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Vanquish 60th anniversary model has knobs made from classic Aston Martins

To celebrate 60 years at Newport Pagnell, Aston Martin Works is producing six different takes on the Aston Martin Vanquish in conjunction with personalization arm Q by Aston Martin, each themed to one of the previous six decades. The collectibles will come in coupe and convertible forms and wear exterior features that immediately identify them as anniversary cars, but their finest detail is in the cockpit: the metal for the console knob bezels will come from pistons taken out of six Aston Martins built in Newport Pagnell over the past 60 years. The first has been shown at the company's Christmas gathering for customers, and it represents the most recent decade, 2005 to 2015; its knob bezels come from pistons that once did duty in an original Vanquish. Working backwards through time, the remaining five cars will be ornamented by pistons from a V8 Vantage supercharged, a V8 Vantage X-pack, a V8 Coupe, a DB5 and a DB 2/4 Mk II saloon. One of the bezels in each car will be inscribed with the relevant model, the other bezels will feature 60th anniversary text. Elsewhere around the offerings, each will be ornamented with Anniversary Yellow side strakes and wheels, heavy weave carbon fiber, the Q symbol on the fenders, the new Aston Martin Works 60th Anniversary logo embroidered into its leather and embossed on its sideplates and duotone seats with yellow cross stitching. You must apply to the Works department to ascertain the price, or you can head below to read the press release, which is free. ASTON MARTIN WORKS 60TH ANNIVERSARY LIMITED EDITION VANQUISH - Six bespoke models celebrate Aston Martin Works' 60th anniversary - Cars incorporate aluminium from Aston Martin pistons of relevant eras - Unique colour and trim treatments ensure ultimate exclusivity 12 December 2014, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire: Aston Martin Works – which marks its diamond jubilee in 2015 – is celebrating 60 glorious years at Newport Pagnell with the commissioning of six limited edition sports cars. The first of the cars is being revealed today, Friday December 12, at the Buckinghamshire-based firm's customer Christmas celebration, which also forms the start of 12 months of exciting anniversary activity at Aston Martin Works. The six bespoke cars, all versions of the current Vanquish super GT in either Coupe or Volante form, are being created in association with the luxury British brand's Gaydon-based design team, and its ultimate personalisation service: Q by Aston Martin.

This is Aston Martin's sexy 580-hp Vanquish S Volante convertible

You might remember that we drove the Aston Martin Vanquish S earlier this month. That was the fixed top twin to this car, the S Volante, which we're getting our first look at. Since they're mechanically identical save the top mechanism, we can give you a sense of what the S Volante will be like. In a word, it'll be awesome. Remember, the Vanquish S twins are lovable dinosaurs in the powertrain department. Both feature a naturally-aspirated, 5.9-liter V12 – that means no turbochargers. It might make a healthy 580 horsepower at 7,000 RPM and an equally healthy 465 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 RPM, but it's an endangered species. It is, however, a sonorous beast with incredible throttle response (no lag!) – and it's backed up with the smooth, well-regarded ZF 8-speed transmission, just like the coupe. The similarities are fun, but the vive la difference. Especially in profile, with the top down, the Vanquish S Volante is beautiful. The small cowl humps are a racey, tasteful touch. There's almost assuredly some sort of weight penalty associated with choosing the Volante version, and there's definitely a cost penalty. The Vanquish S Volante will start at $315,775, or an $18,000 premium over the fixed-top version. From there, you can spend a lot more with various personalization options. Update: An Aston Martin representative told us there isn't an official Vanquish S Volante weight figure to release at this time. For reference, the old non-S Vanquish Volante was 232 lbs heavier than the coupe. The Vanquish S coupe weighs 3,834 lbs, so it's a save assumption that the Volante version will be slightly north of 4,000 lbs. We'll update you when an official weight figure is released. Both versions will hit US dealers in April. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Aston Martin Vanquish S Volante Aston Martin Convertible Luxury Performance aston martin vanquish aston martin vanquish s

Aston Martin to replace Rapide with DBX crossover, Lagonda sedan

Aston Martin is known best for two-door coupes and convertibles, but it has a history with other body styles. And it looks like Aston's future includes more versatile door configurations. Speaking with Car and Driver at the New York Auto Show, the company's new CEO Andy Palmer reveals a two-pronged plan to replace the four-door Rapide. One will be a new Lagonda sedan; the other a production version of the DBX crossover concept. Detailing the overall strategy for the British automaker, Palmer said, "First is replacing the entire sports car range; second is the DBX, and that appeals to a different set of audiences; and the third is the sports sedan, which will carry [the Lagonda] badge." The Lagonda, Palmer revealed, will not be the Taraf we've already seen. Although sales of that model are expanding beyond its initial Middle Eastern market, it won't be coming to North America due to US crash-testing requirements and the vehicle's short production run. The next Lagonda sedan, however, is more likely to reach these shores. The DBX meanwhile is slated to switch to four doors from the coupe-like profile of the concept, but keep similar overall dimensions and that sleek roofline – albeit modified to make it more accommodating. The crossover will also replace the concept's electric powertrain with a more conventional engine. And while we wouldn't rule out the name carrying over, we wouldn't be surprised to see the DBX adopt another handle on the road to production.