1997 Aston Martin Db 7 Coupe Solent Silver 3.2 Supercharged on 2040-cars

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NHTSA grants Aston Martin temporary exemption from new safety standards

A few months ago, we reported that Aston Martin was in danger of running afoul of new US safety regulations that could force it to take some of its most popular models off the market. The automaker, its dealers and – according to the overwhelming results of our informal online pole – you yourselves reasoned that the constricting regulations were unfair to a small-scale, niche automaker like Aston Martin. And the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration evidently agrees, granting the British automaker a temporary exemption from the regulations and allowing it to keep its cars on the US market. The issue comes down to new side-impact crash standards that require motor vehicles to better withstand a collision with a stationary object like a pole or a tree. The Vantage and DB9 models do not meet the new regulations, and Aston, it seems, doesn't have the wherewithal to re-engineer the cars to meet the regulations. But given the small nature of the independent automaker and the relatively small number of vehicles it sells, NHTSA has granted Aston an exemption. As a result, instead of being forced to comply with the new regulations that took effect for the coupes this past September and for convertibles the next – or else withdraw from the market altogether – the DB9 coupe will have until August 2016 to comply, while the DB9 Volante and both coupe and convertible models in the Vantage line will have until August 2017. It's entirely possible that, by that point, Aston will have all-new models on offer, potentially replacing the Vantage and DB9 models or giving it sufficient new products to offer that taking those older, non-compliant models off the market would not cause it the same degree of financial harm. The automaker has an all-new platform in the works and a new engine deal with Mercedes-AMG in place, and was recently spotted testing what could be the first of its new generation of models at the Nurburgring.

Lotus Esprit S1 gets wet and wild in 'Forza Horizon 4' James Bond trailer

It only makes sense. When the official trailer for Forza Horizon 4 ( FH4) first debuted at E3, details showed the game is set in Britain. Those who were ahead of the curve might have recognized this as a foreshadowing of sorts. Celebrating the launch of FH4's XBOX One and Windows 10 demo on Sept. 12, Playground Games announced that the next version of the beloved racing simulator will launch with an available Best of Bond pack that includes many of James Bond's storied rides. As expected, the list is heavy on the Aston Martin, but there are plenty of other goodies, too. Included in the 10-car pack are the 1964 Aston Martin DB5, a 1969 Aston Martin DBS, a 1986 Aston Martin V8, a 2008 Aston Martin DBS, a 2015 Aston Martin DB10, a 1974 AMC Hornet X Hatchback, a 1977 Lotus Esprit S1, a 1981 Citroen 2CV6, a 1999 BMW Z8, and a 2010 Jaguar C-X75. If you can name every movie that all of these vehicles are from, pat yourself on the back and grab a martini. View 15 Photos Microsoft is rewarding those who are all-in on FH4. The Best of Bond pack will come with the Ultimate Edition of the game that is allowed an early play date, starting Sept. 28. For those who haven't fully committed, the Best of Bond pack will be available as an add-on for purchase when the game launches globally on Oct. 2. The action-packed trailer shows many of the vehicles transforming or busting out tricks they're known for from the films, including the Lotus emerging from the sea. Although players will not be able to drive any vehicles under water (that we know of), several of the gadgets will make it into the game and will be viewable during Forzavista mode. The '64 DB5 has many of its features, such as the bumper rams and revolving license plate, while the Lotus will have an available body kit, fins and all. The Bond pack also comes with a few features irrelevant to the cars, including two Bond outfits and six "quick chat" phrases that can be used during multiplayer. The pack adds to an already impressive catalogue of vehicles that includes more than 450 different rides. Available now to pre-order, the FH4 Ultimate Edition is priced at $99.99, the Deluxe Edition is $79.99, while the base game is $59.99. For those who love Bond but don't own a gaming system, don't forget about the recently announced DB5 Lego kit.

Lotus and Aston Martin to hook up?

This has been a tumultuous year for Lotus - to say the least - from the company being sold off back in January to its CEO Dany Bahar being fired in June to its questionable financial status and rumors of the British automaker being sold off to another automaker. First, we heard that Volkswagen was interested in acquiring Lotus and parent company Proton, a rumor that was later dismissed. Now Automobile is reporting that fellow Brit Aston Martin could be in the market to work with or possibly even merge with Lotus.
While this is pure speculation at this point, such a venture could prove to be beneficial for both independent companies. That's because with Lotus focused on lightweight, relatively affordable sports cars and Aston Martin producing high-end performance cars, there is virtually no product overlap between the companies. The article suggests that a person or company wanting to merge these two automakers would have to raise between $1.1 billion and $1.6 billion in order to make a go of it, however.
We're not sure what to think of this latest rumor, but anything that can help get the struggling brand back to health at least has our interest.