Aston-Martin cars

Aston Martin to Honor Carroll Shelby and Others at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Carroll Shelby touched the lives of many people in the automotive world. During his racing career, he greatly changed the fortunes of Aston Martin by helping the British automaker take home a 1st place overall finish in the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans. Shelby was not alone in this victory, as his co-driver, Roy Salvatori, and the car’s chief engineer, Ted Cutting both had heavy influence on this notorious victory.

Sadly, the automotive world has lost all three of these men this year, all within a handful of weeks of each other. First came Cutting’s death on March 22nd, then Shelby’s passing on May 10th, and finally capping off with Salvatori’s passing on June 3rd. Aston Martin feels that all three men deserve the proper send off and what’s better than bringing the car that all three of these men had a hand in to the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Unfortunately, it appears as if this 1959 Aston Martin DBR1 will not be making a tribute run around the course, but it will be present for the pre-race festivities. While this is not quite on the scale of the thousands of cars that gave Mr. Shelby a moment of noise in tribute, it is still a gesture that proves Aston Martin truly feels that Carroll Shelby, Ted Cutting, and Roy Salvatori are extremely important to its storied racing history.

Our hats have to go off to Aston Martin for rolling out the old DBR1, we are very curious to see what kind of condition it is in. We are willing to bet it is exactly as it was the day it pull out of Le Mans boasting the checkered flag on June 21, 1959.

Spy Shots: Aston Martin Vanquish caught completely naked!

It was just discovered a few weeks ago that the successor for the Aston Martin DBS would revive the legendary Vanquish name when CAR caught the rear end of the car completely undisguised. Now, our spy photographers were also able to be in the right place at the right time when they were able to catch what looks to be the new Vanquish completely undisguised somewhere in Padua, Italy.

Even though the new Vanquish is the successor for the current DBS, it looks about 75% new. From these images, we see that the new sports car was clearly inspired by the Project AM 310 unveiled by Aston Martin at the 2012 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, with some design elements also take from the One-77 supercar. According to numerous rumors, the new Vanquish will use plenty of carbon fiber to keep its weight down.

Under the hood, Aston Martin will place the same 6.0 liter V12 engine, but its output will be increased from 517 HP to 573 HP. The engine will be mated to a new 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifter controls on the steering wheel.

The official debut for the Aston Martin Vanquish will be made in August 2012, so stay tuned!

1963 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato Volante by Icon

Icon has recently received a fair amount of press due to its legal issues with Mattel, but they are also still hot on the path of building awesome custom cars. On deck for Icon is a car that is a little bit out of their norm, which is building bad-ass off-road machines. It is a modernized version of the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato Volante.

The project appears to be still in its concept phase, so all of the details are a little scarce and we have reached out to Icon for additional information. For now, we do know that this model will boast a strikingly similar body as the 1960s Aston Martin legend, but in true Icon fashion there will be loads of customization. First on the list of customizations will be to hack off the DB4’s annoying fixed head, and the signature Zagatto dual humps, but leaving the humps on the rear of the car, which you can see in the above image.

The next Iconization will be replacing the 3.7-liter in-line six-cylinder engine that the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato originally featured and replacing it with a modern day V-12 engine from an Aston Martin V12 Vantage. Given Icon has a shoehorn large enough to cram this 6.0-liter V-12 power plant into the DB4’s engine compartment, it will give this classic ride somewhere in the range of 510 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. That’s enough to give any car nut that warm and fuzzy feeling.

To make sure that this reborn DB4 GT Zagato stays as true to original form as possible, Icon is working closely with Ercole Spada, who just so happened to be the original designer for the Zagato coupe. How’s that for dedication to your craft?

We are still awaiting confirmation of these reports and actual specs from Icon, and we’ll update you and this review as soon as we receive additional information.

2012 Aston Martin DBX Concept by DMC

German tuner DMC has a new project on their hands. No, it’s not a Lamborghini, but it’s something that looks about as stunning as anything they’ve ever built.

The Aston Martin DBX Concept is the kind of car you would fall head over heels for at the mere sight of it. Give credit to the Dusseldorf-based tuner because they did a heck of a job on the car.

The dramatic bodykit features a plethora of new components, including a new front bumper, side skirts, a new bonnet, a roof scoop, a rear spoiler, a rear bumper, and a rear diffuser. When taken all together and fitted into an Aston Martin DBS, the result is nothing short of breathtaking.

And by the way, there are also added splashes of flair, particularly the gold mesh inserts on the grille and the window edging, as well as what appears to be an optional dual central exhaust system.

About the only thing lacking is a performance mod, but since DMC is still testing the waters to see how the concept will be received - if there’s enough want, they could produce it as a limited edition - we’re still holding out hope that they work their magic under the hood of the DBX Concept.

Aston Martin DBS successor will be called Vanquish

Aston Martin used the Vanquish name for the first back in 2001 when it unveiled the grand tourer designed by Ian Callum. After a successful run on the market and a role in Die Another Day, the Vanquish went out of production in 2007, but now it seems as though the company is considering bringing it back. British magazine, CAR, has caught the new DBS successor fully uncovered with the rear sporting a "Vanquish" badge.

This is the first and only uncovered photo of the new DBS, so the only details available are for the rear of the car. In the image, there’s an elegant integrated rear spoiler, a very elegant rear deck and a pair of blunderbuss exhausts straddling a large diffuser panel designed for maximum aero efficiency and air-cleaving. As you can see, these elements were inspired by the One-77 supercar as was originally promised.

Previewed by the AM 310 concept car, the new DBS - aka Vanquish Mk2 - will be making its world debut later this summer at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

Hit the jump to see our rendering of the future Vanquish.

First Aston Martin One-77 goes down

And here we go: the count down beings! When Aston Martin launched the One-77 supercar announced a number of 77 units will be produced. Unfortunately the first one is already dead. The accident occurred this past week in Hong Kong, China.

It seems that the car involved in the accident is one of the last units to be produced, so it was brand new. There are no real details on what really happened in here, but judging by the look of this wrecked One-77 we are sure that the driver lost control at high speeds. It looks like both front an back wheels have buckled, but the interior looks intact, so hopefully no one has been injured during this sad event.

A brand new One-77 is priced at $1.4 million! And considering the car has lots of carbon fiber in it, for sure it will raise the repairing cost pretty high. So, Aston Martin One-76 anyone?

2012 Aston Martin Project AM 310

During this past week-end at the Villa d’Este Concours d’Elegance, Aston Martin has displayed the new Project AM 310 - a preview version of the next generation DBS set to be unveiled in August at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

While Aston Martin is still not offering any official details on this new concept, numerous internet sources are suggesting that the AM 310 will be powered by a 6.0-liter V12 engine with output increased to 573 HP - an increase o 63 HP over the engine currently used in model like V12 Vantage, DBS and DB9.

Also, the new AM 310 will be featuring a lightweight construction and comes with a transaxle gearbox and wishbone suspension. The concept is also making intense use of carbon fiber elements, while it is easily to notice lots of design elements inspired by the One-77 supercar - a feature already confirmed for the next DBS.

All we can say is that sure the next DBS will be bolder and more aggressive and we can hardly wait to see it on the roads.

Hit the jump to watch the Aston Martin Project AM 310 in action at Villa d’Este.

UPDATE 06/04/12: Aston Martin has released a new teaser video of the Project AM310, calling it "The Art of Aston Martin". It’s got plenty of shots of thunder clouds, a Japanese samurai, a fighter pilot, and even a shark - but no sign of the Project AM310. Talk about the ultimate tease.

UPDATE 06/15/12: Even if Aston Martin has already unveiled the AM 310 Project at the Villa d’Este Concours d’Elegance, the company is continuing to tease the new supercar and also announced the new 310 will arrive soon.

UPDATE 02/19/13: Aston Martin’s Project AM310 is a saucy piece of ride. That’s why Aston Martin is taking the time to release a new promo video of the limited edition supercar, complete with emphasis on the car’s carbon fiber body, the chassis, and most importantly, the powerful V12 engine. Check it out by clicking on the photo above.

Spy Shots: Next Aston Martin DBS warms up at Nurburgring

Aston Martin is intensely preparing their new DBS for its official launch and in the past few days, the future DBS was spotted running a very quick lap around the Nürburgring with its sticky Pirelli tires.

According to our spy photographers, the sports car was very fast! That speed comes from its previously used 6.0-liter V-12 engine delivering somewhere between 550-600 HP. Add that to the fact that it was built on a lighter chassis and extensive use of lightweight materials, and you have the recipe for a very successful - and fast - sports car!

As for the design of the DBS, Aston Martin clearly took inspiration from its One-77, visible on the front of the vehicle with its reshaped headlights. The rest of the design seems to be a direct evolution of the current DBS with sportier touches here and there. The rear of the vehicle was more refined with adjustments made to the rear bumper and exhaust.

Expect to see the new Aston Martin DBS launched at the 2012 Paris Auto Show this September.

2012 Aston Martin DBS Casino Royale by Anderson Germany

While Aston Martin is preparing to say good bye to the current DBS with the recently announced DBS Ultimate Edition, German tuner Anderson Germany has created one more tuning package based on the sports car. The final product is called "Casino Royale," as a tribute to the James Bond movie where it was featured, and includes a pretty cool exterior package, as well as the addition of 55 HP.

The new Aston Martin DBS Casino Royale comes painted in a very cool Platinum Grey that is contrasted by shiny gray on the window borders, tailgates block, and radiator case. The car sits on a new set of 21" wheels painted in gray and combined with brake calipers painted in bronze.

The tuner has also installed a carbon exterior packet that includes a front spoiler lip, a rear diffuser, and a mirror besides full tinted glass. There is also a new exhaust system with catalyst, replacement pipes, manifold, and software optimization. As a result, the total output has gone from 517 HP to 572 HP, while total weight has been reduced by 46 lbs.

The interior gets new ventilation, cup holders, door handles, ashtrays, door sills, steering wheel, handbrake handles, and a new center console all done up in carbon fiber.

Aston Martin still wants to produce Lagonda SUV

When Aston Martin unveiled the Lagonda SUV back in 2009, it was thought to be the beginning of the Lagonda revival, previewing the company’s first SUV. That idea crumbled about a year later when Aston Martin announced that a production version would never be built. Instead, the company wanted to focus on a Lagonda version of the Rapide sedan.

To make it even more confusing, Aston Martin is now reconsidering 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.

According to Autocar, Aston Martin boss Ulrich Bez already confirmed that an updated Lagonda concept is being developed and that it will be unveiled next year. The new Lagonda SUV has been confirmed as a super-luxury 4x4 and will target the future SUV from Lamborghini. Next to it, Aston Martin will also bring out a second Lagonda model, a saloon.