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Aston plans Tesla-fighting 800-hp electric Rapide

Aston Martin is taking direct aim at the top versions of the Tesla Model S with a plan to launch a battery electric Rapide sedan boasting 800 horsepower, all-wheel drive, and a 200-mile range within the next two years. Company CEO Andy Palmer confirmed the vehicle's development to Automotive News during the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. A test mule to engineer the powertrain was already on the road, Palmer asserted. The electric Rapide would join the internal combustion version, rather than replace it, and the BEV would likely remain a niche product with just a few hundred per year carrying a price between $200,000 and $250,000. Palmer indicates the model would prioritize performance. "I think that the fact that you could drive a few laps of a decent race course or race it around the Nordschleife is much more interesting than doing 500 meters in Ludicrous mode," he said to Automotive News, taking a swipe at Tesla's latest upgrade. Palmer has referenced the electric Rapide before. Earlier this year, he said that power would be a major priority for it. Aston Martin has also received help on the project from an undisclosed Silicon Valley partner, but Palmer said the collaborator wasn't Tesla. "If you want to keep making V12 engines, then you've got to do something at the opposite end of the spectrum," Palmer said about the company's strategy to Automotive News. The Rapide is just the first step in the brand's electrification, and the DBX is also under development for the next decade in EV, plug-in hybrid, and internal combustion versions. The crossover concept debuted at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show as an EV.

Aston Martin teases extreme Vantage GT3 for Geneva

Aston Martin's Vantage range has been on the market for ten long years, dating back to the Ford era and making it just a bit younger than the DB9, but still ripe for replacement. And that's just what Aston Martin has in store, with a new platform under development and a new engine deal with Mercedes-AMG. But before a replacement arrives, the British automaker will send off the current Vantage with what promises to be its most extreme version yet. First mooted over a year ago and spied more recently undergoing testing at the Nurburgring, Aston has now released this teaser video announcing the upcoming debut of the Vantage GT3 to bridge the gap between the top-of-the-line V12 Vantage S road car and the competition-spec V12 Vantage GT3. As such, we're expecting it to pack the company's ubiquitous 6.0-liter V12 engine, likely with some upgrades: what produced 510 horsepower in the previous V12 Vantage and 565 hp in the newer V12 Vantage S is likely to nudge the 600-hp mark in the GT3. Along with the expected power upgrade, we can look forward to all the usual suspects: more extreme aero and cooling, upgrades suspension, brakes and rolling stock, a stripped-out cockpit and more. The Vantage GT3 is confirmed to debut at the Geneva Motor Show this coming March.

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