Matte Black W/gloss Black Wheels - Service History - Clean Carfax - Books/tools on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2016 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance: It's all in the details

It's no secret that Pebble Beach is an ode to gorgeous, and mostly, classic cars. The car show may be a place for automakers to showcase extremely expensive cars to wealthy buyers, but it's also one of the go-to places for enthusiasts that love automobiles and culture. While it's easy to be overwhelmed by the overall beauty of a car, the real magic often needs closer inspection to be realized. Every car at Pebble Beach is a work of art, but the true beauty of the vehicles lies in the details. And Autoblog's photographer, Drew Phillips, managed to capture the details on some gorgeous cars. From the Lamborghini Miura's exquisite steering wheel to Rolls-Royce's Spirit of Ecstasy, it's all at Pebble Beach. We think the details on some of the cars are prettier than the cars themselves, but don't take our word for it. Check out the beautiful gallery above and enjoy the tiny bits and pieces behind some of the prettiest cars in the world. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Details View 75 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Misc. Auto Shows Aston Martin BMW Ferrari Lamborghini Rolls-Royce Pebble Beach

Aston Martin DB11 Volante loses its roof and four cylinders

Aston Martin hasn't exactly hid the fact that it had a convertible version of the DB11 in the works. In fact it plastered the official release date on the sides of the prototypes. And now, roughly half a year before the Spring 2018 release date, the company has shown the car and provided all the specs. Right off the bat, it's clear the DB11 Volante hasn't lost any of its beauty in the chop job. Overall, it looks just as scintillatingly curvy as the coupe, and it manages to avoid looking too heavy and thick, regardless of whether the top is up or down. The top itself is rather pretty, with a taut shape and thin pillars helping maintain the DB11's lithe look. It can also be had in red, black-silver, or gray-silver, and is made up of eight layers for sound reduction. Losing the top also provides a great look at the optional seat back veneers, available in carbon fiber or, as in the photos above, in wood. In addition to looking attractive, the DB11 Volante has a number of performance advantages over its DB9 predecessor. According to Aston, it weighs 57 pounds less than the DB9, and it's 5 percent stiffer. Its top also takes up less trunk space. Unfortunately, the DB11 Volante's 4,134 pound curb weight is significantly more than the DB11 V8 coupe, which weighs around 3,800 pounds. It also roughly matches the V12 DB11 coupe. The comparison to the V8 model is important because the DB11 Volante will only offer the V8 engine. It's the same AMG-based unit from the coupe, displacing 4.0-liters and breathing through a pair of turbochargers. It's also coupled to 8-speed automatic and features a torque-vectoring limited slip differential. Despite the added heft over the coupe, the 503-horsepower engine still gets the DB11 Volante to 62 mph in 4.1 seconds, which is only a tenth behind the V8 coupe. It also will reach a top speed of 187 mph. The DB11 Volante will start at $216,495. That's $17,500 more than the V8 coupe, and the same price as the V12 coupe. Aston Martin is currently taking orders for the DB11 Volante. The first examples will be delivered in spring of 2018. Related Video:

Aston Martin waxes poetic about the good life with The Art of Vanquish

Aston Martin markets itself as offering the classy alternative to hardcore sports cars. Its vehicles are certainly capable, but they are also sold as offering an extra dose of luxury to go along with their power. The company is leaning hard into that image in a new short film called The Art of Vanquish. Over the grumble of the coupe's V12, the announcer reads a poem about the metaphor of life's journey, and it positions the Vanquish as a symbol of progress. The film is interspersed with shots of luxury goods like thickly upholstered leather chairs and products from sound system maker Bang & Olufsen, men's clothier Hackett London and Swiss watchmaker Jaeger Le Coultre. The production team True Motion Pictures created the short and has also done projects for Audi and Sony, among other companies. Of course, the idea that Aston Martins and other luxury goods are a symbol of life's adventure is a little contrived. It's still just a car after all – albeit an absolutely gorgeous one. Still, the film is an opportunity for a closer look at the Vanquish, and its wonderful growl is featured throughout. Scroll down to watch the video and be swathed in its poetic concept of luxury. Aston Martin, 'The Art of Vanquish' from True motion pictures on Vimeo.