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2014 Aston Martin Vantage
 
Aston Martin is preparing to offer a facelift version for every model in the line-up thanks to that high interest loan they just secured from global investors. There’s already been talk of what will happen to the future DB9 debuting sometime next year, as well as a new DBS in late 2012. Now spy photographers have caught the future Vantage model testing near the Aston Martin technical center in Germany. The vehicle is still in the early stages of development, but it already hosts a number of changes that will significantly change the vehicle’s overall look. The Aston Martin Vantage will not be a completely new vehicle as previously thought, but a facelift version including new and wider skirts and major changes in the body panels. That being said, these additions could have just been added to hide any changes made to the chassis of the vehicle. No other details have been offered, but it is believed that the exterior design will take its inspiration from the One-77 supercar with its borrowed bonnet, sides, and cooling vents, in an attempt to make the car look more aggressive and sporty. These changes may also supply a decrease in weight, by about 350 lbs. The 2014 Vantage will more than likely be powered by the same 4.7-liter V-8 and 6.0-liter V-12 engines currently found in the sports car, possibly tweaked to deliver more power, better fuel economy, and lower emissions. Expect to see the new Aston Martin Vantage in late 2013. Aston Martin’s future depends on Daimler partnership
Just when it seemed a brand new collaboration was on the verge of rising, talks between Aston Martin and Daimler have been slowed almost to a halt. The two brands had an interest in working with each other because it would be mutually beneficial: Aston Martin would have helped in developing Maybach models and they would, in turn, be able to take advantage of Mercedes’ latest technology. Now, German publications have reported that this agreement has collapsed and, as a result, Aston Martin’s future is in grave danger. The first Aston Martin vehicle to feel the heat may be the DB9 supercar. This model is built on the VH platform that was developed when Aston was owned by Ford Motor Co, but since a redesign is expected for the 2014 model year, Aston Martin finds itself scrambling for a new platform; one they thought they would be able to get from Daimler. The redesigned Vantage scheduled to come out in 2015 is in the same precarious situation, leaving Aston working doubletime to re-engineer the current platform, powertrain, and sheet metal. The highly anticipated Lagonda models aren’t any safer. This bump in the road leaves their production entirely uncertain because the SUV was going to be built on the Mercedes GL platform and the sedan was supposed to use the Mercedes S-Class platform. Aston Martin is completely at a loss, though. They just secured a £304 million bond - about $440 million at the current rates - from global investors at a rather high 9.25% interest over the next seven years. This money will be going towards designing all new platforms for their full line of sports cars, including the DB9, Vantage, and Rapide. Aston Martin Pays the Price for All New Platform
 Investors are getting more and more strict when it comes to allowing people to borrow their money and it seems as if Aston Martin is getting the short end of that stick. The British sports car maker has secured a £304 million bond - about $440 million at the current rates - from global investors at a rather high 9.25% interest over the next seven years. That’s a 3-4% increase over the typical interest rate. Desperate or not, Aston Martin now has the money to design an all new platform for their full line of sports cars, including the DB9, Vantage and Rapide. Expect the new line to debut in 2015 or 2016 with the first details of the new design and production engineering showing up in a concept car sometime in 2012. Before the British automaker moves to the new platform, however, their current VH platform will have to be modified to obey the new Federal FMVSS pedestrian impact rules. This re-engineered platform will be used for facelift versions of all three models. The new models will also benefit from new skin panels, revised interiors, and tweaked chassis and engines. 2011 Aston Martin Vantage V8 by Wheelsandmore
German tuning specialists, Wheelsandmore, have taken an Aston Martin Vantage V8 as their next project, giving the British supercar a well-rounded set of upgrades that include a new set of wheels, a new suspension, and a slight increase in power. As the name of their company suggests, Wheelsandmore is no stranger to having some of the best rims on the market. For the Vantage V8, they decided to dress it up with a new set of handcrafted 21" three-piece 6Sporz² forged rims wrapped in 55/30/21 tires at the front, and 295/25/21 tires at the back. To go with the new set of gorgeous rims, Wheelsandmore also gave the Vantage V8 a new suspension kit courtesy of KW that comes with a rebound and compression adjustable stainless steel coilover suspension variant 3. Lastly, Wheelsandmore gave the supercar a new 200 sport catalysts and flip-controlled exhaust system, giving the Vantage’s 4.7 Liter V8 engine an increased output of 460 horsepower and 369 lb/ft of torque, up from the standard model’s 420-horsepower output. All told, it’s not the most extravagant tuning program done on the Aston Martin Vantage. But in terms of subtle improvements all the way around, this is about as beautiful as it gets without going overboard. 2011 Aston Martin V8 Vantage S
As expected, Aston Martin brought its latest iteration of the Vantage to the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. Aston has been designing rolling works of art for a very long time and has recently retaken a stance as a racing power as well. The company’s GT4 racecar won its class in two of the most important races of the year, Nurburgring 24 and Spa 24 hours, and have begun fusing racecar technology into the road cars with more fervor than ever before. The top-of-the-line V12 Vantage has the motor from the larger DB9 shoehorned into its engine compartment, making it a true hot rod. That formula may work for some, but others were seeing a lapse between the V12 model and the base V8. At the beginning of Summer 2011, Aston Martin will introduce the V8 Vantage S, hoping to squeeze some more profit out of its best selling model line and please enthusiasts at the same time. Increases in engine performance, transmission, chassis, and aerodynamics will all further the appeal of an iconic sports car. According to Dr. Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin, “The Vantage S epitomizes every attribute of the V-8 Vantage and pushes the driver experience beyond what we have offered before.” UPDATE 03/11/2011: Aston Martin has revealed an amazing video of the V8 Vantage S showing the car in action. Just listen to the music of that engine! Video after the jump. Hit the jump for more details on the 2011 Aston Martin Vantage S. Full story 2011 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Blanc de Blancs by Graf Weckerle
Drinking a glass of fine wine with dinner is something a lot of people do when they want to unwind from a long, hard day, but when these same people want to celebrate something momentous, they bring out the Blanc de Blancs champagne. The same can be said of a great automobile. Sure you can drive around in a Mercedes on a daily basis, but for those special evenings, an Aston Martin V8 Vantage is the way to go. Bringing together these two ideas is Graf Weckerle who has designed a package for the V8 Vantage that gets its one-of-a-kind design from the most refreshing champagne produced. The car’s interior and exterior are styled based on the white, green, and gold details on the Blanc de Blancs champagne bottle and look sensational on the sports car. The 21" wheels, however, leave much to be desired. Made of 180 titanium and aluminum parts, these "unique" wheels take up to 20 days to build. If it were up to us, we’d let them stay a little longer. No offense to the Graf Weckerle logo, which is what the wheels are styled after, but we can think of hundreds of other options that would have looked much better on this beautiful vehicle. But hey, at least the interior sparkles with 24 karat components. In addition to the beautiful - and not so beautiful - stylings of the Aston Martin, Graf Weckerle have also tuned the standard 426hp 4.7 Liter V8 engine to deliver an improved 470hp. Not a fan of the V8 Vantage? Graf Weckerle can also mount this package on an Aston Martin DBS and a Ferrari 599 GTB. Plans for adding it to the Ferrari 458 Italia are also in the works. 2011 Aston Martin Vantage GT4
Aston Martin has unveiled today details on a new Vantage GT4 for 2011. The new model takes inspiration from the Aston Martin’s V12 Vantage road car and will compete in the future European GT4 Cup and all other series with a GT4 class. The new Vantage GT4 features a new splitter that increases downforce at the front of the car, a V12’s larger boot ‘flip’ at the rear a new carbon fiber diffuser and rear underfloor and a new rear-mounted high capacity transmission oil cooler. As with the current 4.7 liter Vantage GT4, which made its race debut in 2009, the 2011 car is closely based on the V8 Vantage road car with key attributes being carried over including the aluminum chassis, base engine and suspension design. In addition to the engine and aero upgrades, competitors can choose a race-developed Bosch ABS and traction control system. Press release after the jump. Full story 2010 Aston Martin V8 Vantage N420
Today, Aston Martin unveiled the special edition V8 Vantage N420, a successor for the special edition V8 Vantage N400 of 2007. This model pays tribute to Aston Martin’s success at the Nurburgring 24 Hours. Deliveries will begin in August with prices starting from £96,995 (around $146,000 at the current exchange rates). It will be offered in both Coupe and Roadster versions. The new V8 Vantage N420 is powered by a 4.7-liter engine that delivers 420bhp, but, compared to a standard Vantage, it is 27 kilos lighter. On the exterior the car is distinguished by wider sills, a carbon fiber splitter, side strakes and diffuser, 10-spoke diamond turned alloy wheels in gloss black finish, black mesh vents, and ‘Graphitic’ tailpipe finishers. On the interior it gets an Iridium interior package with graphite instruments, leather or Alcantara steering wheel, special N420 sill plaques, and lightweight carbon fiber seats, complete with ‘Race Track’ stitching as in the V12 Vantage. Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control, and Park Distance Control are also standard. Updated 07/14/2010: Aston Martin today announced US prices for the special edition V8 Vantage N420. The new model will make its official U.S. debut at next month’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and will go on sale at a price of $132,000 for the coupe and $145,000 for the roadster version. Updated 11/09/2010: Aston Martin has revealed a new promotional video for the V8 Vantage N420. Check it out! Press release after the jump. Full story 2011 Aston Martin V8 Vantage N420 Roadster
After the V8 Vantage N420 coupe, Aston Martin has unveiled today a roadster version for this special edition. The roadster version will go on sale at a price of $145,000. Like the coupe version, the roadster is powered by a 4.7-liter engine that delivers 420bhp and it mated to a a six-speed manual or optional Sportshift automated manual transmission. Also the car is 27 kilos lighter than a standard V8 Vantage. The N420 edition is distinguished by a carbon fibre splitter, side strakes and diffuser, while bold 10-spoke diamond turned alloy wheels complete with gloss black finish, black mesh vents and ’Graphitic’ tailpipe finishers complete the coordinated look. The interior gets graphite instruments, leather or Alcantara® steering wheel, special N420 sill plaques and lightweight carbon fiber seats, complete with ’Race Track’ stitching as in the V12 Vantage. Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control, and Park Distance Control are also standard. It will be offered in ’Rose’ yellow, ’Kermit’ green and ’Elwood’ blue exterior color. Aston Martin Vantage being sold at auto garage sale for $75,000
A reminder to those people who own sports cars; please treat them with utmost care. And in the event that you decide to sell these cars, please give them more respect than leaving them out in the sun like they’re some kind of rusted-up lawnmower in a garage sale. If you’re wondering why we’re a little, shall we say, perturbed, it’s because we found out that there’s a man somewhere in Utah that decided to have a little auto sale of his vehicles, which really isn’t a big deal except that one of those vehicles sitting idly on the lot as if it was getting a tan just so happened to be an Aston Martin V8 Vantage. If this guy wants to sell his Vantage, by all means, he’s got every right to do so. We just don’t know if he understands just how special this car is. Sure, there’s a $75,000 price tag attached to it, but in this case, it’s not really about the money. It’s about an Aston Martin Vantage being treated just like any other used-up car, which it definitely is not. | featured reviews:Aston-Martin V8 latest reviews: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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