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Aston to show $99k V8 Vantage GT, special editions in NY [w/video]

Aston Martin has never been touted for the affordability of its cars, but with its new V8 Vantage GT, it's at least taking a stab at the concept. Priced at $99,900, the company probably feels like it's giving them away. Aston Martin says its Vantage GT is inspired by its long history in motorsports. Available as either a coupe or convertible (at extra cost), the GT packs the automaker's 4.7-liter V8 pumping out 430 horsepower and 361 pound-feet of torque capable of getting it to 60 miles per hour in 4.6 seconds and to a top speed of 190 miles per hour. Buyers can choose between either a seven-speed automated manual with magnesium paddle shifters or a traditional six-speed manual. Despite the stripped-down price, buyers aren't going to be missing many amenities in the GT. It comes standard with graphite-painted alloy wheels and black trim around the headlights side windows, exhausts and taillights. An optional graphics pack recalls Aston Martin's 24 Hours of Le Mans success with contrasting colors on the grille, mirror caps, rear diffuser and – on coupes – the A-pillar. The interior gets carbon-fiber sill plates, Alcantara door panels and sport seats from the V12 Vantage S. North American sales begin in the third quarter. The other new Aston slated for reveal at this week's New York Auto Show is the DB9 Carbon Edition, which is aimed at carbon fiber lovers. It adds loads of the stuff inside and out in a traditional mix of luxury and high performance. It begins as a standard DB9 with a 6.0-liter V12 rated at 510 hp and 457 lb-ft and a six-speed automatic transmission. The big engine cruises to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and to a top speed of 183 mph. The Carbon Edition is actually separated into two different editions. Carbon Black models come in Carbon Black II exterior paint, and Carbon White models use Stratus White. Both come with a wide variety of carbon trim, including on the side strakes and taillight trim, with a black mesh grille and window trim accentuating the look. Buyers can also add an optional carbon fiber front splitter rear diffuser and mirror caps. Prices start at $199,995 and deliveries begin in the third quarter. Scroll down to get all of the details on the new Astons, and to see a Bloomberg video with Julian Jenkins, Aston Martin's president of the Americas, talking up his company's new entry-level baby. The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience.

DBX goes black tie with Q by Aston Martin

Aston Martin won't begin delivering its new DBX to customers in North America until the latter half of this year. Perhaps as a favor to DBX intenders that haven't placed orders yet, Q by Aston Martin has prepared a bespoke DBX for the Geneva Motor Show that presents a sliver of the creative possibilities unlocked by working with Q. The near infinite menu of choices has been broken down into two groups, Q by Aston Martin Commission and Q by Aston Martin Collection. Collection fits a range of predesigned accessories like carbon fiber paddle shifters or hood vent louvers for the DBS Superleggera. The Commission range encompasses all the imagination that a customer's bank account can fund. The Geneva show car wears Satin Xenon Grey paint from the Collection, as well as carbon fiber pieces around the lower exterior, black anodized tread plates and plaques on the sill. The 22-inch gloss black painted wheels come from the Commission department. The grand showcase comes inside the DBX vault. Yards of Obsidian Black Leather come from the SUV's standard options list. Commission stewards designed the satin chrome aluminum trim and jewelry as an entree, all milled from a solid ingot of the shiny stuff and finished with a special diamond pattern. They followed that up with a custom technique for the carbon fiber floating center console, door trim, and luggage floor. Craftsmen laid up 280 layers of carbon fiber, cured it for 12 hours, then put five-axis milling machines to work for 90 hours to create the necessary shapes. The finish on the cabin pieces reflects the strata of the hand-laid layers, while the span protecting the luggage floor comes from a single sheet of herringbone-pattered carbon fiber. Raised metal and rubber welts help protect the load floor finish and prevent cargo sliding to and fro.  The standard DBX starts at $192,986 after destination. A Q by Aston Martin DBX will, naturally, cost a touch more. Related Video:    

King Charles' electric I-Pace goes to auction next month

Never mind the Bentley State Limousines, the Aston Martin DB6 Volante that Queen Elizabeth II bought him on his 21st birthday, or the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI valued at more than $600,000. The car of the moment, if we’re talking about the garage of King Charles III of England, is a far more ordinary — and all-electric — Jaguar I-Pace purchased in 2018 by His Majesty “for his personal use." The royal Jag is set to be auctioned off March 2 at the famed Ascot Racecourse; estimated selling price is as high as $88,000. If you miss out on the auction of a president's former ride, here's one from a king. The SUV, notable as the first all-electric vehicle to be embraced by the royal family, is the range-topping I-Pace EV400 HSE all-wheel-drive luxury five-seater that the king — prince of Wales at the time — bought in September 2018 for $75,000. According to the auction site, the Jag was "purchased with his own money." Charles had Jaguar install a fast charger at Clarence House, his residence. The vehicle was returned to a Jaguar dealership after two years — itÂ’s not clear if it had been leased — with only 3,000 miles on the clock. Subsequently, the SUV was sold to one Karen French of Oxfordshire. She said in a statement offered by Historics Auctioneers, “This I-Pace was exactly what I was looking for and pretty much on my doorstep. It was only when I agreed to buy it that I discovered its extraordinary history — I was absolutely thrilled. Having driven it over 30,000 miles,” she added, ”I decided in the New Year that it was time for a change.” Noted by the auctioneers in typical British understatement, the high-specification car was uniquely finished in Loire Blue and remains the only I-Pace “to be painted in this colour, whilst those inside the car enjoyed a sumptuous, contrasting leather interior in, fittingly, Light Oyster Windsor.” A revised Jaguar I-Pace is scheduled to arrive next year. Regarding the KingÂ’s affection for automobiles — British automobiles — he reportedly overseas a fleet worth more than $17 million. And while heÂ’s fond of driving conventional vehicles, he told the BBC some years ago that “my old Aston Martin, which I've had for 51 years, runs on — can you believe this — surplus English white wine, and whey from the cheese process.” Essentially the classic had been converted to run on E85 bio-ethanol. "The engineers at Aston said, 'Oh, it'll ruin the whole thing,'" Charles shared with The Telegraph in 2018.