Aston-Martin cars

Video: James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 returns in Skyfall

The James Bond movie franchise has featured some of the most iconic British cars in the world, none more so than the Aston Martin DB5. We all remember the classic speedster that not only appeared in five Bond movies, but also became a hot toy collectible for a generation of young Bond fans back in the day.

It appears that people are nostalgic for the fabled DBS because the car, in true Bond fashion, is making a comeback in the latest installment of the franchise, Skyfall.

This video provided to us by the movie’s dedicated page explains just how important a role the DB5 has played in the Bond movies. The classic British look, combined with all those gizmos and gadgetry that could give the Batmobile a run for its money, really holds a special place in the hearts of Bond fans.

To see that it’s coming back in Skyfall only adds to our anticipation of seeing the movie, which incidentally opens in theaters later this year. There aren’t that many things in this world that can render James Bond into the background, but the Aston Martin DB5 is one of them.

After all, there’s a reason why 007, and all of us for that matter, can’t seem to get enough of it.

2012 Aston Martin V12 Zagato

Back in 2011, Aston Martin introduced the V12 Zagato Concept to the world, a supercar that was born from the creative minds of Aston Martin and Italian coachbuilder, Zagato. The overwhelming popularity of the concept prompted the folks over at Aston to expedite the release of the production car and lo and behold, the production car was supposed to make an appearance at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

But what we saw at Frankfurt appeared to be the same one we saw at Pebble Beach and Villa d’Este, albeit with a new trunk lid as opposed to the huge spoiler we saw before.

The ’production version’ of the V12 Zagato was one of the highlights of Aston Martin’s booth at Frankfurt, where it was joined by the pair of V12 Zagato race car variants that participated at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring - ’Zig’ and ’Zag’ - as well as the One-77 supercar and the newly released Virage and Vantage S. Now, Aston Martin has finally revealed all the goods for their exquisite super car.

UPDATE 07/23/12: Aston Martin has announced that only 101 units of the V12 Zagato will be produced, making an already exclusive car that much more limited. The number is also 49 less than what the British automaker initially suggested so keep this new update in mind when you’re thinking of making a purchase.

Hit the jump to read more on the Aston Martin V12 Zagato.

2012 Aston Martin Rapide by Kahn Design

The Aston Martin Rapide is regarded as the British automaker’s first venture into the four-door, luxury car segment. That being said, it’s not all that surprising that it’s become quite an attractive car for aftermarket companies, including British tuner Kahn Design.

Even if the Rapide is already considered one of the finest sports sedans in the world, the fact that you can fork over $200,000 for one means that you probably have enough loose change to get it fixed up even more. Kahn Design has you covered in that regard, thanks to a new program that gives the Rapide an edgier look all while retaining it’s classic and elegant profile. The British tuner added a slew of new components in the car, including mesh elements to the front bumper, aluminum billet bonnet vents, black brake calipers, a new sports exhaust system, a lowered suspension, and a new set of 21" RSX wheels that have been finished in a bright silver shade. Inside, Kahn Design has prepared a luxe of new digs, too, particularly a new Alcantara sports steering wheel, soft English leather, and bare-metal switches.

For a car that looks the way it does and boasts of a 6.0-liter V12 engine that delivers a total of 470 horsepower and 443 lb/ft of peak torque at 5000 rpm, there are a few things that the Aston Martin Rapide needs to be even more impressive than it is. But Kahn Design rolls in a different way. Knowing them the way we do, anything they work on has "improvements" written all over them.

Supercars Unite for a U.K. Bank Holiday

On August 27, 2012, U.K. banks are closed for a holiday and supercars are set to run wild in celebration of this holiday. At the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, the Supercar Showdown will take place and we will all get a good glimpse and listen to what these cars have to offer.

Some of the cars in this year’s Supercar Showdown include: Jaguar XJ220, Ferrari F40, Ferrari F50, Ferrari 360 Spyder, Lamborghini Gallardo, Mercedes-Benz SLS, Ultima GTR Can-AM, Lightning GT Carbon, Ascari KZ1 GT3 racecar, and Aston Martin GT2. That, of course, is not an exhaustive list of all of this year’s participants, but it gives us a great idea of what to expect.

The guest list also includes a laundry list of car clubs that are sure to bring numerous hot cars to the National Motor Museum. This year, there will be a course set up in the museum’s parking lot, so you can watch these supercars do what they do best, navigate a road course, though we doubt it will be a timed race, but rather a friendly drive.

You also can get involved in the show, as you can vote on the People’s Choice Award for the best supercar at the show. The winner of this award receives a 60th anniversary Beaulieu trophy and tons of bragging rights.

To get into the show, all you need to do is purchase a general Beaulieu attraction admission ticket and you’re good to go. You can get tickets online at the rate of ₤18 for adults, ₤16.65 for those 60 years and older, ₤10.80 for those 13 to 17 years old, and ₤8,95 for those 5 to 12 years old. Alternatively, you can pick up family admission tickets, which are good for two adults and up to three children for just ₤47.25. This ticket also gives you admission to the museum, World of Top Gear, On Screen Cars, Beaulieu Abbey, and Palace House and Garden.

Aston Martin’s Engine Downsizing may include Toyota Engines

Earlier this week, we brought forward reports that Aston Martin is considering downsizing its lineup of engines, which almost exclusively include V-8s and V-12s. This consideration is an obvious attempt to squeeze a few more mpg out of its lineup without depleting horsepower, which will allow the boutique automaker to achieve the fuel economy numbers required by the ongoing CAFE standards.

According to De Telegraf, Aston Martin may be considering Toyota as a partner in this downsizing attempt. In particular, Aston is eyeballing the V-10 engine used in the Lexus LF-A and the 8-pot used in several other Lexus models.

If you are wondering how Aston plans to milk these engines out of Toyota, keep in mind that Aston and Toyota already have a working agreement for Aston Martin to use the Toyota iQ to create its own Cygnet. So, for Aston Martin executives to get into conversation with Toyota brass about this possibility wouldn’t take too much.

The only issue that Toyota may have is the fact that this sharing of engines may result in added competition for the LFA and other Lexus models. Then again, with Aston Martin being such an exclusive brand without a long production list, Toyota may not see this as a threat, but rather a way to get its name on the tip of premium sports car buyers’ tongues. This could result in the ultimate word-of-mouth advertising for Lexus’ sports cars, which will soon include a car that may rival Aston Martins, the LF-LC.

We’ll keep you up to date on this developing situation and let you know as soon as more details become available.

Report: Aston Martin Thinking About Smaller Engines

Aston Martin is not exactly your poster child for fuel economy, as every model, sans a re-badged Toyota iQ, boast either a V-8 or V-12 engine. That about puts them near the bottom of the list in average fuel economy. With new CAFE and emission standards coming about each and every year, Aston Martin needs to get up to speed with creating slightly more efficient cars.

According to a report from Autocar, Aston Martin boss, Ulrich Bez, said that Aston is “open to the concept” of using small-displacement engines under the stipulation that they do not hamper the boutique automaker’s desirability. This ultimately translates out to “as long as it is still fast.”

This need for speed means that the likely replacements for the powerful V-8s and V-12s that Aston Martin uses would be 6-cylinders with some serious boost. A supercharger certainly would not give a 6-cylinder the kind of pop that Aston Martin would require, so a turbo or pair of turbos would definitely be the only route to take.

We have already seen BMW making use of forced air to pump up its in-line 6-bangers. Take the 2012 BMW 335i xDrive Coupe for example; it has a 3.0-liter engine that pumps out a healthy 300 horsepower. Of course, BMW also de-tuned it a little to avoid it conflicting with M3 sales. At full tilt, we would anticipate a boosted 3.0 to crank out upward of 400 horsepower.

That would give Aston the chance to just about match their V-8-powered cars’ current output rating while helping save a few mpg. It would obviously be a win-win situation, with the exception of the likely price hike for the increased technology.

We’ll keep an eye on this situation and update you as more information becomes available.

2016 Aston Martin Lagonda

When Porsche created the Cayenne there was a massive uproar from the Porsche faithful. They found this new SUV to an abomination of what a proper Porsche, a 911 in their minds, should be. Yet, despite all the hate, the Cayenne was a huge success.

British supercar maker Aston Martin are looking to follow suit with their new Lagonda, which was just a concept a few days ago, but now seems as if it’s headed for the production line. Despite the fact that most Astons are gorgeous vehicles, the Lagonda just isn’t. We thought the first generation Cayenne was bad, but the concept version of Aston’s SUV was like looking at a pile of sick with an Aston Martin badge on top.

Not to mention the fact that Aston have recently announced the Cygnet, a small city car aimed at helping the company bring down its fuel economy numbers. So, on top of that, a new SUV might cause a riot among Aston’s largest following.

UPDATE 07/12/2012: Back in May, we reported that despite previous rumors, Aston Martin still wanted to offer a production version of the Lagonda SUV revealed as a concept back in 2009. Aston Martin reconsidered its decision because it’s trying to enter markets, like China, where large models are a must. That, and because of the market’s positive reaction to Bentley’s EXP 9 F concept.

Now, Aston Martin is offering new details on the upcoming SUV. The production version will be built on a Mercedes GL-Class platform and the top version will be offered with a 6.0 liter V12 engine. However, Aston Martin announced that it also plans to offer a hybrid and a diesel version for clients with a particular interest for the environment.

The company is still deciding if the new model will be sold as an Aston Martin or if they will revive the legendary Lagonda name. Either way, the SUV will have plenty of competitors on the market, including the two SUVs from Lamborghini and Bentley.

A final decision will be made in the upcoming months and a production version is set to be unveiled by 2016.

Hit the jump to learn a little more about the Lagonda.

2013 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster

After being rumored for about three years now, the new V12 Vantage Roadster is finally here! Aston Martin hasn’t released any details on it just yet, but the first official images and specs have already surfaced the web. Before you get too excited, we have to tell you that this news comes with a dark side: the new V12 Vantage Roadster will be limited to only 101 units making it almost as exclusive as the One-77 and the V12 Zagato supercars.

Just like the coupe version, the V12 Vantage Roadster will be powered by a 6.0 liter V12 engine that delivers an amazing 510 HP and 420 lbs-ft of torque. Unlike the coupe, however, the new roadster has received a few updates: a revised rear deck lid with a re-designed spoiler, a redesigned front air gurney, and modified front and rear suspensions. These changes were made in order to ensure that the open-top version would have the same aerodynamic results as the coupe.

UPDATE 07/11/2012: Aston Martin has unveiled a new set of images for the V12 Vantage Roadster and have also confirmed that the model will only be available in select markets as a limited edition. For the massive group of us that will more than likely never be able to own one, revel in the new images of the V12 Vantage Roadster in the gallery provided.

Hit the jump for the full review on the Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster.

TopSpeed Rendering: 2013 Aston Martin Rapide S

Only days ago, we were showing off some newly uncovered spy shots of the soon-to-be-unveiled Aston Martin Rapide S, but with the bikini-style camouflage it was wearing, it was hard to tell what we were really in store for. To counteract this censorship by Aston, we turned to our crack rendering team to use those spy shots to whip us up a clear look at this new model.

To be perfectly honest, according to the spy shots and our artist’s rendering, there’s really not too many outward differences between the 2012 model and this prototype. The first thing we notice is the addition of a front spoiler just below the grille. Speaking of the grille, it appears to be just slightly larger than the one on the 2012 model, as are the air intakes on the lower grille.

On the back end, we can see that the spoiler boasts a new shape, as it angles upward at a steeper angle near the center. It’s hard to tell on the spy shots what exactly is going on with the taillights, but given the fact that the camo cuts them off at one point, we can assume that they will be revised as well.

The biggest revision to the Rapide S is something you will never see, but you certainly will feel. The 6.0-liter V-12 engine under the Rapide’s sleek hood has been re-tuned to pump out an additional 40 to 50 horsepower, increasing its already impressive output numbers to somewhere between 500 and 520 ponies.

With this increase, Aston also plans to keep the Rapide’s fuel economy steady at its already wallet-draining 13 mpg city and 19 mpg highway. Then again, if you are snagging up a car that retails at more than $200K, gas mileage is likely at the bottom of your required features.

We’ll keep a close watch on this upcoming new Aston Martin and update you with any new information that comes up.

Video: Aston Martin Vanquish at Goodwood Festival of Speed

The new Aston Martin Vanquish made its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and luckily for us, Youtube user Shmee150 was attending the show and shared his cool video of the new supercar with us.

Although it was not officially on display in the supercar paddock, the new Vanquish was whisked in and out for quick runs up the hill-climb where poeple could see it in action and also enjoy the amazing sound of the engine.

For those who do not remember, the new Vanquish comes as a replacement for the old DBS. It is powered by a 6.0-liter V-12 engine that delivers an impressive 565 HP and a peak torque of 457 lbs-ft. With this impressive amount of power under the hood, the car will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and up to a top speed of 186 mph.