Seriously, turn around don't drown, though. Look for more advice on how not to die from flood waters soon.

(Hat tip to Travis for the tip!) [WAVY]

Car: Tata Nano
Place on the list: 49
Reason it's BS: The Tata Nano isn't ugly, it's simply space efficient. Given the constraints of price, footprint and upright packaging, it pulls off the microcar shape rather well actually. There are certainly uglier cars on the market in India and China right now.

Car: Ferrari Enzo
Place on the list: 42
Reason it's BS: Save the Enzo's! The Ferrari Enzo wasn't built to win beauty contests, it was designed to showcase Ferrari's F1 racing pedigree and tie those techniques and technologies to their road cars. Form follows function and while it's not classically beautiful it's fast and unique. In any case compared to the Mondial, it's a supermodel.

Car: Plymouth Prowler
Place on the list: 31
Reason it's BS: When the Prowler was introduced in 1997, it was the coolest car on the planet, bar none. Unfortunately it was packed with an engine from an Intrepid, and suspension tuning best described as one-of-a-kind. Despite its glaring flaws and how you might feel about the retro-mod style, it was certainly a car that got people looking. When you spot them today, you turn and look longer than you should, admit it.

Car: Lamborghini LM002
Place on the list: 25
Reason it's BS: BusnessWeek complains about "geometric doors, angular fenders, and a busy hood." Perhaps they forgot it was introduced in 1986 when everything cool was geometric, angular and busy. They don't even mention the fire-breathing (for the 80's) 5.0 liter V12 from the Countach under the hood and the take-no-prisoners attitude. You don't get a moniker like "Rambo Lambo" by being lame.

Car: DeLorean DMC-12
Place on the list: 20
Reason it's BS: Are they joking? The DMC-12? Of any car from the 80's this one still plays well on public streets. The stainless steel body is unique, the ridiculously heavy gullwing doors draw crowds and the fastback style screams 80's coke dealer, and nobody was more up on all things stylish in the 80's than coke dealers.

Car:Subaru Brat
Place on the list: 18
Reason it's BS: Apparently BusinessWeek's too busy adjusting its top hat and monocle to enjoy the finer things in life, like riding in the jump seats in the Subaru Brat's cargo bed. It's even got decent capability for an early soft-roader.

Car: Aston Martin Lagonda
Place on the list: 16
Reason it's BS: Oh come on? Really? The Lagonda? It pushed the limit of longer, lower, wider to absurdity and mixed in out of control braggadocio. By all account it was admittedly every bit British reliable, but who cares? Hire a team of mules to pull it around town as you look out upon the unwashed masses from your obnoxious 80's chariot.

Car:Volvo 240
Place on the list: 13
Reason it's BS: Don't you go messing with the 240 BusinessWeek. You have no idea the depths of Volvo love out there, especially by the boxy-but-trusty 240. We dare you, dare you to find a more dedicated owner base. Fine, it's a bit boring, but so is the Camry and that's not on the list. We actually find it handsome, especially with the quad headlight design. You best watch your back BusinessWeek.

Car: Bricklin SV1
Place on the list: 11
Reason it's BS: Okay, this one's a bit on the ugly side, if you look only at the outside, but it was one of the first cars to push the idea of safety in a sports car, even though because of its heavy construction it wasn't particularly sporty. It's got a logical shape, and the nose is designed to prevent expensive damage repairs. Sure it's a bit cluttered in places, but come on, gull-wing doors.

Car:Chevy El Camino
Place on the list: 1
Reason it's BS: Number one. They've got to be kidding. Two words on this one: Screw. Off. First of all, lumping the entire series into one big pile is just plain ignorant. Secondly, it's rude. The El Camino from the outset was a looker and stayed a dynamite design all the way until the fall in the 70s. But then again, everything was pretty fug in the 70s. If they even try to say the 1960 and 1972 were ugly, they might get a Jalopnik-shaped shoe to the butt.

Photo credit: SuperChevy

This is also the first time Aston's dropped a complete spec sheet for the Rapide, you'll find it below.

The number 007 Aston Martin LMP1 (cheeky number guys) reportedly ran without issue and carried drivers Harold Primat and Stefan Mücke to a comfortable victory. The team started out in fourth position and managed to move into first by the 15th lap and built a healthy lead, trading positions during the first pit but eventually working up a huge lead they carried to the finish. In addition to the LMP1 win, Aston also took the checkered flag in the GT1 class. Not a bad showing for the the weekend.

(Photo credit: Noble Draper)

[DailyMail]

What's new here is the addition of two doors and two human-sized back seats to the standard Aston Martin platform, the same one, with the same 6.0-liter V12 that is used in the Vantage to the DBS. Still, the end result is remarkably faithful to the 2006 concept car, with the only change being a slightly taller roofline to facilitate headroom in the back seats and larger mirrors so drivers can, you know, see stuff.

[via Autogespot]

In many ways, this episode of Top Gear was one of the most-Jalopnik ever — featuring a very American petrolhead, an El Camino and a poignant good-bye to super cars and perhaps to one of the most well-known auto journalists...in the world.

For starters, as we told you here first, Jay Leno was the season closer "Star In A Reasonably Priced Car." Pretty funny segment, but for the most part there wasn't any news. Sorry folks, Leno's not the fastest around the Top Gear track. But fear not — there's more than just big chins in this final episode of the season.

There's also some serious horsepower in the form of a head-to-head comparo between the Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst and the HSV Maloo.

Finally, if you are a petrolhead in possession of an electronic screen, you will no doubt have a list of favorite Top Gear moments, made possible by the show’s relentless pursuit of uncompromising cinematography. The images which play a backdrop to the Aston Martin V12 Vantage driven by Clarkson are perhaps the ultimate expression of the visual style honed to perfection over the years.

In this sparse, beautiful and Kleenex-requiring segment, the lanky libertarian Brit waves goodbye to all we love about cars, exemplified by this vaguely insane Aston, a front-engined all-vented portmanteau of their smallest body and their biggest engine. The ultimate expression of the car as—to paraphrase LJK Setright—the Liberator, freeing us from darkness, ignorance and impotence.

Speculation is already rife about Clarkson’s goodbye also extending not only to the super car but also to Top Gear itself. We’ll see about that in the fall, or whenever he gets his next contract sign, won't we? In the meantime, click play then go listen to something with a V12 engine.

[via NotCot]

This DB9 was cut in half and displayed outside a recent NYC event launching the Aston Martin DBS Volante.

Well, not quite in half, looks like they erred enough to the right to preserve the Aston badge.

That's quite a crumple zone. Combined with a super-strong aluminum box frame, excellent handling and strong brakes, supercars like this are among the safest passenger cars around.

Like a beautiful woman, the Aston looks better with its clothes off.

Unlike the Jaguar XJS-based DB7, the DB9 uses an all-new bespoke platform. Aston skipped using the DB8 designation because they wanted to emphasize the dramatic change rather than indicate a gradual evolution.

Look at this attention to detail, even on an engineering cutaway. No raw edges here, they even painted the cuts and smoothed the glass.

The hand-built 5.9-liter V12 makes 450 HP, 420 Lb-Ft of torque and sits way back in the chassis for perfect 50:50 weight distribution.

Note the added lightness.

Carbon fiber drive shaft reduces rotational mass.

If you have to ask, you can't afford one. The shaft sits in a rigid torque tube that boosts chassis stiffness.

The drastically sloped frame enables the DB9's low hood line.

Built in 1957, only two Aston DBR2s were ever made. A larger capacity version of the DBR1, it could only compete in a few races where it had very little success, most notably being driven to a couple of sports car racing victories by Stirling Moss. The original car ended up with different bodywork and disappeared into a private collection some time ago, while the second vehicle, the DBR2/2 was sold at auction recently for $2.9 million and won the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance's People's Choice award.

Now, American firm Rizk is recreating the DBR2 with an aluminum honeycomb/carbon fiber monocoque chassis, fully adjustable independent suspension, bespoke interiors and a choice of classic Jaguar engines or even a modern, fuel-injected 6.2-liter Corvette engine.

When we say "space age technology" we really mean it. If the carbon/aluminum chassis isn't enough for you, there's also NASA Aerogel heat insulation under the hood, body panels are made from a carbon fiber/Nomex composite and the seats are modeled after Herman Miller's famous Aeron chair.

But it's not that technology that we're so excited about. It appears that Rizk has struck the right mix of the classic and the modern. Ignore the ‘Vette engine for a moment and focus instead on the 4.2-liter Jaguar straight-six with triple SU carbs, 265 HP and 257 Lb-Ft of torque. Power goes to the skinny rear cross-plys without the aid of traction or stability control, meaning the driving experience should be totally in-line with that of the classic car, only elevated by the newly found chassis stiffness and safety. No word on how much this is all going to cost, but can you really put a price on this level of classic looks and driving experience combined with the most advanced modern technology? [Rizk Autovia Autocar]

Could this be the perfect summer grand tourer? Would you question its merits when prior to its roof getting the ol' heave hoe, it miraculously delivered 007 to safety in Quatum of Solace?

It's brute force styling over a delicately sculpted DB9 body makes no promises to cloak the twelve angry cylinders exploding every 6500 revolutions per minute, nor does it make any compromises in its delivery. With the Emotion Control Unit, you, the driver and tamer of the beast, control the DBS Volante while perched inside a svelte and lavishly appointed leather interior while the sculpted leather buckets hug you in return through every off camber turn in an attempt to let you know how much it appreciates getting abused and put away slightly wet.

We'll let you decide whether the DBS Volante deserves such a worthy title after you spend a few minutes fantasizing over these mouth watering, newly released images. Hand towels will not be provided upon the end of the ride.

2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph
2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante
6.0-liter V12
Weight 3737 lbs
Aspiration natural
Torque 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
HP 510 hp @ 6500 rpm
HP/Liter 85 hp per liter
0-62 mph 4.3 seconds
Top Speed 191 mph

Aston Martin put together a documentary about the race entitled "Final Victory" (learn more at their site, and Scroggzilla has done some more digging to find that driver Carroll Shelby suffered from horrible dysentery the entire time, which (in the words of Scroggz) "must have made him REAL popular with his co-driver, Roy Salvadori. YIKES!" Enjoy.

Because the folks running this aren't insane, the cars are fitted with a passenger e-brake, the teens are on a course setup with cones, and they go out supervised. Assuming you're at least 4'10" you can hop in the seat for 15 minutes at a cost of $140. A bit steep, but how often does a kid get time behind the wheel of an Aston Martin DB9?

Also, if the British ever get a LeMons series they'll have some great starter cars.

6TH GEAR LAUNCHES ‘TEENTRACKATTACK' – SUPERCAR DRIVING FOR THE UNDER 17s*

For youngsters aspiring to become the next Jenson Button or Lewis Hamilton, and for whom Sunday evening means being glued to TV's Top Gear, the opportunity to stop dreaming and get driving has arrived.

6thGear Experience offers any young person – boy or girl - the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a legendary supercar. Providing they are at least 4ft 10ins tall and can reach the pedals, they can choose between a real Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Ferrari and Audi R8!

No more sitting in front of the box and turning green with envy as Jeremy Clarkson and company ‘smoke the tyres' and screech with excitement while driving the latest/fastest motoring exotica - now it can be your turn, too.

Ideal as a holiday treat, Christmas or birthday present, or even as an exam pass or other incentive, a TeenTrackAttack supercar drive is exactly that – a thrill-a-minute driving experience.

All cars feature an automatic gearbox and are very straightforward to drive, so no previous driving experience is necessary, although more confident drivers can opt to change gears using the ‘paddle shift'. Cars are also fitted with dual controls, and an experienced instructor sits alongside in the passenger seat to ensure each driver gets the maximum enjoyment in complete safety.
The cars you actually drive

Aston Martin DB9 – Aston Martin, James Bond's car of choice.

5.9 litre, V12. 0 - 60mph in 4.6 seconds, top speed 190mph. It'll set you back an eye-watering £111,500 to buy, but your driving experience costs just £89.
Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder – the uber cool Italian supercar – just listen to that engine!

5.2 litre V10 with a blistering 0 - 60mph acceleration of 3.7 seconds, and a top speed of 191mph. £140,000 worth of head turning automotive brilliance and 500bhp's worth of power!
Ferrari F360 Spider – a truly legendary Ferrari created by Italian design specialist Pininfarina, in collaboration with Ferrari's own Head of Design.

3.6 litre 400bhp at 8,000 rpm and 275 lb ft at 4,750 rpm. Top speed over 180mph, and 0 - 60mph in 4.4 seconds. And guess what? It's red!
Audi R8 – Audi also owns Lamborghini and the R8 uses the same chassis as the Gallardo, but is built in Germany.

4.2 litre FSI Quattro gives a 0 – 60mph performance of 4.6 seconds, and a top speed of 187mph from 414bhp. £80,000 ‘fresh-out-of-the-box, and a classic already in the making.
Safety first

Every drive is supervised by a fully trained and experienced instructor, who is not only skilled at driving and controlling high performance cars, but has also been CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checked for working with youngsters. The instructor ensures that vehicle speed is controlled to match the driver's capability; most young drivers reach an average speed of around 35mph, although with practice and confidence they can go faster. Safety helmets are provided.
Family friendly

Suitable for all the family, a TeenTrackAttack experience is fun to come and watch, too. There's plenty of action, and as well as the driving experience, ‘Hot Laps' are available for a high-speed passenger trip in a Lamborghini with a qualified driver/instructor. Every participant is given a certificate to mark their special drive, and action photographs are also available to maximise the ‘show your mates', take home value!

Locations
6th Gear Experience currently operates from two principal tracks, at Prodrive, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, and Elvington Airfield, York. Two new locations, near London and Manchester will be added shortly.

OMG Audi!

LOL Ferrari!

WTF Ferrari!

OMGLOL Audi!

WTFLOL Audi!

Audi O'RLY?

I Can Haz Lambo!?!

Unfortunately Aston Martin won't offer the Cygnet to just anyone, instead, reserving the vehicles for customers already owning either a DB9, DBS or Vantage. So squash those dreams of owning an über-cheap luxury city car because it's just not going to happen. But if you're one of the lucky few, expect to see an exterior design that closely matches the illustrations below with an interior that matches the rest of the Aston Martin range, including high-buck materials and the Emotion Control Unit that plugs into the center console, replacing the traditional ignition key.

Our question is whether Aston is offering this vehicle up as a gimmicky way to persuade its customers to stop buying MINI Coopers for the shop trip to the grocery store or if this is just a clever ploy to lower their corporate emissions for the new EU emissions rules. [via AutoExpress]

A partnership with Toyota lets Aston Martin base the new city car concept on the Toyota iQ and Dr Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin's Chief Executive, seems to be quite pleased with the prospect of offering the ability to purchase a Cygnet with every DBS, DB9 or Vantage. He'd like you to think of this, not as change in focus for Aston Martin, but rather a supplement to their already supple line-up. We're not sure we buy that.

Dr. Bez says;

"Now is the right time for Aston Martin to take this first bold step to embark on this special project - made possible with the support of an organisation of Toyota's stature and capability and the intelligent design and perfect city car package of the iQ."

"Much work is still required, but I am confident that this project could become reality in the not too distant future. This concept - akin to an exclusive tender to a luxury yacht - will allow us to apply Aston Martin design language, craftsmanship and brand values to a completely new segment of the market."

Sounds more to us like someone's looking to meet new EU emissions rules.

But more importantly, does this mean we're now entering a world where only a couple of manufacturers have the cash on hand to design their own platforms? One day, will the only cars we can buy be built off either a Toyota, a Ford or a Volkswagen? Time will tell.

Full press release below:

Yesterday, the sad little Lima split the vote 50/50, in a nail-biter of a contest. Today with have another English ex-pat Nice Price or Crack Pipe contender- Omar Bongo's 1985 Aston Martin Lagonda, which is being offered for sale at a presidential $70,000.

You may remember Omar Bongo from such ‘80s hits as Dead Man's Party, Only a Lad, and Little Girls, each a top 20 hit in both the U.S. and his native Gabon. In addition to pop stardom, Omar was also the longest ruling potentate of an African nation. Bongo's Lagonda, however, happens to live in France, so you should factor into your price evaluation the shipping cost of a 19-foot long, 4,551lb non-U.S. certified automobile. Ka-ching!

The synth-heavy rocker's Lagonda hails from the high point of the new wave music era- 1985, and is one of six outfitted by Tickford. Interior upgrades include gold plated trim and, of course, a killer stereo. Under the hood you will find Aston Martin's built-by-hand 5.4 litre V8, pushing out a respectable 300bhp, which is channeled through a slushy torqueflite 3-speed to the rear wheels. Resting on top of all that, the William Towns folded-paper design feels as dated today as when it was new, and the low slung body compromises the interior space to a degree. Although that was unlikely an issue for 4'11" Bongo, back when he wasn't dead.

It should also be noted that this is a series 2 car, which means it is cursed with the 3-CRT dashboard, that proved to be even less reliable than the series 1 LCD dash. And of course, now that they don't broadcast analog anymore so you won't be able to get in reruns of Square Pegs on any of them.

When Bongo died this month in Spain, so did the longest rule of any African nation, the need to maintain his compensating-for-something collection of extremely long cars, and any hope of a reunion tour. In addition to this car, we recently saw another of Bongo's rides, the Stutz Royale with Cheese limo, which transported him, on occasion, about Gabon, and makes this Aston look like a sub-compact. But that will be a NPOCP candidate for another day.

So what's your take on this legendary leader's lanky Langonda? Does $70 grand plus shipping make your bongo drum? Or does that price leave you as empty as the hearts of the Gabonese people, lamenting the loss of their beloved leader, and rock and roll superstar?

You decide!

CarClassic.com or go here if the ad abdicates. Hat tip to ZZMarcus.

The test car you see here is likely one of the final prototype models of the four-door Aston scheduled to be officially revealed to the public at the Frankfurt Motor Show this upcoming September. The undisguised prototype is finished in a menacing black color with a contrasting red interior.

Poised to take on other strangely rear-ended sport sedans such as the Porsche Panamera, the Rapide will be powered by a a 6.0-liter V12 doling out 470 HP and 442 lb-ft of torque.

This Magna Steyr-produced Aston Martin's expected to hit showrooms around the world in early 2010 with a price point expected upwards of $200K.

Head on over to Car Magazine for a couple of at-speed shots plus the photos we've shown you here. [via CarScoop]

Yesterday, a slim 55% of you thought the price of the little Suzuki Cappuccino was more Vente than Grande, and you caught the ebay VIN-requiring 1980 faux model year. Way to go, Jalopnikids! There's no questioning the validity of the year for today's car, but the asking price will put a pretty big dent in your Starbucks budget. It's name is Martin, Aston Martin, and it's here to leave you both shaken and stirred.

Driving this 460bhp range-topping Aston Martin will make you pray you Die Another Day so you'll have time to enjoy this hand-built monster. That Pierce Brosnan-leading Bond film was not a high point of the franchise, but it did offer one of the best Bond cars of all time in the Vanquish. Brosnan liked it so much that it became his personal ride, melding fact and fantasy in a fender-bending encounter with a punk-ass L.A. Ferrari driver.

Pierce had only reached half the Aston's 196mph top speed when his evasive maneuvering proved un-Bond like in that incident. Perhaps he was hamstrung by the recalcitrant 6-speed, flappy paddle transmission- a weak link in the Aston's V12-fronted drivetrain. This transmission received so many complaints from owners (and Jeremy Clarkson) that AM offered a $15,000 Tremec manual retrofit. You may just want to add that to the $109,500 asking price of this '03 Vanquish, should you be a fan of rowing your own. There's nothing that would make you feel the need to replace that marvelous 5,935cc, 48-valve V12, nor its whale breach of an exhaust note. And no, it's not two Duratec V6s welded together.

The seller claims this Aston has only vanquished a total of 4,700 miles, indicating that's it's not even broken in yet. That low an odo may mean that it was owned, if not by a Bond emulator, then perhaps by Stephen Hawking, who bought it to meet women.

One hundred and nine thousand dollars is a lot of martinis, even more during happy hour! But is that too dear even for the last ever model to be built at the storied Newport Pagnell factory? Another monkey to throw into the wrench is that Exclusive Motors, a Canadian company, is charging $125,000 for a Mustang-based replica Vanquish- sort of a Timothy Dalton to the real Aston's Sean Connery.

So does the price make you want to Bond with this fast Aston? Or does it scare the Living Daylights out of you?

You decide!

Portland Craigslist, or go here if the ad gets vanquished.

Help me out with NPOCP. Click here to send a me a tip.

Voodoojoo has done a great writeup to accompany his photographs- which should serve as examples to aspiring DOTSBE photographers- so we'll cut straight to it:

While I've been living in lower Manhattan, I've seen lots and lots of cool cars. A Mustard 70s Gran Torino, a green 70s Charger parked next to a white 67 Charger parked next to a BMW 3.0 CS next to a mint 1958 Corvette next to a red Fiat X1/9 riced out with fake chrome vents, wide arches, a giant spoiler and plenty of stickers ( I walk past a pretty cool shop on my way to class). I shouldn't forget the 40s Plymouth, the white-and-blue Cobra II, the 61 Eldorado, the 356, the 2CV, the Saab 99. I probably have more three pointed stars on my hard drive than I do essays, but few of them get sent over to your inbox because they just don't seem...extraordinary enough. Over the past few days, things have been different. While the '64 Riviera that I spotted made me smile, I shouted "holy shit" when I saw that double-chevron sticking out from the rusted behind of this DS and the Lagonda made my heartbeat irregular. Judging by my general reaction, I figured you might be interested in these pictures, and maybe a bit of a story.

I saw this Lagonda for about two seconds over a year ago walking out of my dorm and after recovering my probably embarrassing state of shock, I figured that it would be last time I ever saw that carved arrow figure rumble around the corner, but today, just a day and a half after seeing a flat to the floor Citroen, the Lagonda showed itself once more. While nearly everyone on the street asked me about the Trabant I stood next to, only one person stopped at the Aston Martin. "How much?" he asked, which seemed like a silly question to me, as I figured the electronics would short out before the previous owner had even finished counting the money you might as well have lit on fire. That is, until he mentioned he was in the market for a Testarossa. After perhaps cruelly advising him to buy a 70s Maserati instead, I went on and photographed what may be the only Lagonda I will ever see.

This DS was going to be sent in on its own with a short primer entitled 'How to get on DOTS - Step One: Find a Citroen DS'. It looks like it has all but given up on life, what with its tired, mismatched panels and reclining ride height. Once I tried to explain to my dad what I loved about Citroens, and I'm pretty sure I just babbled incoherently for a while, because to this day, there's something about them that goes beyond my capacities for explanation, something I find true of both of these cars. There's something about them, something spectacular. When I see them, my head starts to connect people and places, times and cultures. And while looking at these cars starts me to babble on endlessly, I still remain amazed - how the hell can these cars still be running? This is a clonked-out, beater Citroen DS. That shouldn't happen. An Aston Martin Lagonda being actually driven at all shouldn't happen. That I got to see them, that I had a camera. I'm counting myself lucky.

Yeah, you sort of expect a 7.3-liter V12 to sound good, but hearing the big Aston for the first time was quite a shock. Literally, as the huge noise reverbated off the Villa d’Este’s walls and probably the mountains on the opposite side of Lake Como as well, wreaking havoc with George Clooney’s morning espresso.

And it’s not like there was no aural competition at the Concorso. At various points during the day, cars like a Jaguar D-Type, a Lamborghini Miura and various Ferrari 250 GT’s had their engines sent revving, noises which would normally be the high point of a car geek’s month.

There was only one car which could rise to the occasion. Although car might not be the best word to describe this most insane example of Italian engineering. Until the orange mechanical menace gets its own post, try and guess what it is:

And if you’re stuck, look up in the sky for a clue.

The £1.2 million supercar is suffering from exchange rate fluctuation-itis. Back in March it would have cost you just $1.4 million freedom dollars, but now, with a stronger pound, one of the 77 7.3-liter, 700+ HP V12 Astons will set you back a whopping $1.75 million. Bet you wished you'd placed your order earlier, don't you?

Aston Martin One-77 wins top design award at the Concorso d'Eleganza, Villa d'Este

Gaydon, Warwickshire 26 April 2009. At its world debut this weekend, the Aston Martin One-77 has won the Concorso d'Eleganza Design Award for Concept Cars and Prototypes on the shores of Lake Como, Italy.

Following the Geneva Auto Salon in March, where the technical illustration was first shown, the rolling chassis has since been completed by hand into the first car presented at Villa d'Este this weekend.

At its first public unveiling in the perfect setting of the Grand Hotel Villa d'Este, the first complete One-77 was on show. Visiting public were invited to cast their vote for the best concept and prototype. Among eight entries from around the world, the Aston Martin One-77 was voted the best in class, eclipsing the competition with more than 30% of the total votes.

Admiring crowds viewed One-77 in its entirety for the first time. The car was showcased complete with running powertrain and the never seen before, fully hand-crafted interior.

Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez said: "Embodying everything Aston Martin stands for; the One-77 has proven itself as the most desirable automotive art form at its premiere today.

"We have achieved a new level of design and craftsmanship which has been clearly recognised by the public here in the homeland of design at Villa d'Este."

Aston Martin Design Director, Marek Reichman said: "To win this award at its first showing is a testament to the Aston Martin team and the original concept. Winning here today has proven One-77 as a benchmark in automotive design."

[images via OmniAuto and Aston Martin]

Ferrari Maserati of Fort Lauderdale-Long Island in Plainview, New York is claiming Giacomo Ciaccia, Leka Vuksanaj and Michael Lussos of Universal Autosports LLC in Glen Cove hacked into their email servers over 2,500 times, spying on dealer to client correspondence in the hopes of skimming customers off the Ferrari Dealer. Universal Autosport sells Aston Martins and Bentley's to the same geographic crowd so the motive is pretty simple here. The three were taken into custody on Wednesday where they will be charged with "conspiracy to access a computer without authorization and obtain information for commercial gain and to further an intended fraud," which brings with it the possibility of a five years in jail sentence and a $250,000 fine. [Auto Evolution]

Taking on the Citroën CX Pallas that won the last Choose Your Eternity poll would be akin to dragging a washing machine through a 100-yard gauntlet of meth-crazed chimps armed with tire irons... in other words, a walk in the park compared to the projects we'll be contemplating today. Adopting either one of today's exquisite machines would feel much like donning a wetsuit stuffed with Asian Giant Hornets and climbing into a Drum Debarker filled with burning creosote-soaked railroad ties and radioactive dioxin bottles packed with selenium tetra-azide. But, dammit, they're totally worth the pain!

Much as we love the Fieroborghini, bolting some Italian-looking plastic body panels on a Fiero isn't all that heroic a project (though installing a Cadillac 500 engine and front-drive transaxle out of an Eldorado does get our respect). No, your Fauxborghini needs more sweat, more blood, and a Nile's worth of tears. We're talking about a quasi-scratch-built backyard Countach here, based on a Detroit family car from the 1960s. That means something along the lines of this 1967 Ford-based Lamborghini project (go here if the listing disappears), which could obliterate drop into your life with megaton force for $795 or "an interesting trade option." Why, that price is down in 24 Hours Of LeMons territory (and I can guarantee a great deal of judicial slack when examining the budget of any team with the guts to bring this vehicle to a LeMons race), but we think it would be even more fun on the street. Now, this Fauxborghini- which appears to be have some '67 Fairlane DNA- lacks a few of the features you'd find on the real deal. We're pretty sure that Ferrucio Lamborghini never installed front drum brakes on any of his cars, and the same goes for the leaf-spring rear suspension. As for the drivetrain, it appears to be a Ford Windsor V8 mounted backwards and driving... well, we're not sure. Maybe a V-drive of some kind? A shaft coming off the front of the crank and driving a flipped-over Porsche 944 transaxle? Or maybe this project is meant to be a mid-engined front-wheel-drive car, which would be so completely wrong that it's just perfect! Thanks to Josef for the tip!

You'd be a Project Car Hell God or Goddess for sure, were you to get that Fairlaneborghini into daily-driver condition, but we understand that sometimes you need a generous helping of classic British luxury in your project. No, we don't mean yet another Jaguar, or even a Bentley or Rolls. We're talking Lagonda here! That's right, an Aston Martin-built updated version of the W. O. Bentley-designed prewar Lagondas, a car you have no hope in hell of ever obtaining. But wait! A miracle has occurred, and it has become possible to buy this 1956 Lagonda 3 Litre Saloon in a no-reserve eBay auction. Even better, the current top bid is only $1,000. Really! We're forced to admit that a few flies have found their way into the ointment here; in fact, the ointment is pretty much entirely flies. First of all, the incredible Lagonda Straight Six engine that propelled Aston Martin to glory in the 1950s... well, it's as gone as D.B. Cooper, and probably just as difficult to find today. The seller himself states that this project is "Broken down, incomplete and a restoration project only for the relentlessly ambitious or deranged." But come on, how hard could it be? Just start by getting yourself an appropriately powerful inline-six engine- say, this 2JZGTE/6-speed combo deal, for example- and then start casting and/or machining all the missing trim pieces from scratch. As for the interior, you'd be amazed what $500 will buy you at a Tijuana upholstery shop. No problem!

The long brewing Rapide resembles the original show car in nearly every way, with modern Aston styling stretched out over a four door platform and a snazzy glass roof up top. Those rear doors open in a novel way, what Aston calls "swan doors," and open like normal doors but swing up for dramatic effect. Judging from the press release, which says rear seats are "for children or two adults on shorter journeys," we're assuming leg room in the back is less than stellar, which makes us wonder what the point of the whole thing is. In any case, the car gets the monster 6.0-liter V12 with 470 HP and 442 lb-ft of torque turning a paddle shifted automatic transmission, which drives the rear wheels.

Additional specs are forthcoming, but for now you can make do with the high resolution image HERE and the available details below.

“I took this shot today, looked at it, looked again…and nothing. All I know is that the grille is from a V8 Vantage.”

The Aston Martin lands in my inbox with an embarrassing thud. I have spent hundreds of working days in my life sucking up information about cars. Yet apart from the obviously Aston grille and the lamprey-like lines, the car is a blank page. But why the words, go look for yourself:

“I don’t have a clue,” is what I reply to my friend Máté’s illustrated letter.

My reply is not exactly true. I do have the faintest of clues, not enough to base a reply on, but enough to get started. A pattern is vaguely recognized.

As readers of Malcolm Gladwell’s first second book Blink will recall, after absorbing prodigious amounts of information, the mind is able—in situations related to the nature of said information—to make quick decisions based on apparently very little input. This is how professional tennis players react to a serve too fast to interpret, how racing drivers can run competitive laps on an unfamiliar track and how an excellent friend of mine can look at a brownish spot in the sky a thousand feet away and say it’s a Black Kite. An old female, to be specific.

For some reason best left to future decades of neuroscience, cars styled by the Italian design consultancy Zagato are very easy to pattern-recognize even after limited exposure. And exposure is necessarily limited by the small number of Zagato cars on the road. One of the best known examples is Aston Martin’s DB4 GT Zagato of 1961. I have seen it exactly once, in Italy:

Zagato’s fluid yet butch lines stick to the brain like ground effect cars to the racing line. And while Máté’s Magic Mystery Aston had a whiff of Zagato about it, what it looked most like was a kit car.

Can’t be, he says. “I happened to photograph it on the most expensive street in the world,” and he directs me to the Wikipedia page of The Bishops Avenue in London.

Oh, that. The street you move to when you’ve made it, made it big, and you want the world to know about it. Zoned from a piece of land that used to belong to the Bishop of London, the Avenue has become a favorite spot of the nouveau riche, particularly if those nouveau riches have come from the likes of oil, guns and naked women. When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1991, the House of Saud ruling neighboring Saudi Arabia snapped up ten of the Avenue’s 66 mansions. This is a street that used to be called Millionaire’s Mile, but which has lost that title to become Billionaire’s Boulevard. So yes, the Aston is probably real.

One of the residents of The Bishops Avenue is Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei, and this is when you can sort of expect a light bulb to go off in the automotive brain—not mine, unfortunately—because you all know what Hassanal Bolkiah does with his tiny fiefdom’s oil riches: buys all the cars in the world and then some. Our very own guide to the cream of his crop will help you along with a gray F40, a Lamborghini LM002 safari wagon and five Dauer Porsches. The latter are street legal Le Mans race cars from the turbolicious Group C of the 1980s which accelerate like ballistic missiles all the way to 250 MPH.

A significant portion of Bolkiah’s fleet was not purchased but built, and alongside the Ferrari sedans and shooting brakes is a set of three Aston Martins from 1997 called the V8 Vantage Special Series I. They are based not on the current V8 Vantage but the bigger car with the same name produced in the 1990s and they look exactly like the DB4 GT Zagato of 1961, only bigger.

Apparently, the Sultan likes his supercars the 60s way. But coachbuilders are not exactly fond of reproducing earlier designs atop modern machinery. And through another flutter of Bolkiah’s bottomless wallet, the Zagato people got to work again on the V8 Vantage, operating this time not as the codex copiers of Mediaval Europe but as coachbuilders. What they came up with was the V8 Vantage Special Series II, a modern, very Zagato, thoroughly menacing Aston: the car Máté photographed.

Wicked performance is suggested by those curves and the Series II doesn’t disappoint: its 5.3-liter twin-supercharged V8 makes 600 HP and can launch the two-ton coupé to sixty in 4.4 seconds. The aerodynamic wall arrives at 205 MPH. Zagato built a total of three cars, two for Bolkiah, one for his brother Jefri.

This is where the story would normally end but just as Máté confirmed his haunch with a link to Supercars.net, Google unveiled Street View for London. I raced for a large screen, hooked it up to my Mac, and spent an hour and a half combing the length and breadth of The Bishops Lane to no avail. I found a lone Ferrari F430 but looking for custom-built Astons has a way of turning production Ferraris into Crown Victorias.

But then what did I expect? What’s the chance for a car built to thunder along motorways to sit in one place, waiting for both the Street View Opel and Máté to amble by? Before giving up entirely, Máté went for a last look. Parked on the driveway, obscured by a lamppost and fecund foliage, he found our car at last:

So on to you now, Street View ornithologists. Descend on London and dig for cars with stories. And yes, I want my photo of the TVR Cerbera Speed 12.

Photo Credit: Máté Petrány (V8 Vantage Special II), Larry Parker (DB4 GT Zagato), 2007 Tony Murray Photography/AFP/Getty Images (Toprak Mansion interior), AstonMartin.com (V8 Vantage Special I)

It looks like the interior will match the slick design of the One-77's exterior, looking nothing like any Aston Martin before it. you can check out the presentation document below.

(Hat Tip to Alexander)

[via 925]

Aston Martin Reveals Spectacular One-77 Technical Showcase

Gaydon, Warwickshire – Tuesday 3 March - Aston Martin will present a One-77 technical showcase at the Geneva Auto Salon on 3 March 2009. Chassis no.1 will be on display as an exposé throughout the show detailing the quintessence of Aston Martin engineering and design expertise.

The One-77 is Aston Martin's definitive sports car, one that epitomises everything Aston Martin from technology, the hand-craftsmanship of the hand rolled aluminium panels to the attention to detail. A culmination of all the marque's know-how, the One-77 delivers effortless beauty guaranteed to stir the senses with performance potential eclipsing any previous Aston Martin.

With the performance and durability phase of the One-77's intensive development programme soon to commence, the 79th Geneva Auto Salon provides the perfect stage on which to reveal the remarkable engineering, advanced technology and exotic materials that lie beneath the One-77's extraordinary exterior.

For Aston Martin's Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez, revealing the One-77's secrets is a proud moment: "Right from the very beginning of the project the vision for One-77 was very simple: It had to combine high-technology with hand-built craftsmanship, and demonstrate the unique capabilities and passion of our designers, engineers and
technical partners.

"Quite simply it had to be the ultimate expression of Aston Martin. As you can now see, we have achieved that goal in magnificent style."

Chris Porritt, One-77 Programme Manager continued: "We wanted to create something that wows you as much when you see what's under the skin as the exterior styling itself. We started by identifying the most technologically exciting front-engined, rear-wheel drive cars in the world: those from the DTM race series. We then applied the principles and technology that feature heavily in their design and translated it to a road car application."

Consequently the One-77's structural core is a lightweight and immensely rigid carbon fibre monocoque. Conceived and designed at Aston Martin's Gaydon HQ, the monocoque, or 'tub', has been built in partnership with Multimatic (MTC). As world leaders in carbon composite technology, advanced vehicle analysis and dynamic
simulation, MTC brings unrivalled specialist capabilities to the exacting challenge of the One-77 programme.

Employing the classic formula of double wishbones at each corner, the One-77 features inboard suspension front and rear, with pushrods employed to transfer vertical suspension movements to the horizontally mounted spring/damper units. A practice taken directly from racing car design, the main advantages of inboard suspension are a reduction in unsprung weight and the ability to package the suspension components more effectively.

The dampers are fully adjustable and feature advanced Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) technology; a world-first for a road car application. These special valves are state-of-the-art even at the highest levels of motorsport, and use high-precision machined components to enable the shock-absorbing characteristics of the damper to be changed without having to remove them from the car, as is the norm.

Underlining the truly bespoke nature of the One-77, once delivered to its owner, the car's suspension characteristics will be precisely set-up by Aston Martin engineers to suit their exact requirements, from settings suitable for the ultimate long-distance GT, to a machine capable of conquering the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

While functionality and efficiency are paramount in the design and construction of the One-77', so too is aesthetic beauty. To this end every single component has been crafted from the finest materials with absolute attention to detail. From the mesmerising weave of the glossy carbon fibre tub and the abstract, sculptural beauty of the dry
sump's oil reservoir, to the unerring precision of the billet machined aluminium suspension mounts, the One-77's rolling chassis is an automotive masterpiece.

Of course the irony is that the vast majority of these exquisite components will be hidden from view in the finished car, yet each and every piece is a work of art in its own right. It's this extraordinary workmanship and money-no-object commitment to quality that makes the One-77 unique.

Naturally, such a spectacular chassis demands – and gets - an equally exceptional drivetrain. It comes in the form of an immensely potent 7.3-litre, naturally aspirated V12 engine. Thanks to the adoption of a dry-sump oil system the engine is mounted 100mm lower than in any previous V12-engined Aston Martin road car, which helps keep the One-77's centre-of-gravity as low as possible. To further aid agility and endow the One-77 with progressive handling and stable, predictable on-limit behaviour, the engine is also mounted 257mm aft relative to the front wheel centreline. In so doing the front-midengined layout shared by all of Aston Martin's current road car range has been taken to a new level.

The One-77's magnificent power unit is an extreme evolution of the 6.0-litre V12 engines fitted to the DBS, DB9 and new V12 Vantage models. Like the collaboration with MTC for the build of the chassis, Aston Martin has chosen a world-leading partner with which to develop the motor: legendary engine builders, Cosworth. It has proved to be the perfect collaboration, as Chris Porritt explains.

"Our brief to the engine team was for them to take the 6.0-litre V12 as far as it could go,both in terms of output and weight reduction. The targets were a power output of no less than 700bhp with a 10 per cent reduction in engine mass. Incredibly, the Aston Martin and Cosworth engineers achieved a mass reduction of some 25 per cent, and although we've yet to complete the final engine calibration work, I'm confident we'll see in excess of 700bhp. It's an awesome accomplishment, but one that's typical of the One-77 project, for it has consistently brought out the very best in everyone involved."

Wearing Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres (255/35 ZR20 front, 335/30 ZR20 rear) developed specifically for the One-77, all 700+bhp is transmitted to the road through the rear wheels via a new six-speed gearbox. Controlled via column-mounted paddles behind the steering wheel, this robotised sequential manual is a new generation of Aston Martin's familiar transmission. Though it is made specifically for the One-77 and features specially strengthened internals to cope with the tremendous power and torque, the lessons learned in its development will ultimately find their way into the company's series production models.

It's a mark of the inherent capabilities of Aston Martin's acclaimed lightweight Carbon Ceramic Matrix brake technology that it has been used as the basis for the One-77's braking system. The internals of the calipers have been re-engineered to transmit less heat from the brake pads into the brake fluid, while the discs themselves have been developed to ensure the maximum possible contact area between the face of the disc and the brake pads for improved stopping power. Due to the One-77's increased performance, special attention has also been paid to brake cooling, as the brakes have less time to cool between bursts of acceleration.

With a projected weight of 1,500kg the One-77 will occupy the very highest echelons of road car performance. Top speed is confidently predicted to be in excess of 200mph, with a 0-60mph time in approximately 3.5sec. Perhaps more importantly, thanks to the purity of a front-engined, rear-drive layout, the responsiveness and immense tractability of a naturally aspirated V12 and the low mass, high-rigidity properties of a carbon fibre chassis, the One-77 promises a driving experience of unrivalled intensity and excitement while representing the world's most desirable automotive art form.

Photo Credit: Autoblog.nl

Lagonda was founded in 1906, but was purchased and integrated by Aston Martin in 1947. The Lagonda name has been affixed to Aston Martins since then, and graced the quirky 80s-era Aston Martin Lagonda, but has never been its own brand. According to Aston Martin, the Lagonda nameplate is preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary next year (no, that makes no sense to us either) and to commemorate the occasion, an all-new concept will debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

There's no telling what this concept could be other than a competitor in the luxury car market filled with Bentleys and Rolls Royces, but Aston Martin is already talking about a production schedule for a 2012 on-sale date. We'll keep our eyes peeled.

Aston Martin Press Release:

Aston Martin CEO confirms the revival of the Lagonda Marque

Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer Dr Ulrich Bez has today confirmed his intention to revive the Lagonda marque.

In a statement today he said, "After my eight years with Aston Martin, four with profitability, and 16 months of independence, it's time to think about a longer term future. Aston Martin is an honest, authentic brand which builds the most beautiful sportscars combining modern technology with craftsmanship. Next year we will launch the four door Rapide sportscar, and this will be followed by the project 'one 77', the most spectacular Aston Martin ever. Aston Martins are currently available in 32 countries but we will remain limited in our market penetration by the pure character of our cars - sportscars.

"We have now investigated and concluded that the revival of the Lagonda brand would allow us to develop cars which can have a different character than a sportscar, and therefore offer a perfect synergy. Lagonda will use a unique design language as Aston Martin does. We will take elements of DNA from the past but will be very future orientated as we are with Aston Martin. With Lagonda offering exclusive, luxurious and truly versatile products with high quality and usability and suitable for both existing and emerging markets, I believe we can be present in more than 100 countries in the world.

"In 2009 Lagonda is about to celebrate its 100th birthday and in its centenary year we are confident that we will show the first concept of a car which could be in the market in 2012," he confirmed.

[via Aston Martin]

While not overly different-looking from the V8 Vantage, this high-powered 6-liter V12-engined monster gets all new front and rear bumpers, front splitter, sills, rear diffuser, hood and trunklid to differentiate itself from its lower-powered sibling. The splitter and hood vents are carbon fiber to aid in minor decreases to weight.

But the heart of this more muscular Vantage is the 6-liter V12 engine. We'll let Driver's Republic take over from here:

Apart from a bespoke throttle map it’s standard DBS, which means 510bhp at 6500rpm and 420lb ft of torque at 5750rpm. No, that isn’t a match for the RS Concept’s feral 600bhp, but lest we forget that car was powered by one of Aston Martin Racing’s DBRS9 motors, which had a dry sump (rather inconveniently located in the boot), no catalytic converters and a rather relaxed attitude to emissions. It also needed an engineer with a laptop to fire the thing up, and had a hair-trigger throttle. In short it was never going to make production.

Aston plans to reveal pricing details at Geneva, although we’re expecting it to be in the region of £140,000, neatly positioning it beneath the range-topping DBS and standing it toe-to-toe with the Ferrari F430 and Gallardo LP560. Head on over to find the rest at Driver's Republic. [via Drivers-Republic]

We've seen an official image of the new Aston Martin Rapide super saloon already, and if these images purport any differences than those older, much larger images, we can't see them. Well, except this set is rendered in white so you can actually see all the lines.

The production version gets a more radical vent strake treatment stretching through drivers door and terminating at the leading edge of the passenger door, much longer than the concept. It also does away with the machined exterior fuel cap, which is no surprise, and surprisingly goes to clear lens tail lamps from colored ones on the concept (not a choice we would have made). The full length roof glass still remains so expect some suspension wizardry to counteract all that roll-center raising heft. [

Aston Martin will arrive in France for the 86th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in June with two new factory-backed cars. The historic Gulf Oil-liveried blue and orange cars are built upon a Lola chassis and feature the same V12 engine as is used in their successful GT1 DBR9.

There's been some fierce competition brewing between the Audi R10 (replaced this year with the R15) and the Peugeot 908 HDi and Aston Martin hopes to cash in on the fight. Audi has managed a five-year winning streak with the French 908 diesel following strongly behind, so can the Aston Martin team really pull one out of the hat?

Aston Martin chairman, David Richards, looks forward to the challenge and has this to say:

“2009 is a hugely significant year for Aston Martin at Le Mans and the challenge of reclaiming victory in this famous race for Aston Martin and Great Britain was simply too great to ignore. However, we do not underestimate the task. While we have won the GT1 class for the last two years, competing against the proven speed and endurance of the diesel-powered cars with all their years of winning the prototype class, will be a massive undertaking. Nonetheless, I see this as a great opportunity to showcase the ingenuity of British engineering talent.”

We're just happy that we'll be seeing a streaking prototype body in Gulf blue and orange flying down the Mulsanne Straight again.

Gaydon, 27 January 2009. On the 50th anniversary of its outright win at Le Mans, Aston Martin will return to La Sarthe with two Works LMP1 cars bearing the iconic blue and orange livery of Gulf Oil.

In an ambitious attempt to emulate the legendary achievements of the 1959 DBR1 driven by Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori, Aston Martin will endeavour to bring the Le Mans title back to Britain.

“2009 is a hugely significant year for Aston Martin at Le Mans and the challenge of reclaiming victory in this famous race for Aston Martin and Great Britain was simply too great to ignore,” said Aston Martin Chairman, David Richards. “However, we do not underestimate the task. While we have won the GT1 class for the last two years, competing against the proven speed and endurance of the diesel-powered cars with all their years of winning the prototype class, will be a massive undertaking. Nonetheless, I see this as a great opportunity to showcase the ingenuity of British engineering talent.”

Dr Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer commented: “Racing has been, and still is at the heart of Aston Martin. Our cars today are subtle, elegant and handcrafted but they still have the genes for competition. I am happy that we have found partners who, with their support, will enable us to compete at the highest level of endurance racing. We will put all our heart and skill behind this project to demonstrate the essence of Aston Martin: Power Beauty and Soul.”

The new car which is based on the 2008 Charouz Racing System Lola will be powered by the same production-based Aston Martin V12 engine which, last year, helped Aston Martin secure its second successive Le Mans GT1 title with the DBR9. It also powered the Charouz car to a new La Sarthe lap record for a petrol car.

Aston Martin Racing is developing the car in conjunction with Lola, Michelin, Koni and BBS and continues its relationship with major partner Gulf Oil and official clothing partner Hackett.
In 2009, the ACO is introducing new regulations aimed at balancing the performance of petrol and diesel engined prototypes making the LMP1 category more appealing and relevant to Aston Martin.

Signalling ongoing commitment to motorsport, in addition to the Le Mans 24 hour race, the team will also compete throughout the year in the Le Mans Series (LMS), which opens with the 1000 km de Catalunya on the 5th of April.

Aston Martin Racing Works drivers, Jan Charouz (CZ), Tomas Enge (CZ), and Stefan Mücke (DE), who raced the Charouz car last year will renew their relationship with the team along with Darren Turner (GB) who was part of the winning DBR9 GT1 crew in 2007 and 2008. Harold Primat (CH) joins the team for the first time in 2009 with the remaining driver to be announced imminently.

To focus maximum energy on the LMP1 programme, the Works team will not defend its GT1 title at Le Mans. However, Aston Martin Racing will support any of its official partner teams and customers competing at the race.

Aston Martin Racing partner, Drayson Racing, has expressed its desire to compete at Le Mans with the new Vantage GT2. This follows confirmation of the team’s LMS entry and American Le Mans Series programme with a bio-ethanol powered Vantage GT2. Further announcements are expected in the weeks ahead as other Aston Martin Racing partner teams and customers confirm their plans for racing in the GT1, GT2, GT3 and GT4 classes of national and international racing series.

The Le Mans 24 hour race will be held over the weekend of 13-14 June.

[via Aston Martin]

We're pretty sure we know what went wrong here as evidenced by the nice loading ramp tray laying on the ground, but after seeing this, we believe that we've got a perfect candidate for a crack pipe. 2008 Aston Martin V8 Vantage, shortened to aid weight distribution and handling. Cheap!

[via globalmotors]

We're wondering if he's got one of those Meaty McMeat artery exploders in there for us. [TMZ]

As expected and as indicated by multiple spy shots, the Rapide stays remarkably similar to the original concept, full-length glass roof and all.

As we told you before, we're told to expect a two-intake, stacked front grille, a new crease that runs from the front wheels back through both doors, a redesigned trunk and rear clip with a chrome accent between the taillights. The interior should, more or less, resemble a four seat DB9, since that’s exactly what this car is.

Power will come from a 6.0-liter V12 making around 500 HP and 420 Lb-Ft of torque. While that sounds like more than enough, a faster version of the Rapide, tentatively called the Rapide R (get it?) is allegedly in the cards. Production will be carried out by Magna Steyr in Austria, meaning the Rapide stands half a chance of having quality that’ll live up to its near $300,000 price tag.

[via 4wheelsnews]

Looking for a James Bond Aston Martin? Of course you are, but you're not one of those run-with-the-herd types who gets seduced by gadgets and impulse-buys a project DB5. No, you watch On Her Majesty's Secret Service for the 19th time and impulse-buy this 1968 Aston Martin DBS. What are the first words that come to mind when you see this fine British automobile? I mean, after "basket case" and "burn victim," that is? Exactly: Beautiful car. Even sitting in a dirt lot in California's Meth Gold Country, where it spends every winter beneath a layer of snow and every summer baking in the relentless high-altitude sun, even though it's what the seller himself describes as "barely a rolling chassis," this Aston is still a great-looking car. This one will need an engine and transmission, but is that even a challenge? You've got the world's economy collapsing, buddy- desperate sellers will give you anything from a Toyota 1JZGTE to this Countach drivetrain, for next to nothing! Then you just need to fix the interior, body, suspension, electrical system, brakes, and… well, you get the picture. Thanks to Jon for the tip!

You like the Aston Martin, but you know you'd get sick of the Bond jokes once you finished it? Yeah, even though you'd be 92 years old by that point, the Bond jokes would get tiresome. What you need is a product of the illustrious Rootes Group, Chrysler's henchmen on the Continent, and we don't mean any damn Simca or Hillman here. No, we're talking Humber now, the class of the British Rootes lineup, and we've found us this nice 1965 Humber Super Snipe up in Canada. It failed to sell at 700 bucks, so you should be able to snag it for a few cases of Moosehead. It runs, even… well, actually, it "fires right up right away," but that means a tiny part most of the journey is already done! There's some rust "just starting" in the usual spots, but how bad could that be? It's a good-looking car with a big six-cylinder (and room for an even bigger one) with that hard-to-find Anglo-Detroit styling, for dirt cheap- what are you waiting for? Thanks to Armand Bengle for the tip!

With the launch of this car, Aston becomes the only brand in the world to make cars for all four levels of GT racing, 1 through 4. Over the road-going model, the GT4 is 300kg lighter, loses the interior in favor of a Recaro racing bucket and a steel roll cage, adds crazy light magnesium wheels and has the usual track-specific suspension and brakes. What’s interesting is that the company retained many of the road-going features in the racecar, meaning that if you’re the comic relief for a successful car show, driving it on the road may not be such a bad idea. Included are dynamic stability control, traction control, ABS and electronic brake force distribution. The GT4 is available now for just $144,000.

The press release follows:

Aston Martin Racing launches new Vantage GT4

Aston Martin Racing has released the 2009 specification Vantage GT4 based on Aston Martin’s new 4.7 litre V8 Vantage. The new Vantage GT4 builds on the success of its predecessor, the 4.3 litre Vantage N24.

The Vantage GT4 has been under development for six months and was unveiled in Dubai this week by Aston Martin chairman, David Richards, and tested extensively at the Dubai Autodrome.

The car is an evolution of the N24 with the larger capacity engine being more responsive with increased torque throughout the rev range. The suspension has been retuned to enhance the handling, including modified front uprights to give increased camber. The 2009 Vantage GT4 also has larger front brake discs with revised cooling.

“In the last two years, the N24 has proved to be one of the most successful cars in its class; winning the Nurburgring 24 Hours this year, as well as several FIA GT4 races,” said David Richards. “We have built on this success to develop the Vantage GT4, a competitive racing car for professional and semi-professional drivers, but also a forgiving car which will appeal to enthusiasts who wish to use it for track days and club racing.”

The Vantage GT4 is built to FIA GT4 regulations and is eligible to compete in the following series: FIA GT4 European Cup; British GT4 Championship; Britcar Endurance Series; German GT4 Championship; Dutch Supercar Challenge; Dutch GT4 Championship; VLN Endurance Championship at the Nurburgring; Australian Endurance Championship; the American SCCA Championship; and the Aston Martin Owners Club Race Series.

The Vantage GT4 comes with either a manual or sportshift transmission. It is priced from £96,645 and is available to order now with delivery in January 2009.

Aston Martin Racing is now the only manufacturer to produce cars in each of the GT classes: GT1, GT2, GT3 and GT4.

The Vantage GT4

The GT4 is based on the latest 4.7 litre V8 Vantage and is hand built by Aston Martin Racing.

The 4.7 litre eight cylinder engine has an engine management system recalibrated for race use. It also has a free flow exhaust system and air filters, and the standard V8 dry sump lubrication system is retained, helping to prevent oil surge during cornering.

The Vantage GT4 can be supplied with either a six speed manual, or a Sportshift transmission with paddle controls. Both versions have a Valeo twin-plate cerametallic racing clutch and lightweight flywheel to complete the powertrain specification.

At 1,330 kg the Vantage GT4 is 300 kg lighter than the standard car. This has been achieved through a range of weight reduction measures. The interior trim is removed with the exception of the facia moulding, which is re-trimmed in Alcantara, and the console and door casings are replaced by new lightweight mouldings.

The chassis has been fitted with a high-strength steel rollcage and Recaro competition seats. A suede-trimmed steering wheel with a quick release mechanism is also fitted as standard. The Vantage GT4’s safety features are completed with a Sabelt sixpoint safety harness with a push-button release and Lifeline Zero 360 gas extinguisher system.

The V8 Vantage road car’s suspension has required only minor adjustments for optimal track performance. These include larger diameter front and rear anti-roll bars and adjustable ride height aluminium dampers, as well as single rate, flat ground springs with separate helper springs. The front subframe is modified for extra camber and castor. Cast magnesium front and rear wheels are standard fit with high performance Yokohama A048-R tyres. The brakes are uprated with Pagid RS 29 race pads.

As further endorsement of the standard V8 Vantage underframe, the active safety systems are directly carried over to the Vantage GT4, including: dynamic stability control, traction control, ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution, providing reassurance and enhanced control in slippery conditions.