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Aston Martin DB11 already has over 1,400 pre-orders

It's barely been a month since Aston Martin revealed the new DB11 at the Geneva Motor Show. The company hasn't even announced all the details yet, but it reportedly has already topped 1,400 pre-orders for the new model. "I think we're at more than 1,400 orders now," Aston chief Andy Palmer told the Motor Report, "which is great for a car that we've not really released the whole details about, and isn't available to be purchased until September." That's impressive considering that the company only sells around 4,000 vehicles each year. View 42 Photos Aston plans to ramp up production to 7,000 units annually, and the arrival of the new DB11 represents a major step forward for the niche automaker. It replaces the DB9 that's been on the market since 2004 and has – alongside the Vantage that's nearly as old – served as the basis for most of the vehicles the company has made over the past decade. However, the DB9 is built on a new platform and uses a new engine and transmission (among other components) supplied by Mercedes-AMG. Its 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 drives 600 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic. Aston's latest is slated to reach US dealers in the fall, with a price tag starting at $211,995. That represents only a small increase over the base price for the DB9 GT, which starts at just under $200,000. Rival Bentley's Continental GT tops out in Speed spec just a bit higher at $227,600. Related Video:

Aston Martin Rapide puts the future on display at CES

Aston Martin looks to be on the verge of a technological revolution. That includes a new platform, powertrain, design language... the works. And at CES, it's showing how its next generation of vehicles will incorporate new infotainment technologies, as well. Stemming from a partnership recently signed with Chinese company Letv (which we're not sure how to pronounce either), this Aston Martin Rapide S is decked out with bright tech. It has a 13.3-inch high-def touchscreen display in the center console, a 12.2-inch display in the instrument cluster, new speed-recognition technology, and remote services. All the features come from Letv's Internet of the Vehicle program. Few of these features are ground-breaking, but everything being relative, it's a big step for Aston Martin. After all, the British automaker makes almost all of its models based on a platform that dates back fifteen years, a V12 engine that's even older, and no transmission with more than a single clutch. But that's all about to change with a new generation on the horizon, and this demonstrator hints at just one way in which we'll soon see that transformation take shape. Related Video: LETV AND ASTON MARTIN REVEAL THE AUTOLINK RAPIDE S AT CES 6 January 2016, Las Vegas USA: Leading global technology company Letv and luxury sports car brand Aston Martin today revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show the first results of their collaboration – an Aston Martin Rapide S incorporating the latest Letv Internet of the Vehicle (IOV) system. Aston Martin and Letv signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on December 3rd 2015 to confirm research projects that include the development of connected electric vehicles through to manufacturing consultation on future electric vehicles. The ideation and engineering of the Aston Martin Rapide S project has been led by the Letv IOV team and has focused on a new concept for the centre console and instrument panel. The center console is now a 13.3 inch HD touch screen and the instrument panel is now a 12.2 inch screen incorporating electronic instrumentation and gauges. The original human-machine interaction (HMI) has also been updated by integrating Letvs latest speech recognition technology. Letv first showed its Autolink system in November 2015, the first time the technology company had released a product specifically developed for automotive applications.

Kahn Design to reveal Aston Martin Vengeance in Geneva

The major automakers won't be the only ones with new metal to showcase in Geneva next month, so will aftermarket tuners and coachbuilders like Kahn Design. The British outfit is rolling into the Swiss expo this year with the long-awaited Vengeance, its own take on the Aston Martin DB9. We first caught wind of the Vengeance project in May – just after a similar project by Henrik Fisker was quashed. But unlike the proposed Fisker Thunderbolt, Kahn secured Gaydon's blessing in developing the Vengeance: "Aston Martin has entered into a supply agreement with Kahn Design," AML spokesman Kevin Watters confirmed to Autoblog at the time, "and will supply a very limited number of DB9s for an extensive coachbuild conversion." The design, as you can see, bears the familiar hallmarks of a contemporary Aston, but rendered more aggressive in a style that looks similar to the manufacturer's own One-77. It won't be the first such coach-built Aston Martin we've seen, but most of the others to date have resulted from a longstanding collaborative effort between the British automaker and famed Italian carrozzeria Zagato. Another recent project saw Bertone convert a Rapide into the Jet 2+2 shooting brake in a revival of the Vanquish-based Jet 2 from 2004. In a bit of a role reversal, Aston served as something of a coachbuilder itself in rebodying the Toyota/Scion iQ as its own Cygnet, having previously outsourced production of the Rapide to contract manufacturer Magna Steyr. Alongside the Vengeance, Kahn plans to display the Flying Huntsman 6x6 pickup based on the Land Rover Defender at the Geneva Motor Show. It will be joined by a customized red Range Rover and blue Range Rover Sport done up as pace cars, and a widebody Jeep Wrangler from its Chelsea Truck Company division. Related Video: