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Aston Martin requests exemption from stringent US safety regulations

If you were intrigued by the chance to buy a new Aston Martin Vantage GT for $99,900, it might be best not to wait too long. There is a slim chance that the Vantage and DB9 may not have much life left in the US because they don't meet new crash standards. Aston Martin has filed documents with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asking that the new pole and moving barrier crash safety requirements – internally referred to as FMVSS 214 – be waived for the two models. The company is claiming "substantial economic hardship" and says that it can't afford to bring the vehicles into compliance. We aren't talking about a huge number of vehicles here. The Rapide and Vanquish comply with the new rules, and Aston Martin predicts that it would import 670 Vantage and DB9 models into the States between September 1, 2014 and August 31, 2017. The automaker estimates it would cost around $30 million to make them compliant. The company has indeed been in rough shape in the not-too-distant past. According to the documents, sales volume decreased by about 48 percent from a high of 7,281 units in 2007 to 3,786 vehicles in 2012. The automaker had planned to have new models ready in time so that it wouldn't need an exemption, but the global economic crisis delayed it. Interestingly, the paperwork reveals that Aston currently plans to launch a replacement for the DB9 between September 2016 and August 2017. Aston Martin doesn't have very long for NHTSA to deliberate. The new rules go into effect for them on September 1, 2014 for hardtops, and September 1, 2015 for convertibles. While it would still be able to sell its other models here, it would certainly be a shock if it had to pull the the Vantage and DB9. Both documents are available in PDF format to download and read.

Aston Martin likely to resurrect Vanquish name for Ferrari fighter

Aston Martin recently hosted press drives for the new DBS Superleggera in Germany. On the sidelines, Motoring spoke to the carmaker's chief creative officer, Marek Reichman. Answering the question of whether the coming mid-engined rival to the Ferrari 488, Lamborghini Huracan, and McLaren 720 S could revive a very important name for the brand, Reichman responded, "Without saying yes, that sounds like a plausible solution for a beautiful name like Vanquish." The Vanquish named first appeared from 2001 to 2007, returning from 2012 until retiring again this year on the Vanquish S (pictured). Although it's historically been used on the most powerful vehicles in Aston Martin's range, and both of them V12s, the latest flagship switched to two erstwhile monikers in combining DBS and Supeleggera. Reichman said the switcheroo "better reflected [the DBS% positioning than Vanquish." The future V-named coupe will be out to conquer every vehicle in the segment, not just in the family line-up. Still light on details at the moment, we expect the Mercedes-AMG-sourced 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 behind the seats, boosted by an electric motor. Reichman didn't shoot down the possibility of using an electric motor for e-AWD capability and all-electric driving. That motivation will power a body expected to go heavy on carbon fiber, active aerodynamics, and the wind-cheating prowess gained from partner Red Bull Racing and aerodynamicist Adrian Newey. After iterating through 12 scale models and three full-sized mock-ups so far, the creative honcho said the final car will "be the most beautiful mid-engined car on the road." The coming Vanquish will be car number five of Aston Martin's Second Century plan, aiming to deliver seven cars in seven years. The Aston Martin SUV will be the fourth when it enters production late next year, after the DB11, Vantage, and DBS Superleggera. The mid-engined screamer follows in 2020. Related Video:

Alfa Romeo 8C and GTV: Classic names revived as high-powered hybrids

BOLOCCO, Italy — There were grand plans for Alfa Romeo at FCA's last five-year plan. By 2018, we were supposed to get eight new products, including a new "specialty" vehicle. In reality, we've gotten the Giulia and Stelvio. At this year's follow-up, Alfa Romeo brand head Tim Kuniskis called the last plan ambitious, but he offered a new vision that was both more realistic and more far-reaching. Beyond doubling down on utility and electrified vehicles, by 2022 Alfa has plans to revive both the 8C and GTV names as high-performance hybrids. Since 2014, Alfa sales are up 160 percent, with an estimated 170,000 vehicles to be sold in 2018. The North American market counts for 16 percent of that, up from nothing back in 2013. Future products will focus on Alfa's current strengths: styling and performance. Look for new compact and full-size utility vehicles to slot on each side of the Stelvio. Plans for a larger sedan seemed to have been nixed, though a long-wheelbase version of the Giulia will make it to the ever-increasing Chinese market. The most exciting news obviously comes from the return of the 8C supercar and GTV sports car. We have few details, but what we do know looks promising. The 8C will use a carbon-fiber chassis with a mid-mounted twin-turbo V6. More than 700 horsepower will be sent to all four wheels thanks to an electrically-driven front axle. The car should hit 62 mph in fewer than 3 seconds. The GTV will be slightly more tame, though Alfa is promising more than 600 horsepower from its hybrid powertrain. The four-seater will also have all-wheel drive, torque vectoring and a 50/50 weight distribution. The brief teaser image shows a car that looks like a two-door Giulia, though it's unclear if we'll actually get a new coupe. Electrification, autonomy and connectivity are coming, too. Obviously, the 8C and GTV will get electrified powertrains, but look for each Alfa Romeo model to have some sort of electrification available. Look for six plug-in hybrids with all-electric ranges of more than 30 miles. Level 2 and 3 autonomous systems are coming, too. Related Video: Design/Style Earnings/Financials Green Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Coupe Crossover SUV Hybrid Luxury Performance Supercars FCA alfa romeo 8c