2006 Aston Martin V8 Vantage, 56k Mi, Don't Miss! on 2040-cars

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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 and Tom Brady partner for new content series

Love him or hate him, it's difficult to argue with Tom Brady's popularity. While celebrity endorsements are as old as advertising, a tie-in between a storied British automaker and the most successful quarterback in NFL history doesn't happen everyday. Today, Aston Martin and Brady announced a new partnership on a content series, Category of One, that's set to debut later this year. Brady is apparently a longtime Aston Martin owner, though the only model mentioned is his current 2017 DB11. Brady will be working with the automaker on a custom-curated 2018 Aston Martin Vanquish S. The whole thing will be documented and released in portions, with the full car debuting sometime this summer. The Vanquish S, while still beautiful and plenty powerful, is the last remaining car on Aston Martin's old platform. There are few other detail on the collaboration. We also really hope Brady didn't scratch the hood of that DB11. We assume Gisele gave him a few tips for proper poses. Related Video: Celebrities Design/Style Aston Martin aston martin db11 aston martin vanquish s

Q by Aston Martin makes a 430-hp V8-powered Cygnet

A V8-powered Aston Martin Cygnet with 430 horsepower and 361 pound-feet of torque could be the best definition of "Didn't see that coming" we've had all year. A customer requested the carmaker's customization arm, Q by Aston Martin — Commission, insert a 4.7-liter V8 from the last-gen Vantage S into the Cygnet's engine bay. The grafting job, dressed in Buckinghamshire Green, weighs 1,375 kilograms or 3,025 pounds with fluids, and posts a power-to-weight ratio of 284 hp-per-ton in U.S. parlance, 313 bhp/tonne in UK units. Aston Martin engineers shortened the intake system to keep the Cygnet's standard hood unmolested. The motor blows out the other end through a twin, centrally-mounted exhaust at the end of very short pipes. Other components carried over from the Vantage S include the front and rear subframes, suspension, most of the braking system, and seven-speed Sportshift II transmission. Torque steer isn't an issue, because the rears do the driving via a "miniature" torque tube that runs underneath a custom tunnel. Carbon wheel arches shield 19-inch wheels shod in 275/35 Bridgestone rubber, with six-piston monoblock calipers in front, four-piston monoblocks in back. In spite of Aston Martin calling this "The Ultimate City Car," additional modifications would indicate the owner has ultimate track plans for the V8 Cygnet. The Q department welded in a roll cage, occupants sit in fixed Recaro buckets with four-point harnesses, the driver grips a removable, Alcantara-covered steering wheel, there are leather pull straps on carbon door panels, a steel fuel tank fills the cargo area, and an FIA-compliant fire extinguisher system keeps things cool if the temperature gets too hot. Should the V8 Cygnet pretend to its city car origins, there's a Vantage instrument cluster, air conditioning, and two USB ports. Goodwood Festival of Speed visitors will get to see how she runs up the hill. The original Cygnet, based on the Scion iQ and out of production since 2013, got from 0-60 miles per hour in about 11 seconds. The V8 Cygnet does that in 4.2, and taps out at 170 mph — 60 mph past the standard Cygnet's top speed. Aston Martin says the original Cygnet "looks set to become a future classic." That could be optimistic. The V8 Cygnet, however, just might have the chops. Related Video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin V8 Cygnet View 12 Photos Aston Martin Hatchback Luxury Racing Vehicles Special and Limited Editions aston martin cygnet q by aston martin