Aston Martin Db9 Volante on 2040-cars

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Here's what Top Gear thinks of the Aston Martin Vulcan

With a limited run of just 24 units, the Aston Martin Vulcan isn't an easy vehicle to get your hands on. Even if you find one, the next challenge is locating a suitable track to drive it because these rare beasts aren't street legal. Top Gear (the website, not the TV show) arranged both and reported on the amazing experience of driving this rare hypercar in must-read story. Top Gear lapped the Vulcan around the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix circuit and came away thoroughly impressed. The author admits that the McLaren P1 GTR has a greater output, but driving the Aston Martin is still an incredibly visceral experience. Downshifts judder through the chassis, flames shoot from the side pipes, and the 820-horsepower V12 screams. "Five laps and I'm spent – I start to get a headache, I need to drink, sweat gathers, ears ring," the writer says. The Vulcan trains its handful of wealthy owners to be racers, but the interior still cossets them in Aston Martin's traditional luxury. As they learn the car, drivers can turn the power up from 550 hp, 675 hp, and to the full 820 hp when they feel ready. The suspension is also fully adjustable. So there's a touch of understeer out of the box, but a person can mitigate that as they gain experience. Plus, the writer claims the cabin fit and finish is marvelous. Head over to Top Gear to get the full story, it's well worth a read. Related Video:

Aston plans Tesla-fighting 800-hp electric Rapide

Aston Martin is taking direct aim at the top versions of the Tesla Model S with a plan to launch a battery electric Rapide sedan boasting 800 horsepower, all-wheel drive, and a 200-mile range within the next two years. Company CEO Andy Palmer confirmed the vehicle's development to Automotive News during the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. A test mule to engineer the powertrain was already on the road, Palmer asserted. The electric Rapide would join the internal combustion version, rather than replace it, and the BEV would likely remain a niche product with just a few hundred per year carrying a price between $200,000 and $250,000. Palmer indicates the model would prioritize performance. "I think that the fact that you could drive a few laps of a decent race course or race it around the Nordschleife is much more interesting than doing 500 meters in Ludicrous mode," he said to Automotive News, taking a swipe at Tesla's latest upgrade. Palmer has referenced the electric Rapide before. Earlier this year, he said that power would be a major priority for it. Aston Martin has also received help on the project from an undisclosed Silicon Valley partner, but Palmer said the collaborator wasn't Tesla. "If you want to keep making V12 engines, then you've got to do something at the opposite end of the spectrum," Palmer said about the company's strategy to Automotive News. The Rapide is just the first step in the brand's electrification, and the DBX is also under development for the next decade in EV, plug-in hybrid, and internal combustion versions. The crossover concept debuted at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show as an EV.

Aston Martin closing deal with Force India F1 team

Aston Martin is returning to the Formula One grid. Only instead of starting its own team – or even taking control of an existing one – the British automaker is reportedly on the verge of announcing a new partnership with the Force India team. According to Autosport, the deal would see the team switch names from its current national identity to Aston Martin Racing. Beyond naming rights, however, the partnership could see the two outfits partner on technical collaborations as well. The Johnnie Walker whisky brand – a longtime McLaren partner – is said to be joining as a sponsor of the newly rebranded team, which has previously featured branding from whisky brands Royal Challenge, Whyte & Mackay, and Dalmore. The current engine deal with Mercedes (which owns part of Aston Martin) is expected to stay in place. Force India isn't the only team Aston Martin is said to have evaluated. Previous reports had linked the manufacturer of luxury GT cars to Red Bull, while Williams was also said to have been under consideration for such a partnership. Ultimately, however, it appears to be cash-strapped (and strong-performing) Force India that has sealed the deal, expected to be announced in due course. If the notion of an automaker sponsoring (but not running) an F1 team strikes you as odd, it isn't without relevant precedent. Infiniti has long sponsored the Red Bull team that is powered by its corporate cousin Renault. That deal was brokered while the Japanese luxury brand was chaired by Andy Palmer, who now runs Aston Martin. Aside from considerable achievements in sports car racing, the British firm only participated in F1 for a few races in 1959 and 1960. The deal would put an end to the Force India name that has adorned the team since Indian businessman Vijay Mallya took it over late in 2007. Mallya, it should be noted, helms United Spirits Limited, which produces all those beverages mentioned previously that have sponsored Force India. The team was founded in 1991 as Jordan Grand Prix, under whose name it ran until 2005 when it switched ownership and name first to Midland and then to Spyker. Mallya sold nearly half of the team's stake to the Sahara India Pariwar conglomerate in 2011. Since taking over the team, Force India has gone from a back-marker in tenth place to a solid midfield contender routinely landing sixth in the championship standings and currently running fifth this season.