2012 Aston Martin Virage Volante Convertible 2-door 6.0l on 2040-cars

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Aston Martin revives two iconic names for its new DBS Superleggera

Progress has finally swept away the Vanquish S, with its non-turbo V12 and old-style Aston Martin chassis, and its replacement signals the new way of doing things. The new DBS Superleggera is twin-turbocharged and adopts a variant of the chassis and a whiff of the styling of the newer DB11. That styling is rendered in carbon fiber, incorporating such new-style features as the "curlicue" and the Aeroblade to improve downforce to 397 pounds at its top speed of 211 MPH. And some familiar elements show up in the overall styling, too, like the semi-floating roof and the fender vent that blends into the front wheel opening. The massive, gaping grille is more reminiscent of the Vantage than the DB11, although on the DBS Superleggera it has a more classic Aston Martin shape and treatment – but perhaps the grille takes up too much of the frontal area to be considered pretty rather than simply bold. Overall, the look is DB11 plus luxury and opulence, which is exactly the point. Speaking of opulence, the interior is an almost scandalous blend of premium materials and bold shapes. There's a lot of leather and alcantara – the car shown in these photos has accent panels of chopped carbon fiber and charcoal-colored leather with bold red accent stitching. There's more exposed carbon fiber, albeit woven, accenting the exterior in various places. It's not subtle or particularly classic, but write a big enough check to Aston and they'll surely trim your DBS Superleggera in any fashion you want. There is also a range of Designer Specifications, which are specific color and trim combinations picked out by the company's designers, in case you want to leverage in-house talent to deck out your DBS. Performance is suitably commanding. The DBS Superleggera now makes 715 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. Thanks to turbocharging, that torque figure is available from 1,800 to 5,500 RPM, although the corollary is that peak power is at 6,500 RPM. It's rear-drive only, assisted by an eight-speed auto and a mechanical limited slip differential with torque vectoring. 0-62 mph takes 3.4 seconds according to the factory, but the more important number is the 0-100 MPH time of 6.4 seconds, and fourth-gear acceleration of 50-100 MPH in just 4.2 seconds. This is the power of turbocharging a large-displacement engine – it's a 5.2-liter unit. The DBS Superleggera starts at $304,995, and deliveries begin later this year.

Aston Martin DB11 fully exposed before Geneva debut

You're forgiven if you don't remember much about Daniel Craig's last adventure as James Bond 007 in Spectre. The movie was largely forgettable, but the Aston Martin DB10 built for the film was nice to look at, until it took a swim in the Tiber. Since the DB10 was never intended for production, the DB11 is on its way as a DB9 replacement. We've been seeing camouflaged DB11 prototypes running around Europe for a while now. And now, thanks to a photographer taking a picture when he or she wasn't supposed to, and posting that image to Twitter, we can show you what the front of the upcoming DB11 looks like well ahead of its probable Geneva Motor Show debut. Twitter user @Rudybenjamin13 posted the photo you see below earlier today, although with the caveat that the account was just sharing the photo and didn't take it. Whether that's the case is neither here nor there. On me dit que je risque d'etre emmerde donc tant qu'a faire ... #astonmartin #DB11 . Je relaie .... pic.twitter.com/Xle3BkjJF9 — RudyB001 (@Rudybenjamin13) February 17, 2016 It's a much more traditional front fascia than the DB10's concept-car aesthetic. Bigger, road-legal headlights and a more traditional Aston grille bookend an incredibly sculpted hood. Where the DB10 was shark-nosed and aggressive, the DB11 looks traditional and profoundly powerful. It will fit right into the lineup, which can't quite be said for the DB10, whatever you think of it. From this angle, it's both expected and satisfying. We can't wait to see it in the flesh, hopefully in Geneva. Related Video: Spy Photos Aston Martin aston martin db9 aston martin db11 spectre aston martin db10

Aston Martin Valkyrie begins production in dashing green dress

A new era of hypercars is officially born today, as the first production Aston Martin Valkyrie rolls off the line. That’s right, the Valkyrie is officially starting its extremely limited production. The Valkyrie entering production now also means that Aston Martin has beaten Mercedes and its competing hypercar, the AMG One, to production — both cars saw their "debuts" in 2017. Last we heard from Mercedes on that front, the AMG One was still undergoing testing. Updated timing on the carÂ’s production release was not detailed in this announcement that took place over a year ago. Perhaps those who ordered the AMG One have more insight on when their specific cars will be built, but for now, the production car is still floating out there in the ether. Meanwhile, Aston Martin says the first Valkyrie, pictured in green here, is awaiting delivery. Aston does not say who the first owner is or detail the spec of the car, but we applaud the dark green paint chosen. “It is an immensely proud moment for us to complete our first ever hypercar,” Aston Martin CEO, Tobias Moers said. “The Aston Martin Valkyrie program has tested everyone who has worked on it to the limit but the commitment to the dream has produced a truly incredible car, an F1 car for the road.” Production for the Valkyrie is taking place in a special Valkyrie-only area of AstonÂ’s Gaydon headquarters. A small team of technicians spend over 2,000 hours total to build each car, and there will be 150 total Valkyries produced. If you want to know all the nitty gritty details of AstonÂ’s hypercar, make sure to check it out in our previous Valkyrie coverage. And enjoy the sound of its Cosworth V12, too. ItÂ’s downright magical to hear. Related video: