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Aston Martin hits the open water with Quintessence Yachts

We know, we know: life is tough. You drive your Aston Martin Vanquish Volante from your mansion to the yacht club, and then what? Just get on board any old yacht? Of course not. You're going to need an Aston Martin speedboat, and fortunately that's just what we have here. Born of a partnership among the British automaker, Dutch boatbuilder Quintessence Yachts, and the naval architects at Mulder Design, is the upcoming AM37. The speedboat, as you might have guessed, measures 37 feet long – which is a little more than two Rapides parked end to end (or nearly four Cygnets). Though there's only three images, we can already see the vessel's design takes cues from Aston's luxury GTs, particularly in the driving console. It looks a lot sleeker, at any rate, than the Voyage design we saw a few years ago, and at least as cool as the 20-foot speedboat Ian Callum designed to go with the Jaguar XF Sportbrake. Full technical details have yet to be released as well, but Quintessence says the vessel will feature a "hi-tech composite structure allied to luxury sports car-like handling, performance and comfort." It'll also incorporate voice control and touchscreen display for the navigation and multimedia system. The yacht will be offered in two versions: the AM37 with a top speed of around 50 knots (the maritime equivalent of 57 miles per hour) and the AM37 S that'll top out at 60 knots (nearly 70 mph). That's mighty fast on the open water, with no stop signs or traffic gridlock to slow you down. Just the waves on the open water. We don't know what will motivate the vessel to such speeds, but we're hoping for a marine version of Aston's signature 6.0-liter V12. Maybe even two of 'em. It wouldn't be unheard of, after all: Lamborghini has made boat engines, and a Ferrari-powered hydroplane set a longstanding record in the 1950s. Far more than the usual branded wristwatch or luggage, we're looking forward to seeing this one (quite literally) launch. Driven to succeed: Quintessence Yachts and Aston Martin • Exciting sports car firm association creates a series of unique powerboats • Stunning style, advanced technologies and exquisite craftsmanship • Highest standards of yacht design and construction 29 April 2015, Gaydon: Quintessence Yachts is today unveiling the first details of an exciting association with famous luxury British sports car maker Aston Martin which will result in the creation of a unique series of stunning new powerboats.

Next Aston Vantage will be the only way to get an AMG V8 with a stick

With only a few exceptions, most of them factory customs, AMG hasn't built cars with manual transmissions. It just isn't the way things are done in Affalterbach. But now that Mercedes's in-house speed shop will be supplying engines to Aston Martin, the world will be treated to cars with three pedals and overengineered German V8s wrapped in a pretty British package. We're into it. The news comes from Car and Driver, which spoke to Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer about the new Vantage among other things. Palmer confirms to C/D that the Vantage will continue to offer manual and automatic transmissions when the next-gen car arrives featuring the AMG 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. In its most potent form, the eight-cylinder makes 503 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque in the AMG GT S. Figure on a little more from the Aston-ized version, just for fun. The current V8 Vantage GT makes 430 hp and 361 lb-ft from its naturally aspirated 4.7-liter. While some may lament the new engine's forced induction, that added power and the thoroughly modern behavior of the AMG engine should be welcome. While the AMG V8 is currently only planned to go into Aston's entry-level car, C/D does mention a possibility of it (and perhaps its three-pedal transmission) making its way into other cars as an economy option for certain markets. If a V8 DB11 were to be offered, don't expect it to show up here, though. There's also no word on who will supply the manual for the AMG-Aston mashup, but it likely will be a transaxle like the current Vantage. Ex-factory manual AMGs aren't totally unprecedented. Pagani has built some three-pedal cars with its massaged AMG V12s. Compared to those, however, these manual Vantages can be considered mass-production cars. And really, any increase in the number of sticks mated to AMG engines can only be a good thing. Related Video: News Source: Car and Driver Aston Martin Mercedes-Benz Coupe Performance mercedes-amg confirmed aston martin v8 vantage aston martin vantage

Lotus Esprit S1 gets wet and wild in 'Forza Horizon 4' James Bond trailer

It only makes sense. When the official trailer for Forza Horizon 4 ( FH4) first debuted at E3, details showed the game is set in Britain. Those who were ahead of the curve might have recognized this as a foreshadowing of sorts. Celebrating the launch of FH4's XBOX One and Windows 10 demo on Sept. 12, Playground Games announced that the next version of the beloved racing simulator will launch with an available Best of Bond pack that includes many of James Bond's storied rides. As expected, the list is heavy on the Aston Martin, but there are plenty of other goodies, too. Included in the 10-car pack are the 1964 Aston Martin DB5, a 1969 Aston Martin DBS, a 1986 Aston Martin V8, a 2008 Aston Martin DBS, a 2015 Aston Martin DB10, a 1974 AMC Hornet X Hatchback, a 1977 Lotus Esprit S1, a 1981 Citroen 2CV6, a 1999 BMW Z8, and a 2010 Jaguar C-X75. If you can name every movie that all of these vehicles are from, pat yourself on the back and grab a martini. View 15 Photos Microsoft is rewarding those who are all-in on FH4. The Best of Bond pack will come with the Ultimate Edition of the game that is allowed an early play date, starting Sept. 28. For those who haven't fully committed, the Best of Bond pack will be available as an add-on for purchase when the game launches globally on Oct. 2. The action-packed trailer shows many of the vehicles transforming or busting out tricks they're known for from the films, including the Lotus emerging from the sea. Although players will not be able to drive any vehicles under water (that we know of), several of the gadgets will make it into the game and will be viewable during Forzavista mode. The '64 DB5 has many of its features, such as the bumper rams and revolving license plate, while the Lotus will have an available body kit, fins and all. The Bond pack also comes with a few features irrelevant to the cars, including two Bond outfits and six "quick chat" phrases that can be used during multiplayer. The pack adds to an already impressive catalogue of vehicles that includes more than 450 different rides. Available now to pre-order, the FH4 Ultimate Edition is priced at $99.99, the Deluxe Edition is $79.99, while the base game is $59.99. For those who love Bond but don't own a gaming system, don't forget about the recently announced DB5 Lego kit.