2008 Aston Martin Db9 Volante, Gray/tan,serviced, Clean on 2040-cars

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This Aston Martin aircraft should be James Bond's next ride

Aston Martin is claiming the sky as it shows off its VTOL hybrid-electric aircraft. The Volante Vision Concept is Aston Martin's solution to reducing congestion in cities and towns. The luxury VTOL aircraft seats 3 adults and includes a windshield HUD delivering vital flight information. Transcript: The future of commuting, Aston Martin's Volante Vision Concept is a luxury VTOL aircraft. Aston is preparing for a world where flight plays a bigger role in daily travel. It is the product of a joint venture with Cranfield University, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions and Rolls-Royce. Aston says it's a "near-future study" that previews both urban and inter-city travel. Fitting up to three adults, this flying hybrid-electric vehicle aims to be autonomous. Inside, the surrounding windshield provides a HUD delivering vital flight information. Forgoing a traditional airplane design the Volante Vision Concept looks more like a Quadcopter. "With the population in urban areas continuing to grow, congestion in towns and cities will become increasingly demanding. We need to look at alternative solutions to reduce congestion, cut pollution and improve mobility," says Aston Martin President and CEO Dr. Andy Palmer. Now let's see James Bond fly this around.

Aston Martin DB5 Vantage trio for sale, and they're as rare as rare gets

Among classic Aston Martins, there are perhaps none better, from pre-war antiques to modern supercars, than the DB5. And among DB5s, the Vantage specifications are the most prized among car collectors. With only 70 of the high-performance examples built out of an already small pool of about 1,023 regular-flavor DB5s, they are a rare breed. If that's your bag, there's currently a once-in-a-lifetime sale of three different body styles of DB5 Vantages as one lot. The sale, facilitated by Aston Martin dealers Nicholas Mee & Co Ltd., will offer a Vantage in every DB5 body style built. The Vantages looked like normal DB5s, but had 322 horsepower, a 40-horse gain, thanks to a higher cam profile and some Weber carbs to replace the S.U. units.  On the coupe, at least, that translated to a 0-60 time in the mid-6's, quite impressive for a 1960s car. The Vantage sale trio is one coupe, one convertible, and one shooting brake. It'd be impossible to get that last one anywhere else, as there was only one factory Vantage shooting brake ever built, and this is it. In total, only 12 DB5 shooting brakes were made, with the first being a one-off for Aston Martin's chairman at the time, David Brown. He used it for the most rich-British-guy activities you can imagine — hauling gun dogs and polo equipment. Eventually, 11 were ordered by customers, but this California Sage specimen is the sole Vantage-spec car. The next rarest is the Caribbean Pearl Blue convertible. Only 123 DB5 convertibles were ever built, and only 5 to 12 (depending on who you ask) were fitted with the Vantage engine. While rarity or open-top cruising might be reasons to desire this car, we want it simply because it's one of the few we've seen that doesn't come in some dour shade of gray or British racing green. Lastly, for all the 007 cosplayers, is the Silver Birch coupe, looking exactly like the one made famous by James Bond. It has been a staple of the film franchise ever since 1964's "Goldfinger," quite possibly the first car to benefit from a movie fame halo long before the "Back to the Future" DeLorean or the "Fast and the Furious" Supra. All three cars come with a dossier of build details, ownership and maintenance records, and British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificates guaranteeing their provenance. The asking price is $5,643,000, which may seem steep considering a DB5 Vantage coupe is worth a little over $1 million.

Aston Martin mulls Formula E, but one thing must change

It may be the off-season, but Formula E is on fire. It seems that everybody is scrambling for a spot on the grid. Jaguar relaunched its racing program in the electric series, and is doubling down with a support series. Audi took a more prominent position for next season. BMW's in. Mercedes-Benz will be joining, too. Porsche has ditched WEC for Formula E. FCA is interested. So it shouldn't be too surprising, then, that Aston Martin is now considering a Formula E entry, as Automotive News Europe reports. Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer told the outlet that the series could support the company's development of electric vehicles, such as the upcoming RapidE, pictured above. "We don't have an electric car yet, but we will have in 2019," he said. "You can imagine the two coming together. I love Formula E." Palmer said, though, that Aston Martin wouldn't want to join the series until it does away with car swaps mid-race. "For me, the use of the two cars reinforces the range anxiety," Palmer told Automotive News Europe. "That will change, and then it starts to get interesting." In the past, other automakers have expressed similar concerns about car swaps. The upcoming season will be the last to use the practice, and Formula E will move toward using a single car per driver for each race beginning in the 2018-19 season. Aston Martin scaled back plans for the RapidE electric car after its partner LeEco pulled out of the project. Instead, Aston Martin will rely on the engineering expertise of Williams, and limit the RapidE to 155 units, priced at around $255,000. Related Video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin RapidE concept View 12 Photos News Source: Automotive News EuropeImage Credit: Aston Martin Green Motorsports Aston Martin Electric Racing Vehicles Formula E aston martin rapide fia formula e championship