2009 Aston Martin Db9 Volante Convertible 2-door 6.0l on 2040-cars

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Xcar tackles winter in an Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster

The Aston Martin Vantage has an unusually long history, characterized by constant improvement. It was introduced ten years ago with a V8. Two years later Aston shoehorned in its ubiquitous V12, and more than five years after that, it upped the output. All the while it's offered Roadster versions of each iteration until we ended up with the fastest convertible the company had ever made. The resulting Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster will reach a highway gallop by the time you've finished pronouncing its full name, but exciting as it is, the prospect of driving a soft-top convertible channeling 565 horsepower through the rear wheels in the snow is, well... let's just say that, while such a car would be near the top of our list in most situations, it wouldn't be our first choice for winter transportation. That hasn't deterred the team at Xcar from taking on a British winter in this ludicrous drop-top. What they found was a roadster that's anything but perfect, but one they're glad exists – even if there are better choices for snowy climes.

Aston Martin Vanquish Vision concept coming for Ferrari F8 Tributo and company

Aston Martin will restore the Vanquish name on a mid-engined supercar due in 2022, previewed by the Vanquish Vision concept. To be powered by a less potent version of the hybrid twin-turbo V6 powertrain also going in the Project 003, the Vanquish will challenge super-coupes like the Ferrari F8 Tributo, as well as the next-generation hybrid successors to the McLaren 720S and Lamborghini Huracan. The Vanquish will be the fourth mid-engined offering from the Gaydon maker, after the Valkyrie, Valkyrie AMR-Pro, and Project 003, but the first to go into series production. In spite of the fact that it shares clear lineage with the Valkyrie and Project 003, the Vanquish will make some key departures. The chassis will be fashioned from bonded aluminum instead of carbon fiber. The concept is said to be 85 percent of the final form, with only minor changes to come as Aston Martin learns its way around a mid-engined production car for the first time. The forms are fuller, with less of the negative space employed on the hypercars for a "more seductive and less technical appearance." Aggressive touches remain, however, as in the fat rear tire leering through a hefty gap between the bodywork and a serious diffuser. And check out those exhaust tips poking McLaren-style out of the bodywork. Codenamed AM9, the coming coupe departed from Aston Martin's own expectations in that it got smaller than originally envisioned. Palmer told Autocar, "One of the real learnings with Adrian Newey is obsession with weight and mass, and package size. Our designers are now pushing our engineers; cars were getting bigger but now we're heading smaller, with cars packaged around the engine. It's the reversal of a trend." Related Video:

Aston Martin's Vanquish S Red Arrow aerobatics special edition is a stunning tribute

Aston Martin's in-house custom car division, Q, has just revealed its latest model, the Aston Martin Vanquish S Red Arrows Edition. The Vanquish is themed around the Red Arrows, a British aerobatics team like the American Blue Angels. The connection to the team starts from the outside, with a bright, gloss red paint job with white and blue accents on the carbon fiber trim to replicate the look of the Red Arrows' planes. The badges have red, white, and blue enamel to evoke the Union Jack flag, and a white stripe along the side is meant to look like the smoke trails left by the planes. Inside, the interior is finished in black leather with khaki green leather inserts and matching seatbelts. According to Aston Martin, this color scheme echoes the flight suits worn by the Red Arrows team. The flight team's logo, which shows their diamond-shaped flight formation, is embroidered into the seat backs. The door panels also receive custom embroidery, which shows the "Vixen Break" maneuver. This particular Vanquish S loses its rear seats to make space for a pair of racing helmets that come with the car. The helmets are painted in Red Arrows colors. In addition to the helmets, Aston Martin will include scale models of the car and a Red Arrows plane, a racing suit, embroidered bomber jacket, and a custom luggage set. In keeping with the Red Arrows theme, only nine of these cars will be sold, one for each member of the aerobatics team. Each car will also be signed by the corresponding Red Arrows pilot. Aston will build a tenth car that will be donated to the RAF Benevolent Fund, which helps support veterans and their families. Related Video: