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Aston Martin and Daimler continue talks on SUV project, CEO required

The Aston Martin Lagonda SUV concept revealed at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show didn't earn the plaudits the company is used to when it reveals new models, and it has lived an uncertain life ever since. Thought to have been scrapped along with the entire revival of the Lagonda brand, then thought to have been resurrected due to Chinese, Middle Eastern and Russian demand, another year passed before we heard more definitive talk about an Aston Martin expansion when AutoCar reported that the Lagonda could be built on one of Mercedes-Benz's AMG SUV platforms.
A report in Automotive News Europe indicates plans have gotten serious, its unnamed sources saying that the English carmaker is talking to Daimler "to extend their cooperation to building an SUV." Neither Daimler, Aston Martin nor Investindustrial, the managing partner among Aston Martin's ownership consortium, would comment. But with Investindustrial having pledged to expand the range, competitors like Bentley, Maserati and Lamborghini getting into the SUV racket and clear demand from current and future customers, it's easy to believe Aston Martin is working hard to put the pieces together.
One further potential bump on the road to an Aston SUV is the company's search for a new CEO. Ulrich Bez relinquished to top spot at the company at the end of 2013, and Aston reportedly will not finalize its model strategy without a new CEO in place.

2022 Aston Martin Vanquish to offer a manual transmission

The retail versions of the Aston Martin Valkyrie and Valhalla remain a ways off, but carmaker CEO Andy Palmer but has given us something to look forward to beyond the flagship hypercar and its baby brother. Palmer told Australian outlet Car Sales that the Vanquish would be offered with a manual transmission. The pledge fulfills Palmer's previous statement "that I want to be the last manufacturer in the world to offer manual sports cars, and I want to honor that commitment." There's at least one potential caveat with this: The seven-speed dogleg manual transmission recently released for the Vantage AMR forced a reduction in power numbers. The gearbox, developed with transmission maker Graziano to work with the Mercedes-AMG-sourced 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, cut torque to 461 pound-feet compared to 505 lb-ft in the automatic-equipped coupe. The detune added 0.3 seconds to the 0-60 mph time, but we're confident buyers were happy with the compromise and tech bits that allowed full-throttle upshifts and rev-matching downshifts. The Vanquish will use an electrified, twin-turbocharged, 3.0-liter six-cylinder developed in-house at Aston Martin. Even so, with a lot more power and torque expected in order for the Vanquish to stand above the Vantage and battle the Ferrari F8 Tributo, McLaren 720 S, and Lamborghini Huracan, buyers could again face abridged output. Aston Martin hasn't said a word about figures, but the F8 and 720 S already crest 700 hp and bring 568 lb-ft. The Valhalla, which will use the same engine as the Vanquish but is predicted to pack around 1,000 hp, will forgo the manual. Palmer told Car Sales, "that car will only come with a paddleshift transmission." As with the Ferrari, but unlike the McLaren and the Lamborghini, the Vanquish gets a bonded aluminum tub instead of carbon. Aston Martin designed carbon tubs for the Valkyrie and Valhalla for "owners happy to sacrifice comfort for ultimate speed." Palmer explained the Vanquish's intended daily-driver usability drove the choice for aluminum, which permits a lower, narrower sill for easier ingress and egress. Having two architectures is more expensive for the small company, but Palmer explained, "Unlike McLaren we're not trying to stretch the same assets over and over again. Our approach is ... hopefully ...

This Aston Martin DBS has lived in a barn since 1986

For a moment, think of every major event that has occurred in your life since 1986 (if you're old enough, of course). Many birthdays have come and gone, children have grown to become adults, and we went from listening to "Rock Me Amadeus" to well... Justin Bieber. In a nutshell, things have changed quite a bit, but not for everything. In 1986, this Aston Martin DBS was rolled into a barn and locked safely away from prying eyes, and for the last 30 years, that is exactly where it has remained, until now. The dusty yet gorgeous Aston will cross the Silverstone Auctions block in May, where it's expected to fetch upwards of GBP60,000 (about $87,000). New in 1968, it would have cost about GBP4,470. RELATED: See More Photos of this Barn Find Aston Martin DBS Few words can describe the emotional weight of these barn find images, but "haunting" seems to fit. The Aston's three decades of shed isolation have written their story across its fastback bodywork, which now comes layered thick with dust, dirt, and a spot of bird dirt or two. Peer beneath the grime though and the DBS still wears its original coat of Mink Bronze paint. Inside the grand tourer's cabin, time has stood equally still, however the elements have been a bit less fair. The rich leather front seats and upholstery have grown grey and mottled with age. And while no one has sat in the back seat of this DBS for ages, it would appear critters haven't long given up roost there. Even so, it's utterly jaw-dropping to see in its untouched state. RELATED: Check Out James Bond's Actual 1964 Aston Martin DB5 According to the auction house, the Aston Martin was sold new on November 5th, 1968, to its first owner in Surrey, England, who held onto it for a little under two years. In April 1970, the DBS passed to its second owner—a 'Mr. Pasqua'—who relocated the car to the island of Jersey (the largest of the UK's Channel Islands). For the next 16 years it would accumulate a scant number of miles before getting tucked away in a barn on the island, and to this day, the odometer reads just 30,565 miles driven. Then again, how far can you really drive on an island that's only five miles wide and eight miles long. RELATED: This '66 Porsche Barn Find Looks Ravishing in Red As for its model history, the DBS was the rather radical successor to the storied and much more sweeping Aston Martin DB6.