2010 Aston Martin Vantage 2dr Cpe Sportshift~tampa,fl on 2040-cars

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Aston Martin DBX SUV spied up close towing, and we get interior shots

An Aston Martin SUV called the DBX is going to be revealed in the last quarter of 2019, and here's your newest batch of spy photos showing it out testing. There isn't much new to see on the outside, but our spy photographer managed to capture more detailed photos of the interior. Before you get too excited, know the interior is pretty much entirely unfinished. This particular DBX prototype seems to be a fairly early build, as everything on the inside looks cobbled together. If you peer through the rear windows you'll see what looks like some sort of rollcage and massive jugs meant to simulate the weight of passengers. Also, like before, there's a smattering of Mercedes parts in there. We see the Mercedes infotainment display, center console and center stack design, plus Mercedes seat controls. Curiously, those seat controls are on the tunnel separating the driver and passenger. Aston could get away with doing that, but with all the space an SUV offers, it seems somewhat unnecessary to package it thusly. We'll just assume nothing is final at this point, due to the state of confusion currently on display in the Aston's interior. We do have something interesting to look at on the exterior of the DBX, though. It's hauling something, and that something happens to be a Taylor dynamometer, according to the logo on the side. This kind of dyno is used to apply a measured load to the vehicle, in addition to simulating driving up and down slopes. This SUV is rumored to have AMG's 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 under the hood, so it could have some heady towing capability. Aston seems intent on making this SUV do SUV things, so a solid tow rating could be in the cards. The wait isn't long at this point for the DBX, but Aston hasn't uncovered anything more than it did last year. With the actual announcement nearing, we hope to see more of the large Aston Martin bruiser soon.

Aston Martin to race with solar power

Aston Martin may be more about luxury GTs than performance-obsessed supercars, but when it comes to racing, it's no holds barred. Aston Martin Racing has developed competition-spec versions of the Vantage and DB9, and even done a few LMP1 prototypes. But while some have been powered by V8s and others by V12s, the one underlying commonality is that they have all – in contrast with championship-winning diesel and hybrid prototypes – been powered exclusively by internal-combustion engines burning gasoline. That's what makes this announcement noteworthy. At Le Mans last weekend, the factory team announced a partnership with the Hanergy Global Solar Power & Applications Group that will see solar panels installed on the roof of the Vantage GTE it fields in the World Endurance Championship. Only the thin panels won't be powering the wheels, boosting the engine somehow or powering the batteries for a hybrid assist. They'll be used to power the air conditioning system. Which may seem inconsequential, but when you consider that the AC typically saps power from the engine – and it can sap quite a lot on a hot race day – that could amount to a serious performance advantage while keeping the drivers comfortable. While the system wasn't ready to use at Le Mans last weekend, temperatures at the French track don't get too high, so the air-con wouldn't likely be a big factor. The team (operated on Aston's behalf by Prodrive) does expect, however, to have the system up and running in time for next round at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, where it can get insufferably hot. Aston and Hanergy also hope to install the system on the V12 Vantage GT3 and V8 Vantage GT4 it supplies to customer teams, and install solar panels on the roof of the new facility Prodrive is building in Banbury, UK. Aston Martin Racing Joins Hanergy in Solar-Powered Project Le Mans, 13 June 2014 - Banbury, 13 June 2014 - Aston Martin Racing has signed a partnership agreement with solar technologies experts Hanergy Global Solar Power & Applications Group, in a project exploring how the sun's energy can be used to improve race car performance at the pinnacle of sportscar racing, the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), starting with the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend (14-15 June).

2020 Aston Martin Vantage AMR First Drive Review | It has a manual!

NURBURG, Germany — The new Aston Martin Vantage AMR has a manual transmission. In the precision-engineered, sequential dual-clutch automated hell-scape in which we now dwell, that might be enough copy for a full review. But driving this boisterous menace around the perfect, sweeping, foothilly roads around Germany's Nurburgring (but not on the ‘Ring itself), I discovered that the seven-speed stick shift makes the Vantage approximately 77% more engaging. For this, we have Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer to thank. “Andy committed to always having a manual in the lineup,” said transmission engineer James Owen, at the Aston Martin Racing (AMR) Performance Center at the edge of the ‘Ring, when I asked, insolently, why this car exists. “And as the sports derivative of our sportiest, most focused sports car, Vantage, itÂ’s right for the lineup.” A bit more about that transmission, because it should be dwelled upon: It is built by famed Italian manufacturer Dana Graziano, which has been building transmissions for the likes of Ferrari, Maserati and Alfa Romeo since the middle of the past century. It has a dogleg high-ratio first gear that requires some increased load to knock into. It rev-matches on downshifts, and also allows no-lift upshifts, so you can keep the pedal floored between gears to minimize transitions. ItÂ’s air cooled, for less weight. And it has a Launch Control feature that works like this: clutch down, find first, stomp on the gas, wait for the little light to appear on the dash, clutch out progressively but quickly. Glory. It was, in fact, surprising just how much the gearbox changed my relationship with the Vantage, a car I already liked. The AMR doesnÂ’t add any power, the Mercedes-sourced 4.0-liter turbo V8 still sits at 503 hp. But the torque figures are down significantly, from the 505 pound-feet available in the automatic to 461 with the manual. Remember, this is the first time a manual has been paired with this engine, be it by Aston Martin or Mercedes-AMG. Despite losing 200 pounds from the Vantage's curb weight – through the use of the lighter transmission, forged wheels, carbon ceramic brakes, carbon fiber body and trim bits, and the switch from an electronic differential to a limited-slip one – itÂ’s nearly a half-second slower from 0-60 than the base Vantage (3.9 seconds vs 3.5).