2007 Aston Martin Db9 Volante 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.

Aston Martin DB9 successor makes one sexy mule

It's been a dozen years since Aston Martin first introduced the DB9 to the world, and while it has undergone numerous revisions and updates over the course of its lifetime, twelve years is a long time. Fortunately the British automaker is preparing to launch a new version, and that's just what our shooters in Eiffel have spotted running around the Nurburgring. Now it's hard to tell much from these spy shots, because the prototype they depict is mostly wearing the bodywork of the existing DB9. So all the interesting stuff is happening beneath the skin. But it does appear that the front end is wider, giving the next-generation model – whatever it will ultimately be called – a wider front track and more room in the engine bay. Those who've been following the news will know that Aston has signed a deal with Mercedes-AMG that will see the German automaker's performance division supply it with a new powerplant, but that's not expected to be ready for the DB9 successor's arrival. Look for it to pop up in production guise sometime next year, then, with an evolution of Gaydon's long-serving and ubiquitous 6.0-liter V12 engine that's already developing 592 horsepower in the Vantage GT3... excuse us, Porsche: "GT12." Related Video:

Aston Martin pens new DB10 for James Bond

James Bond has driven a variety of vehicles over the course of his long and fictitious career in espionage, but few marques have been as intrinsically tied to the famous spy as Aston Martin. For the past few films that's come down to the DBS, but for the next one, 007 is switching to the one you see here. Called the DB10, this latest Aston was designed specifically for the upcoming movie Spectre. Technical details were not disclosed, but the design demonstrates a clean break with the styling that has characterized Astons for the past couple of decades. Working with EON Productions – the studio responsible for the Bond films – Aston's chief designer Marek Reichman and his team penned a new form with decidedly different design cues and applied them to a shape that looks similar to the current V8 Vantage, but with different lines. Beyond the silver screen, Aston will build only ten production examples of the DB10. The bigger question, however, is whether this design will inform the new generation of sports cars and luxury GTs from Gaydon. In the meantime, moviegoers will be able to see the new DB10 in action in Spectre when it debuts on November 6, 2015. Built for Bond: Aston Martin debuts unique car for Spectre - Aston Martin DB10 created specifically for new Bond film - Partnership with EON Productions spans 50 years of cinema history - Demonstrates the breadth of Aston Martin's bespoke capabilities 4 December 2014, Gaydon: Aston Martin together with EON Productions, the producers of the James Bond film franchise, unveiled Bond's stunning new car, the Aston Martin DB10, on the 007 stage at Pinewood Studios. The luxury British sports car brand is delighted to confirm that James Bond will once again drive an Aston Martin in Spectre. On this occasion, it will be a model developed specifically for the film and built in-house by the brand's design and engineering teams. Led by Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman, the design team worked closely with the film's director, Sam Mendes, to create the ultimate car for the world's most famous spy. Celebrating the great British brand's half century with Bond, which started with the iconic DB5, the DB10 gives a glimpse to the future design direction for the next generation of Aston Martins.