2014 Aston Martin Db9 Volante Convertible 2-door 6.0l on 2040-cars

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Zagato reveals custom Aston Martin Virage Shooting Brake

Of all the pan-European collaborations, the decades-old partnership between Aston Martin and Zagato is among our favorites. It's a tie-in that dates back to the DB4 GT from 1960 and has materialized in numerous forms over the years since. What you see here is the latest. Unveiled today at the Chantilly Art & Elegance show in France, the Aston Martin Virage Shooting Brake Zagato follows in the same style as the DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial and the DB9 Spider Zagato Centennial one-offs revealed last year as part of Aston's 100th anniversary celebrations. It adopts a similar rectangular style to the previous two examples, but reinterpreted in a classic, low-slung, three-door wagon form to celebrate Zagato's 95th birthday. Completing the trilogy, this coachbuilt custom is based on the Virage model that itself was based on the DB9 and slotted in below the DBS until being discontinued two years ago. The atelier didn't reveal much in the way of technical details, but its underpinnings suggest it's powered by Aston's long-serving 6.0-liter V12 with 490 horsepower. Whereas the previous models were commissioned by American and Japanese collectors, the Shooting Brake was built for a European customer. This shooting brake follows in a long line of Zagato-bodied Astons including the aforementioned DB4 GT, the 1986 V8 Vantage Zagato and V8 Volante Zagato, the 2002 DB7 Zagato, the one-off 2004 Vanquish Roadster and the 2011 V12 Zagato. Scope out the latest in the quartet of images in the gallery above and the press release below. ZAGATO ATELIER ANNOUNCES THE WORLD DEBUT OF THE ASTON MARTIN VIRAGE SHOOTING BRAKE ZAGATO AT THE CHANTILLY ARTS & ELEGANCE CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE Chantilly, France (7 September, 2014) – For Zagato, 2014 is a very important year. It commemorates 95 years of continuous activity, innovative design and three generations of Zagato family leadership. Following the world debut of the Lamborghini 5-95 Zagato at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, Zagato Atelier continues celebrating its 95th anniversary with the grand debut of the Aston Martin Virage Shooting Brake Zagato at the Chantilly Art & Elegance. This mark's Zagato's second world premiere in 2014. This one-of-a-kind car was commissioned by a European client who desired an atelier-level, collectible modern car.

Aston Martin likely to resurrect Vanquish name for Ferrari fighter

Aston Martin recently hosted press drives for the new DBS Superleggera in Germany. On the sidelines, Motoring spoke to the carmaker's chief creative officer, Marek Reichman. Answering the question of whether the coming mid-engined rival to the Ferrari 488, Lamborghini Huracan, and McLaren 720 S could revive a very important name for the brand, Reichman responded, "Without saying yes, that sounds like a plausible solution for a beautiful name like Vanquish." The Vanquish named first appeared from 2001 to 2007, returning from 2012 until retiring again this year on the Vanquish S (pictured). Although it's historically been used on the most powerful vehicles in Aston Martin's range, and both of them V12s, the latest flagship switched to two erstwhile monikers in combining DBS and Supeleggera. Reichman said the switcheroo "better reflected [the DBS% positioning than Vanquish." The future V-named coupe will be out to conquer every vehicle in the segment, not just in the family line-up. Still light on details at the moment, we expect the Mercedes-AMG-sourced 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 behind the seats, boosted by an electric motor. Reichman didn't shoot down the possibility of using an electric motor for e-AWD capability and all-electric driving. That motivation will power a body expected to go heavy on carbon fiber, active aerodynamics, and the wind-cheating prowess gained from partner Red Bull Racing and aerodynamicist Adrian Newey. After iterating through 12 scale models and three full-sized mock-ups so far, the creative honcho said the final car will "be the most beautiful mid-engined car on the road." The coming Vanquish will be car number five of Aston Martin's Second Century plan, aiming to deliver seven cars in seven years. The Aston Martin SUV will be the fourth when it enters production late next year, after the DB11, Vantage, and DBS Superleggera. The mid-engined screamer follows in 2020. Related Video:

Aston Martin crafts one-off equestrian-themed DB9 Volante

Ask most people what kind of cars Aston Martin makes and they'll probably tell you it makes sports cars. But it doesn't. No, Aston Martin actually makes luxury GTs that focus at least as much on fine craftsmanship as they do on outright performance. In other words, any Aston Martin – from the 'entry level' V8 Vantage to the flagship Vanquish – packs an unrivaled attention to detail. But for those looking for that extra measure of exclusivity and intricacy, there's Q by Aston Martin. And this is its latest project. Similar to the Ferrari Tailor Made program, Lamborghini Ad Personam, Porsche Exclusive or Rolls-Royce Bespoke, Q by Aston Martin is dedicated to meeting the specific needs of individual customers who want their luxury GT crafted just so. We've seen several specially crafted and eye-catching Q projects at auto shows around the world, created to showcase what the division can do. This one was commissioned by a dealership in Los Gatos, CA. Starting with a DB9 Volante, the Q division gave it an equestrian theme with saddle tan leather with diamond-quilted ivory Alcantara trim, light burlwood veneer, specially-embroidered horse-head logos and saddle-style luggage fitted to the rear console. The exterior is finished in Ashen Blonde metallic with ten-spoke diamond-turned wheels in satin champagne and Howlite stone-inlaid logos. This one-off DB9 will be auctioned off at the Menlo Charity Horse Show, held August 5-10 at the Menlo Circus Club in Atherton, CA, with proceeds to benefit the Vista Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired.