2020 Aston Martin Vantage Base 2dr Coupe on 2040-cars

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Aston Martin teases V12 Vantage twice more ahead of debut

If you can handle another tease of the coming Aston Martin V12 Vantage, here are two. The first is a photo of what will certainly be a riotous super coupe under a partially opaque Union Jack. We can't spot anything on the obscured car that we don't know about from prototypes (or suspect from reports); the headlights, side mirrors, fender vents, and wheels are all there. Phew!. Out back, the drapery hangs high, pulled over a high wing that will be part of the V12 Vantage's numerous aerodynamic accoutrements. The test vehicles we've seen have been wingless, fitting nothing more than a Gurney flap to the Vantage's tidy ducktail, so we'll have to find out if the wing is standard fit or an option.  Behind the extra large grille, everyone is expecting the brand's 5.2-liter V12. In the limited edition Speedster, which married the Vantage's chassis to the Superleggera's front end, that 12-cylinder made 690 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque. Predictions for V12 Vantage out range from about 600, roughly in line with the DB11, to about 670, which would be a massive hoot while leaving room enough not to fluster Speedster owners. Arriving 16.03.22#AstonMartin #V12Vantage #NeverLeaveQuietly — Aston Martin (@astonmartin) March 11, 2022 The second teaser is a brief Twitter video mood board with the admonition to "Never leave quietly." We'll hear the supercar's noise and find out about its backside on March 16, when the reveal happens. We should also find out then how many Aston Martin plans to make. A previous rumor put that production number at 299. The vehicle itself is expected to arrive for the 2023 model year as part of the standard Vantage's model update, sources saying there will only be 299 made. The standard 2023 Vantage will be part of an overhaul of the front-engined Aston Martins that result in more power, better dynamics, and better interiors. Related Video

Watch Prodrive build an Aston Martin race car in 60 seconds

It's always fascinating to watch a racecar's production whether the construction is out of Lego blocks or a cutting-edge mix of aluminum and carbon fiber. This time-lapse clip offers a glimpse of the latter as Prodrive creates an Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE in just 60 seconds. The process took nearly three weeks in real time. Starting from just a bare shell, you first notice bits of wiring, suspension, and brakes appear on the chassis. Then the engine eventually arrives, but there's still a lot of work to do. The builders keep adding body panels and do lots of other wrenching. The process reminds us of building a plastic model kit but with much more expensive consequences if parts go missing. The #98 Vantage GTE will compete in the GTE Am class this season in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Drivers Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy, and Mathias Lauda are the lucky folks who get to pilot this beauty.

Aston Martin investor says demand is 'phenomenal,' returned first in China

LONDON - Carmaker Aston Martin is seeing "phenomenal" demand, boosted by a rebound in China, the company's executive chairman and billionaire investor Lawrence Stroll said on Friday. "Demand right now is phenomenal," he told the Financial Times' "The Future of the Car" digital conference. "China really returned first and strongest, and is gangbusters." Stroll led a consortium which invested in Aston earlier this year as the carmaker struggled following its 2018 stock market flotation, after which its share price slumped. Since then a new chief executive has taken over and the 107-year company, famed for being fictional agent James Bond's car of choice, did a deal in October which sees German carmaker Daimler up its stake in the firm. Shareholders approved the latest capital injection plan on Friday. Stroll said Aston's current growth trajectory meant "the public markets are the right place" for the firm whilst eying an increase in the value of its shares, which stand at 79 pence ($1.06). "They'll be significantly worth more than they are today," he said. Reporting by Costas Pitas, editing by David Milliken and Louise Heavens