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Drive an Aston Martin | The List #0568

Few cars can drum up feelings of intrigue like an Aston Martin. On this episode of The List, hosts Jessi Combs and Patrick McIntyre travel to England, the birthplace of Aston Martin, to drive the V12 Vanquish and learn more about this luxurious brand. From exploring narrow country roads to braving a rain storm on the track, we put this beautiful British sports car to the test. The 2016 V12 Vanquish is a sight to behold no matter the road, but there's something special about driving it around England. We visited the Aston Martin Works in Newport Pagnell, the site of an Aston factory from 1954 - 2007, to learn more about the brand's past. From the DB4 all the way to the Vanquish, the beauty of these hand-built machines has stayed consistent throughout their history. After admiring the classics, it was time to push the shiny new Vanquish to its limits on the track. Fighting through intermittent rain didn't make it easy. "Getting a little squirrelly for sure," said a visibly excited Patrick. "Too much. Way too much on that one." When it was Jessi's turn, her self-proclaimed lead foot actually led her to an interesting conclusion about the vehicle. Because of the subpar track conditions and because the car is in fact a grand tourer, Jessi actually makes that claim that "I think I'd rather have it out on the open road." Regardless of environment or driving conditions, it's certain that the Vanquish is an incredibly impressive machine. Perhaps most importantly, it helped us check "Drive An Aston Martin" off of our List. Click here to find more episodes of The List Click here to learn more about our hosts, Jessi and Patrick Aston Martin Luxury Performance Supercars The List Videos Original Video aston martin vanquish

Carfection gets an inside look at Aston's 800-hp Vulcan

Most of us will never get close to a beast like the Aston Martin Vulcan. After all, the British automaker will only build 24 of them, and each is priced at over $2 million. Fortunately our friends at Carfection (previously known as Xcar) have done it for us with this latest video. The Vulcan, for those unfamiliar, is Aston Martin's take on the same formula that brought us the likes of the McLaren P1 GTR and Ferrari FXX K (not to mention the 599XX and FXX that came before). Only by "us," we mean billionaire playboys with the funds and the will to play racing driver in track toys designed purely for their amusement. And where the McLaren and Ferrari are both mid-engined hybrids derived from road-going supercars – the former with a pair of turbochargers – the Vulcan is purpose-built for the task and packs an oversized, naturally aspirated 7.0-liter V12 mounted up front said to be good for 800 horsepower. It's more extreme than anything else Aston Martin has ever made for the street or racing. Check it out for yourself in the two-minute clip above to see how it's put together by the company's most skilled craftsmen. And don't forget to turn up the speakers. Related Video: News Source: Carfection via YouTube Aston Martin Coupe Supercars Videos viral video aston martin vulcan carfection

Even Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce have designed flying taxis

Think British-built taxi cabs and you're likely to think of the classic, black London taxis. However, there are British companies eager to take taxis to the skies — bearing vaunted nameplates. Aston Martin has created the Volante Vision Concept, which isn't a sports car, but a luxury VTOL aircraft. It is the product of a joint venture with Cranfield University, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions and Rolls-Royce, and Aston says it's a "near-future study" that previews a flying autonomous hybrid-electric vehicle. It's meant for both urban and inter-city travel. The hybrid powertrain would come courtesy of Rolls-Royce Electrical, which has already provided such systems for marine and train use. The Volante Vision Concept's design language has been overseen by Marek Reichman, who stated the following: "We are at the beginning of a new generation of urban transportation; vertical mobility is no longer a fantasy. We have a unique chance to create a luxury concept aircraft that will represent the ultimate fusion of art and technology. We have used forms and proportions that express the same devotion to design, engineering and beauty that shape our cars." The leather interior bears familiar, winged Aston Martin badging — though this time the wings are especially appropriate. Beyond working with Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce plc has also designed a flying taxi of its own. Similarly VTOL, Rolls-Royce's hybrid-electric taxi has rotating wings and uses a gas turbine engine paired to hybrid tech; it is designed to carry four or five passengers and offers a 500-mile range with a top speed of 250 mph. And Rolls, of course, as a major supplier of aircraft engines, knows a thing or two about flying. Rolls says that if there is a business case for the flying taxi, it could see production in the early-to-mid-2020s. The Rolls-Royce concept was presented Monday at the Farnborough Air Show. Related Video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin / Rolls-Royce Flying Taxis Image Credit: Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce plc Design/Style Aston Martin Rolls-Royce Technology Emerging Technologies Autonomous Vehicles Commercial Vehicles Future Vehicles Luxury Special and Limited Editions air taxi