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Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition adds more power, downforce

Well, it seems we were onto something, Aston Martin really did give us a pace car edition of the Vantage. Or, in F1 parlance, a safety car edition. It's technically called the Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition, and fortunately, it's not just a Vantage with a fancy paint job. It actually boasts several performance improvements that it shares with the real safety car. You can even see some of those upgrades. The car features a front splitter and canards, rear wing, and under body tweaks. They all allow the F1 Edition to make an additional 441 pounds of downforce at top speed over a standard Vantage. Though not majorly affecting performance, the Vantage F1 Edition also receives a slatted grille, carbon fiber accents, quad-tip exhaust, exclusive 21-inch wheels, and a matte dark grey stripe. Only three colors are available, Aston Martin Racing Green, black and white, all three of which can be matte or gloss. Inside, the car gets black leather and grey Alcantara with your choice of green, black, grey or red stitching and center stripe. The F1 Edition gets extra power, too. The twin-turbo 4.0-liter AMG V8 makes 527 horsepower, an increase of 24, though torque is unchanged at 505 pound-feet. An eight-speed automatic is the only transmission available, and Aston Martin says it has been retuned to shift faster. Acceleration and top speed don't change, with 0 to 60 happening in 3.5 seconds for the coupe and 3.6 seconds for the roadster. The coupe's top speed is 195 mph and the roadster's is 190. Besides the extra grunt, the F1 Edition gets stiffer springs and retuned shocks along with a steering rack that Aston says provides better feedback. To pick up one of these upgraded Vantages, you'll need $162,000 for the coupe. Pricing hasn't been given for the roadster, but it will likely cost a bit more. Aston is taking orders now, and cars will be delivered to customers and dealers starting in late summer this year. Related Video: Aston Martin DBX in Stirling Green | On road, off-road and on the track

The AM37 is literally the Aston Martin of boats

While sports car companies such as Porsche and Lamborghini are looking to SUVs to expand their offerings, Aston Martin has taken a page from Mercedes and designed a boat. Specifically, it's a 37-foot powerboat appropriately named the AM37. The boat was developed with help from Mulder Design and Quintessence Yachts, and is available in two different versions, both of which should the aquatic equivalent of Aston Martin performance. The standard AM37 is available with two different pairs of engines from Mercury, either 370-horsepower diesel engines or 450-horsepower gas engines. If that's not enough, Aston also offers the AM37S, which comes with a pair of 520-horsepower gasoline Mercury engines. Like road-going Astons, this boat is absolutely gorgeous. The lines are simple, crisp and clean. It features a beautiful wood deck, and an impressive double-curved, single-piece glass windshield. And if you get tired of the sun, the AM37 features a powered, carbon fiber bimini top. The interior completes the package with a carbon fiber dashboard, lots of leather and polished steering wheel, throttle and joystick. It's also incredibly well-equipped with seating for eight, air conditioning, mood lighting, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, a bed that folds out from the table, and even a bathroom. Aston Martin didn't release pricing or availability for the AM37. However, we suspect that if you really want this boat and have the means, pricing doesn't matter, and you're probably willing to wait. Related Video: Image Credit: Aston Martin Auto News Aston Martin Mercury Luxury boat

Aston Martin DB11: Everything we know right now

With six and a half decades of heritage, the Aston Martin DB is one of the most storied nameplates in the savory sports car stratosphere. And we're (probably) just weeks away from seeing the next major chapter: the DB11. A few exclusive spy shots reveal new details, and we've gathered some crucial intelligence to help us get a better idea of what we can expect from the new DB11 when it launches later this year. Much like how the previous DB9 ushered in a new generation of cars from Aston's Gaydon, UK, headquarters, the British carmaker says the DB11 will kick off its "Second Century Plan." An insider told us that Aston is in the final tuning stages, and as such, the engineering prototype pictured here is likely the closest thing we've seen to a final production-spec car. While early mules had moldings and panels, we now have a good sense of the DB11's proportions, and can clearly see the rear-wheel-drive coupe's character lines. We can also see an aero-lip intake under the grille that appears to be significantly wider than on the DB9. Beyond being aesthetically pleasing, this is a necessary addition for better cooling. Our sources tell us power is expected to be above that of the naturally aspirated V12 Vantage's 565 hp and 458 lb-ft of torque. Gaydon's partnership with Daimler will soon yield the new Mercedes-AMG 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine for use in Aston Martin cars, but the Brits surprised us recently by showing a teaser of a 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12. The timing is curious, and makes us suspect that the DB11 will continue the 12-cylinder tradition, despite the pressure to be increasingly fuel efficient. Our sources tell us power is expected to be above that of the naturally aspirated V12 Vantage's 565 horsepower and 458 pound-feet of torque. While the current DB9 boasts a six-speed automatic gearbox, we understand the V12 will be mated to a new transmission with more speeds. It's possible the DB11 could get the ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic that Aston recently added to the Vantage and Rapide range. The DB11 will ride on an all-new chassis, and in continuing the industry trend, the new car should be lighter, tipping the scales below the current DB9's 4,000-pound mark, despite some new equipment. The Daimler partnership should improve a major area where Aston has historically lacked: in-car technology and infotainment.