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Aston Martin losses shrink, still amount to nearly $10k per car

Aston Martin's current lineup may be the best it's ever been, but that doesn't mean the automaker is making money off its Vantage, DB9, Vanquish and Rapide dream machines. In fact, the company lost $41 million in 2013, but that pretax figure is actually a third lower than in 2012. Revenue was up a promising 12.6 percent, according to Reuters. The Kuwaiti-owned British manufacturer blames its losses on the still troubled global economy, acknowledging that it's seen a small recovery in the ultra-high-end segment of the market. Global sales were up from 3,800 to 4,200 in 2013. To put it all in perspective, $41 million in losses on 4,200 units works out to around $9,700 lost per vehicle sold. That's no way to run a railroad. While the company's CFO, Hanno Kirner, told Reuters the company is hoping for a big bounceback by 2016, Aston's fortunes in the United States remain uncertain due to a new federal side-impact standards. The company has filed for exemption, although the jury is still out on the success of that petition.

Aston Martin DB9 successor spied, may be called DB11

This is by far our best look yet at the car that will replace the long-serving Aston Martin DB9. Previous photos of the grand tourer have consisted of mules based on the current car, but here we get our first taste of a model wearing its production skin. Despite the heavy camouflage, the DB9 successor looks to borrow its styling from the Aston Martin DB10, which will feature in the latest James Bond film. Considering this, it's not surprising that our spies report the new GT will wear the DB11 moniker. While the headlights look somewhat like the current Vantage, it's a fair bet that they'll bear more of a resemblance to the DB10 when the production model arrives. The grille sits lower than on current models, although, unlike 007's Aston, it does have an independent lower grille. It's hard to discern much from the rear of the car, though, owing to the fake taillights and heavy camouflaging on the rear hatch. That, thankfully, isn't an issue in the car's profile. Despite the heavy camo, we can see a suitably large set of haunches and the brand's trademark side grille. Expect Aston to continue using swan wing doors, judging by the shape of the units spied on this prototype, while we predict a larger greenhouse than seen here, owing to the camo over the quarter window. The partnership between Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG will bear production fruit with the so-called DB11, as our spies report the new Brit will be available with the same 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 being offered in the AMG GT. Don't fret purists – Aston's 6.0-liter V12 will also be on offer. We're fairly convinced Britain will sink into the ocean before Gaydon abandons the venerable 12-cylinder. Have a look at the latest round of spy photos and let us know what you think of Aston Martin's work so far. Related Video:

Petrolicious shows a 1977 Aston Martin V8 shared by a father and son

Beyond a knack for great cinematography and skilled sound mixing, Petrolicious has a sixth sense for finding beautiful classic cars that bring families together. This time, it has turned the focus on a 1977 Aston Martin V8 that started as a son's ratty ride in high school and was later wonderfully restored by his dad. Paul Kitchen grew being surrounded by his dad, Jonathan's, classic cars, and eventually wanted to get one of his own. Paul first looked at a Chevrolet Chevelle, but Jonathan pointed his son towards an Aston Martin. Now, the two of them share this beautiful V8. The real highlight of this clip is watching this wonderful coupe snake over some wet roads over the burble of its V8. While the car's overall design was clearly European, Aston's stylists definitely had a look at some American muscle cars before picking up their pens. The result was a sublime blend of James Bond and Bullitt.