Silver Calipers Cruise Bright Finish Hid Premium Audio Homelink Satellite 19 Nav on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Aston Martin launches Evolution Academy driver training program

No longer content with simply recruiting new talent when they're ready, young driver training programs are becoming increasingly vital to a racing team's success and continuity. But while most of those programs are run by Formula One teams like Red Bull and Ferrari, this time it's Aston Martin that's set up a network of its own. The British automaker, as any endurance racing fan will tell you, has a robust motorsports program, including works entries in the FIA World Endurance Championship, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Nurburgring 24 Hours, to say nothing of the privateer teams it supports in other series around the world. And to feed it with new talent, it has launched the Evolution Academy. Designed for up-and-coming drivers between the ages of 17 and 25, the Aston Martin Evolution Academy will be limited to ten participants each season. Each trainee will be assigned a veteran professional racing driver from the Aston Martin Racing roster, get seat-time in Aston's simulator, and will be coached in everything from fitness and nutrition to marketing and sponsor recruitment. At the end of the program, the top of the class will be offered a contract to race full-time with the company, which would be a pretty plum assignment for any sports racing driver. The announcement was made at the Autosport International show in Birmingham, where Aston is showcasing its various Vantage-based racers. ASTON MARTIN RACING LAUNCHES LANDMARK EVOLUTION ACADEMY 7 January 2015, Gaydon: Aston Martin Racing is launching a young driver programme, the Evolution Academy, which offers a coveted 2016 Aston Martin Racing works driver contract to the most successful participant of the season. The academy, being launched at the Autosport International Show, is open to applications from drivers aged 17-25 competing in an Aston Martin racing car this season. It has been devised by the Banbury-based team to help support and develop young talent, as well as creating a breeding ground for Aston Martin Racing works drivers of the future. Successful applicants, limited to a maximum of ten, will be assigned a professional mentor from Aston Martin Racing's team of top GT drivers. In addition, they will be given fitness and nutrition assessments and advice; PR, marketing and sponsorship support; training sessions in an Aston Martin Base Performance Simulator; and Evolution Academy-branded apparel including a race suit and team kit.

Aston Martin shows what it does best with V8 Vantage GT, DB9 Carbon Edition

Aston Martin shocked us when it announced at the 2014 New York Auto Show that 2015 V8 Vantage GT (pictured above) was priced at $99,900. While hardly inexpensive, a sub-$100k Aston seemed like a bargain. It was joined by the unveiling of the DB9 Carbon Edition that mixed sport and luxury in the brand's traditional style. The Vantage GT is available as a coupe, or for a little bit more money, as a convertible. Regardless of body, buyers get a 4.7-liter V8 with 430 horsepower and 361 pound-feet of torque, and that power is routed through a seven-speed automated manual with magnesium paddle shifters or a traditional six-speed manual. Even for a 'cheap' Aston, the GT still offers luxury features like Alcantara trim, carbon fiber doorsill plates and seats from the V12 Vantage S. The one on display in New York wears one of the optional motorsports-inspired graphics packs that add contrasting paint around the grille, mirror caps, rear diffuser blade and roof pillar. The $199,995 DB9 Carbon Edition packs a 6.0-liter V12 rated at 510 hp and 457 lb-ft and a six-speed automatic transmission. Available as Carbon Black or Carbon White, the package adds carbon fiber side strakes and taillight trim. Buyers who want even more can add a carbon fiber front splitter, rear diffuser and mirror caps. Black leather covers the interior, and the shade of the contrasting stitching comes from that of the brake calipers. Deliveries for both models start in the third quarter. Scroll down to get the full scoop on them. Aston Martin Launches Two New Special Editions at New York ? New motorsport-honed $99,900 Vantage GT brings Aston Martin brand closer than ever before; offering 430bhp and a top speed of 190mph ? DB9 Carbon Edition offers eye-catching looks and classic understated elegance ? Both cars will make international debuts at 2014 NYIAS Irvine, CA, 15 April 2014 - Aston Martin is unveiling two exclusive new special editions for North American markets at the 84th New York International Auto Show this week. The great British sports car marque, now in its 101st year, is debuting a bold addition to its iconic V8 Vantage range as well as dramatic new special edition variants of the timeless DB9, underlining the company's ability to create cars that sit apart from the mainstream.

World's Largest Collection Of James Bond Cars On Sale

A Miami real estate developer is selling his entire massive collection of James Bond memorabilia. Valued at $33.25 million, the collection is considered the largest in the world, and will only be sold to a buyer willing to take the whole thing. Michael Dezer began buying Bond cars in 2011, when he snatched up dozens of the super spy's on-screen rides from the James Bond Museum in Keswick, England, Autoblog reports. Since then, Dezer has amassed 59 cars, the rides coming from movies like Goldeneye, Skyfall and The Spy Who Loved Me. The ensemble also includes boats, tanks, jet skis, motorcycles and thousands of other pieces of memorabilia. The lucky buyer of this collection would even get the yacht used in From Russia With Love. An agency in the United Kingdom is handling the sale of the collection. Related Gallery Editors' Picks: The Most Beautiful Cars On The Road View 10 Photos Aston Martin Automotive History Ownership selling famous cars