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The Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Volante is a beautiful mouthful

Aston Martin makes some of the most beautiful sportscars in the world. There are few bad looking Astons and most attempts to modify or change the cars' characters usually ends terribly. Zagato, the Milan-based coachbuilder, is one of the few companies that seems to get it right. Last year, the company debuted its Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato coupe and Vanquish Zagato Volante convertible. These new spy shots show the production car in action. As the name suggests, the Vanquish Zagato Volante is simply a Aston Martin Vanquish Volante restyled by Zagato. That means a 5.9-liter V12 sending 592 horsepower to the rear wheels. Expect a 0-60 mph time of 3.7 seconds. That's nearly as quick as the new Aston Martin DB11. The Vanquish Zagato Volante keeps the standard car's long-hood short-deck proportions, but most of the bodywork has been redone. The grille keeps the standard Aston Martin outline, but it grows in size and bubbles out just slightly. Round LED lights sit at the corners of the Z-emblazoned grille. Around the side, we can see the gold-accented wheels and fender. There is a deep cut for airflow just behind the rear wheel. The shape mimics that of the standard car, but changes it just enough to make it special. A carbon-fiber lip runs around the bottom of the entire car. Out back, the wing-shaped taillights have been replaced with round units that use bladelike LEDs. The quad exhaust tips remain in place, but they appear to sit slightly higher than on the standard car. The small rear wing raises and lowers at speed for increased downforce. Just 99 of these Vanquish Zagato Volantes will be built. Most are likely spoken for, going to owners of the coupe version of the car. After all, if you have one, you might as well have the set. Related Video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Volante View 12 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Design/Style Spy Photos Aston Martin Convertible Luxury Performance aston martin vanquish aston martin vanquish volante aston martin vanquish zagato

Spectre shreds $37 million in cars

Much as you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, you apparently can't film a James Bond movie without trashing a few cars. And by "a few cars," we actually mean $37 million worth. That's how much the producers of the all-new 007 flick, Spectre, trashed in the process of filming. And yes, that's a record. "We set the record for smashing up cars on Spectre," stunt coordinator Gary Powell told The Daily Mail (with what we can only imagine was a very boastful grin). "In Rome, we wrecked millions of pounds worth. They were going into the Vatican at top speeds of 110 [miles per hour]. We shot one entire night for four seconds of film." But because this was Bond, producers didn't just destroy $37 million worth of budget hatchbacks. Instead, seven out of ten specially produced Aston Martin DB10s were sacrificed in the name of cinema, including a major crash sequence featuring Rome's Colosseum, River Tiber, and the Vatican. American filmgoers will be waiting until November 6 to see if the destruction of all those Aston Martins was worthwhile. Somehow, we don't think anyone is going to be disappointed. Related Video: News Source: Daily Mail via Vanity FairImage Credit: Angelo Carconi / AP TV/Movies Aston Martin Coupe Luxury Performance spectre aston martin db10

Aston Martin to unveil lighter, faster Vantage called GT8

After the Vantage GT12's (pictured above) success last year, Aston Martin will reportedly build a new race-inspired version of the coupe called the GT8. According to Autocar, the British sports car brand sent select customers invitations to an unveiling later this week. The note included a sketch of the car, including a road-scraping front splitter, big rear wing, and large diffuser. The GT8 will boast carbon fiber body panels like the GT12, and according to Autocar the new edition could be the lightest road legal Vantage ever. Inside, look for a race-inspired interior, which makes any trip feel a little more like being on the track. There's no official word on the powerplant yet, but the name likely gives away the secret. Where the GT12 has a 592-horsepower 6.0-liter V12, expect the GT8 to use a hotter version of the brand's V8. Customers would choose between a seven-speed manual or Aston's SSII automatic, Autocar claims. Aston Martin will build just 150 units of the GT8 – 50 more than the GT12. Going forward, the company plans to introduce two limited edition vehicles each year. The GT8 would be the first one for 2016, so there's still another exciting model to expect from the company. Related Video: