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Aston Martin investor says demand is 'phenomenal,' returned first in China

LONDON - Carmaker Aston Martin is seeing "phenomenal" demand, boosted by a rebound in China, the company's executive chairman and billionaire investor Lawrence Stroll said on Friday. "Demand right now is phenomenal," he told the Financial Times' "The Future of the Car" digital conference. "China really returned first and strongest, and is gangbusters." Stroll led a consortium which invested in Aston earlier this year as the carmaker struggled following its 2018 stock market flotation, after which its share price slumped. Since then a new chief executive has taken over and the 107-year company, famed for being fictional agent James Bond's car of choice, did a deal in October which sees German carmaker Daimler up its stake in the firm. Shareholders approved the latest capital injection plan on Friday. Stroll said Aston's current growth trajectory meant "the public markets are the right place" for the firm whilst eying an increase in the value of its shares, which stand at 79 pence ($1.06). "They'll be significantly worth more than they are today," he said. Reporting by Costas Pitas, editing by David Milliken and Louise Heavens

Aston Martin CEO to personally inspect first 1,000 DB11s

The Aston Martin DB11 is going to be a significant vehicle for the British automaker and to ensure that new owners are getting a flawless vehicle, CEO Andy Palmer will be going the extra mile to personally inspect the first 1,000 models. According to a recent tweet by BBC Autos reporter Matthew Phenix, Palmer will be working overtime to give the first set of vehicles an extra dose of love. The CEO will also be placing an inspection badge, which bears his signature, onto every one of the DB11's V12 engines he looks over. Only 1000 Aston Martin DB11 V12's to be made with this particular inspectors plaque! pic.twitter.com/lkmMTJpGE8 — Andy Palmer (@AndyatAston) July 13, 2016 The idea of giving the DB11 more love over the rest of Aston's lineup makes sense as the DB11 is the first all-new vehicle to debut from the automaker since Palmer took over as CEO in 2014. The DB11 is the 10th car in the iconic DB lineage that began with the gorgeous DB1 in 1948. And with the DB line being the most successful model for the automaker, there's a lot riding on the new DB11. This isn't the first time a CEO has gone to extreme lengths to ensure that vehicles are up to snuff as Elon Musk reportedly slept in a sleeping bag on the factory floor for the production of the Tesla Model X. Hopefully Palmer's extra effort will pay off for the DB11. Related Video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin DB11 View 42 Photos News Source: @AndyatAston, @mattphenix Auto News Aston Martin Coupe Luxury Performance aston martin db11

The 11 best scenes from the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed

Over the last three days, the Goodwood Estate has played home to the eponymous Festival of Speed. Thrown by the biggest gearhead in the British aristocracy – Charles Gordon-Lennox, the Earl of March and Kinrara – the Festival of Speed is essentially a tremendous, gasoline-fuelled party, complete with a very large lawn sculpture, that features the world's hottest, weirdest, fastest, and loudest race, production, and historic models. While there are quite literally dozens and dozens of videos from the event – not to mention the full-day replays (of which only day one is available, at present) – we've sifted through them to pluck away the very best. There's stuff from the official Goodwood YouTube channel, as well as several videos from automakers and other third-party channels, and it's all available below. 2015 Ford Mustang GT350R Looks Barely Controllable If you thought the highest-performance Ford Mustang would somehow get more tractable or civilized once it moved to an independent rear suspension, this video shows you have nothing to worry about. Watch as an unnamed driver wrestles the new Shelby GT350R and its flat-plane, 5.2-liter V8 up the hillclimb circuit. Even with the new suspension and sticky tires, this Mustang wants to go any direction but straight, especially following its launch. 2016 Ford Focus RS, Is Very Loud, Blue Ken Block makes his first appearance on our list. Before he steps into his Hoonicorn Mustang, though, the Gymkhana expert tackled the hill in the all-new Focus RS. The vicious bellow of the 2.3-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder is the star of this commentary-free video, although the gorgeous Nitrous Blue paint job is a nice accompaniment, as well. 1965 Ford Mustang Hoonicorn Runs Hill, Nearly Kills Lord March Mr. Block's two runs behind the wheel of the Hoonicorn were, unsurprisingly, very eventful. While one attempt goes off without a hitch, seeing the American rally driver slip and slide his way to the top of the hill while taking a short break for a donut, the other is slightly more dramatic. Block, along with Lord March in the passenger seat, carries a bit too aggressive an angle into a turn and nearly puts the NASCAR-powered Mustang into the hay bales. Check out the first video above, and the second one below. Kimi Raikkonen Makes Us Miss F1's V8 Era The latest Formula One cars have been maligned for the lackluster noise produced by the new 1.6-liter, turbocharged V6.