2021 Aston Martin Vantage on 2040-cars

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Kahn Vengeance has Aston Martin's blessing [UPDATE]

Last week we brought you the first renderings of a coachbuilt Aston Martin DB9 called the Vengeance that's being developed by Kahn Design. The emergence of the project raised a valid question: if Aston Martin quashed a similar venture by Henrik Fisker, wouldn't the Kahn Vengeance suffer a similar fate? Not according to Kahn. In a statement released to the press, company spokesman Mo Bhana said that "unlike the David Brown Speedback GT and recent Fisker Thunderbolt that ended in a lawsuit, there are no copyright issues with the Vengeance since Aston Martin has confirmed they have entered into a supply deal with us." The incidents Bhana refers to are over two coachbuilder projects that have come up recently and which have drawn the ire of Gaydon. The first is the Speedback GT developed by David Brown Automotive and assembled by a British coachbuilder called Envisage. The latter company also supplies parts and tooling to Aston Martin, which sued Envisage over concerns that its designs were being misappropriated. Given the resemblance of the Speedback to certain classic Astons, and the use of the name David Brown (which happens to be shared by the Speedback's patron and a key figure from Aston's history), reports began circulating that Aston was suing Envisage over the Speedback project, however David Brown Automotive refuted the allegations. The second was Project Thunderbolt, a rebodied Vanquish designed by Henrik Fisker – the same Danish designer who penned the DB9 and V8 Vantage while serving as Aston's design director before striking out on his own. Despite the former association, Aston objected to Fisker's project, launched a lawsuit against him and only agreed to drop it after Fisker agreed not to produce the Thunderbolt. Given Aston's track record, fearing that it would go down the same path would seem reasonable, but Kahn apparently doesn't expect any such difficulties with its supplier. And the company does, after all, also have a history of collaborating with coachbuilders - most notably Zagato. We've reached out to Aston Martin itself for confirmation and will update you as soon as we hear back. In the meantime, you can ponder the second set of renderings released and which we've included above.

Aston Martin electric supercar might be in the works

Aston Martin could develop a lightweight battery-electric sports car in line with the Tesla Roadster as part of the British brand's shift towards hybrids and electric vehicles. CEO Andy Palmer told Auto Express the company is considering a pure-electric car that's smaller than the Vantage but faster and more expensive, taking aim squarely at the Roadster. "There are various challenges involved in making an EV, and the one everyone focuses on is the battery — the management system and the chemistry involved," Palmer said. He added: "The interesting thing is that the other three components of any electric car — weight, aerodynamic drag and rolling resistance — are areas sports car manufacturers, and us in particular, are really good at mastering. That puts us at an advantage over other brands who are making some big claims — such as Tesla, with a lightweight roadster. I think we could be in that space relatively easily." Aston Martin is building only 155 examples of its new RapidE, its first electric car due for launch in 2019, which will cost $255,000. It's also developing an electric version of its DBX crossover for 2019. More broadly, Palmer has said the brand plans to convert its entire six-car lineup to hybrid powertrains by the middle of the next decade, with 25 percent of its vehicles fully electric by the end of the 2020s. It recently unveiled an all-new Vantage, which it expects to price somewhere south of $150,000. Palmer also told Auto Express that Aston's coming hybrids will use 48V technology — but they won't be plug-in hybrids, which he says add complexity and costs. They could also pave the way for a six-cylinder Aston. "I have no objection to the principle of engines that are smaller and in a V configuration, in fact, but inline four-cylinder or three-cylinder units? No," he said. "I don't think we'll see an Aston Martin with a combustion engine that has any fewer than six cylinders."Related Video: Image Credit: Corbis via Getty Images Green Aston Martin Coupe Electric Hybrid Performance Supercars PHEV aston martin vantage aston martin dbx

Last 9 Aston Martin DB9s roll off the line

It's been 13 long years since the Aston Martin DB9 debuted and the automaker just finished producing the last nine models. Aston tweeted "farewell to an icon" and posted pictures of the final DB9s. Farewell to an icon. The last nine Aston Martin DB9s are now ready for final inspection. pic.twitter.com/arpi2NPus7 — Aston Martin (@astonmartin) July 22, 2016 Just like the DB9 in 2003, the upcoming DB11 is expected to be a fresh start for Aston thanks to a new 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 and a modern platform. While the DB9's VH underpinnings will live on in the Rapide and Vanquish, the sports car was a huge success for Aston and arguably kept the company afloat during rough times. According to Left-Lane, Aston sold 8,701 DB9s from 2004 to 2015 in Europe alone. With its sales numbers and large following, it shouldn't come as a surprise to hear that Aston is hard at work ensuring the DB11 be a hit. Related Video: News Source: @astonmartin, Left-LaneImage Credit: Aston Martin/Twitter Auto News Plants/Manufacturing Aston Martin Coupe Luxury Performance aston martin db9