Coupe 6.0l Nav Rear Wheel Drive Active Suspension Power Steering Abs Mp3 Player on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Weekly Recap: Aston Martin to add another sports car, new Lagonda sedan, EVs

Aston Martin will revamp and expand its lineup as part of a five-year plan laid out by the company's new executives. If it succeeds, the strategy will position Aston for growth as an independent automaker with a more stable future in its second century. Aston will replace all of the cars in its current lineup and add a fourth sports car to its stable. It currently has three: the DB9, Vanquish and Vantage. The unnamed sports car will be joined by a production version of the DBX concept – an all-wheel-drive electric car that treads near crossover territory – that was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show. Aston's electric strategy also includes a potential electric-powered Rapide. Eventually, Aston plans to build a new four-door Lagonda. Though Aston will diversify its portfolio and the range could expand to seven vehicles, it will limit production to around 7,000 units annually, said Aston Martin marketing and communications director Simon Sproule, who described the company's strategy in an interview with Autoblog. CEO Andy Palmer, who joined Aston last year from Infiniti, has also spoken recently about remaking the company for the future. EVs are a major part of Aston's future, Sproule stressed, because they allow the automaker to "balance" its portfolio. Aston is studying the feasibility of an electric Rapide and is working with an undisclosed engineering firm. It's likely to use a plug-in setup and would cost $200,000 to $250,000 or more. It could use either a rear-wheel or all-wheel-drive configuration. View 14 Photos "It's a study, but we're serious about it," Sproule said. He added for emphasis: "If not this, there will be an electric Aston Martin in the future." Aston has taken note of what Tesla has done with the brisk-driving Model S and decided that's the dynamic it wants for some of its own cars. Even though EVs don't emit the same sonorous note as a V12 – they're better than the alternative, Sproule said. "The sound of silence is much more preferable than the sound of a four-cylinder whining away under the hood of an Aston Martin," he said. Speaking of V12s, they're not going away. Aston will continue to make its own V12 engine, but will source its V8 from Mercedes-AMG (whose parent, Daimler, owns a small stake in Aston). While the V12 is sure to please the faithful, Aston admits EVs and the crossover-like DBX will rankle many. Sproule argues those are the moves that will keep Aston relevant.

Aston Martin CEO to personally inspect first 1,000 DB11s

The Aston Martin DB11 is going to be a significant vehicle for the British automaker and to ensure that new owners are getting a flawless vehicle, CEO Andy Palmer will be going the extra mile to personally inspect the first 1,000 models. According to a recent tweet by BBC Autos reporter Matthew Phenix, Palmer will be working overtime to give the first set of vehicles an extra dose of love. The CEO will also be placing an inspection badge, which bears his signature, onto every one of the DB11's V12 engines he looks over. Only 1000 Aston Martin DB11 V12's to be made with this particular inspectors plaque! pic.twitter.com/lkmMTJpGE8 — Andy Palmer (@AndyatAston) July 13, 2016 The idea of giving the DB11 more love over the rest of Aston's lineup makes sense as the DB11 is the first all-new vehicle to debut from the automaker since Palmer took over as CEO in 2014. The DB11 is the 10th car in the iconic DB lineage that began with the gorgeous DB1 in 1948. And with the DB line being the most successful model for the automaker, there's a lot riding on the new DB11. This isn't the first time a CEO has gone to extreme lengths to ensure that vehicles are up to snuff as Elon Musk reportedly slept in a sleeping bag on the factory floor for the production of the Tesla Model X. Hopefully Palmer's extra effort will pay off for the DB11. Related Video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin DB11 View 42 Photos News Source: @AndyatAston, @mattphenix Auto News Aston Martin Coupe Luxury Performance aston martin db11

Watch some vintage F1 cars blast up a Japanese mountain road

It's a rare treat to see classic Formula One cars racing anywhere, but watching them on a Japanese mountain road is absolutely sublime. The folks behind Motorhead from Japan took over the toll road's twisting stretch of tarmac to turn this impossible dream into a reality. The unusual opportunity of a closed mountain road would be a waste for only two vehicles, and there were plenty of drivers in amazing machines that wanted to blast up the hill. After the vintage F1 cars got their turn, some drifters in a Nissan GT-R and a Toyota GT86 added some tire smoke to the misty mountain air. A couple more GT-R racecars and some modern sports cars eventually joined them. Before the rain hit, this team had quite a party going on. This video features amazing camera work, but the music unfortunately drowns out the chance to hear these amazing racecars. If watching this leaves you wanting more, Motorhead released a video last year of another group of impressive performance vehicles on the mountain road.