia with its shockingly realistic and well-integrated gadgets. So we're inclined to agree with our West Coast Editor and resident Bond expert James Riswick that this is totally worth the 2.75 million pound price tag. And if you don't agree, you may find the Lego DB5 model more acceptable.

Aston Martin DBS GT Zagato previewed in renderings

Last fall, Aston Martin and Zagato announced that they would be building special continuation versions of the DB4 GT Zagato to celebrate the Italian design house's 100th anniversary. But the two companies wouldn't stop there, as each DB4 would come with an yet-to-be-revealed DBS variant. Now the companies have released detailed renderings and information about what is officially called the Aston Martin DBS GT Zagato. The car will be based on the hottest DB11 model, the DBS Superleggera. That means it should have a twin-turbo V12 making at least 715 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque with all of that going to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic. Outside of the bones, the DBS GT Zagato will have a thoroughly revised exterior. As shown in the photos, the front grille is one piece and is more reminiscent of what's found on the smaller Aston Martin Vantage. An exaggerated double-bubble roof is a highlight, and it stretches out to the pointy tip of the tail. The hood echoes the double bubble in its center. The taillights have an afterburner shape that Zagato has favored lately. Neither Aston nor Zagato has said when we'll see the actual car, but we expect it will be shown sometime this year. Buyers will start getting their DBS GT Zagatos at the end of 2020, a year after their DB4 GT Zagato continuation cars are delivered. As a reminder, the price for each of the 19 pairs of cars is 6 million pounds, or $7.93 million at current exchange rates and before taxes.