Vantage Convertible Only 240 Miles! Sportspack Performance Option Like New!! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Aston Martin working on mid-engine Valkyrie ‘brother’ to rival McLaren P1

We know about the Aston Martin Valkyrie and the Valkyrie AMR Pro (pictured). And we know Aston Martin is planning a mid-engine rival for the Ferrari 488 and McLaren 720S. Now Autocar reports that the English luxury maker is working on yet another mid-engine model, a hypercar to outdo the McLaren P1 and Ferrari LaFerrari and stand up to the coming McLaren BP23. The newest addition to the small carmaker's grand plans is said to be known internally as "brother of the Valkyrie," and came about because of the sellout success of both the Valkyrie and Valkyrie AMR Pro. Both "brother of Valkyrie" and the 488 competitor are expected to use a carbon monococque with aluminum subframes. Both will use lessons from Aston Martin's tie-up with the Red Bull Formula 1 team, especially in packaging. Both are due to hit the market around 2021. And both will be products of the carmaker's Performance Design and Engineering Centre, a base of 130 engineers set up at Red Bull F1's Milton Keyes headquarters. However, the former car will fight in the GBP1M-plus price bracket ($1.4M-plus) where various manufacturers have made amazing hay with warp-speed daily drivers, and will be a limited edition "in order to add to its desirability." We remain in the dark on powertrains for both cars, but outsiders expect both to use a V8. When it comes to the "brother" car, Aston Martin's working relationship with Mercedes-AMG means it could tap the 4.0-liter V8 used by the DB11 and the Vantage. Apparently that engine can be wrung out to 800 horsepower with help from an ultimate EQ Boost setup. That still wouldn't be enough to compete in the segment, though, so the "brother" could become a demonstrator for Aston Martin's electric know-how — a rolling showcase that could turn its halo light on a potential electric sports car. Or perhaps there's another option that turns to Cosworth, the company helping develop the 1,000-hp 6.5-liter V12 in the Valkyrie. Aston Martin boss Andy Palmer wouldn't say much more about the junior supercar powertrain than, "In our portfolio today, we don't have an engine capable of giving us the output we require.

Aston may build fewer than 100 Lagonda super saloons

Aston Martin has owned the Lagonda nameplate since the late '40s, but in the roughly 70 years since that acquisition, the use of the name has been kept largely exclusive for four-door models. The two most famous modern Lagondas are the angular, futuristic sedan built in the '70s and '80s and the infamously ugly SUV concept from the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. UK magazine Car claims that the classic name could make its return on a svelte four-door as soon as this summer, which makes sense considering our spy shooters recently caught what looked like a modernized incarnation of the 70s super saloon last month. Interestingly, while Aston Martins are rare birds as-is, Car says that the neo-Lagonda could be even more scarce – its sources suggest that the model could be limited to under 100 units. That's because Aston Martin's Q customization service is reportedly taking up construction duties for the project, and with its small team, that means production is going to be slow, limited and very expensive. Even covered in camo as spied above, there's something special about the new car. The squinting headlights and thin A-pillar echo the '80s model in a modern way and make this four-door look a lot sportier than the Bentley, Maserati and Rolls-Royce models that it will likely compete against. It's rumored to be using composite body panels to keep weight down. The powertrain is said to be an evolution of the Rapide, Aston's sole existing four-door model. The Lagonda would use Aston Martin's 5.9-liter V12 with power tuned to around 600 horsepower, backed by an eight-speed automatic replacing the Rapide's elderly six-speed unit. That would put power just short of an Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG, but the composite panels could lend it a weight advantage. The latest rumor only indicates the Lagonda's unveiling sometime later this summer, with no exact date or location. Still given the relative completeness of the test car, it doesn't look like it could be too far away. We can't wait to see it when the camo comes off.

James Bond going electric in next film with Aston Martin Rapide E

England's The Sun newspaper, in a piece fabulously titled "The Spy Who Plugged Me ... In," reports that James Bond will drive an Aston Martin Rapide E in the next franchise installment. Quoting "an insider," it's said director Cary Joji Fukunaga is a "total tree-hugger" and pushed to include a more environmentally friendly set of wheels. Long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson went along with it, Fukunaga's apparently working with Aston Martin on the show car. Nothing will be lost in the switch from horsepower to e-power, the Rapide E fitted with "all the high-tech gadgets" and starring in "the centre of an incredible action sequence in the movie." The Rapide E's appearance doesn't exclude a role for another Aston Martin, though. Bond drove a DB5 and DBS in " Casino Royale," then doubled up again in " Spectre" with a DB10 and DB5. We'd expect more than one Warwickshire product, in fact, since Bond cars don't tend to survive any "incredible action sequence." Since we can expect a raft of puns from the car's inclusion, let's go ahead and give a shout-out to Motoring Research who asked the question, " Do you expect me to torque?" Aston Martin plans to build 155 Rapide E sedans for any real-life tree-hugging spies. With Williams Advanced Engineering assisting development, the silent sedan contains a 64-kWh battery and 800-volt electrical architecture, powering a two e-motors with a combined output of 603 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque. The 0-60 gallop takes less than four seconds, top speed is 155 miles per hour, and range should crest 200 miles on the WLTP cycle. Fukunaga's directorial resume includes the Netflix film " Beasts of No Nation" and the first season of the HBO series " True Detective." He replaced director Danny Boyle at the helm after creative differences arose between Boyle and producers. Shooting should start next month at Pinewood Studios on what's known as Bond 25 for now, and reports say Oscar winner Rami Malek is a near-lock to play the villain. The Rapide E should be in showrooms at the end of this year, the film's release date slated for April 2020.