2008 Aston Martin Vantage 10,523 Miles 380hp 6-speed Leather Call Shaun on 2040-cars

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Race Recap: 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans defines 'endurance'

Commenting on the rush of events that rocked beginning and end of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Paul Truswell of Radio Le Mans said "the race is about the ability to endure, not just the ability of drivers to do what they do for a long time." The entire race machine, all the way down to the pit boards and radios, has to survive the stress and abuse of the entire day. This was the race to prove those words.
There were two Toyotas, two Porsches and three Audis, five of the seven led the race at some point, six of the seven ran in the top three. Toyota will be hugely disappointed that it didn't win when its car and drivers were so, so strong, but they gave Audi the kind of scare we haven't seen since the best of Peugeot's days, and Toyota did a better job of it even in the loss. Porsche blew away everyone's expectations, falling 3.5 hours short of a fairy tale ending that would have made Disney cry.
But Le Mans doesn't really do fairy tales. Well, not that fairy tale. Audi's Twitter handle during the event was #welcomechallenges. As usual, Le Mans answered for the entire field.

Airbus and Aston Martin tease helicopter collaboration

Aston Martin is working on a new partnership in a different part of the transportation sector. This week, the British company known for its beautiful car designs announced a collaboration with Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH) that is set to launch in 2020.  ACH and Aston Martin are working on a helicopter, and this short video is the first official teaser of the partnership. The project has been under design development for the past 12 months, and Aston Martin Lagonda Vice President and Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman said the project will be a blending of automotive and aeronautical design principles.  Although the teaser did not give away much info about the helicopter, the name of the video might. It's titled, "ACH130 AM TEASER 16x9." The 16x9 part is just the dimensions of the video, but ACH130 AM likely indicates a nod to the Airbus H130 helicopter, which is most often used for "sightseeing services, charter operators, and emergency medical services, among others." It comes in six- or seven-passenger configurations.  This is not the first time Airbus has collaborated with an automaker on a helicopter design. Peugeot previously worked with Airbus on an H160. The ACH130 AM debuts in the French Alps on January 3, 2020. And this is not the first time Aston has collaborated on transportation beyond a car. Last year, Aston put its luxury imprint on a submarine. Auto News Design/Style Aston Martin

Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG formalize technical partnership

The development of a partnership between Mercedes-Benz and Aston Martin has been a long time coming. The news dates back to 2008, and over the five years since was supposed to lead to a rejuvenation of both the Maybach and Lagonda brands. That program ultimately fell apart, but the tie-in was forged afresh in July when the two automakers signed a letter of intent over a renewed partnership. And now that partnership has been formalized.
In a deal just announced, Mercedes-AMG will build a new V8 engine for Aston Martin that will power a new generation of luxury GTs for the British marque, presumably to replace the 4.7-liter V8 in the Vantage. The relationship appears to be similar to the one already in place between AMG and Pagani, only in this case, will involve Daimler taking as much as a five-percent stake in Aston Martin and an observer seat on Aston's board.
The technical partnership is also set to lead to the supply of electric and electronic systems, and could incorporate "additional areas of cooperation in the future." Whether that will include a fresh attempt at reviving Lagonda remains to be seen, as does the future of Aston's long-serving, Ford-based 6.0-liter V12 engine. But for now you can read the full announcement below.