2007 Aston Martin Vantage V8*premium Audi*navigation*19 Wheels*just Serviced on 2040-cars

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Last 9 Aston Martin DB9s roll off the line

It's been 13 long years since the Aston Martin DB9 debuted and the automaker just finished producing the last nine models. Aston tweeted "farewell to an icon" and posted pictures of the final DB9s. Farewell to an icon. The last nine Aston Martin DB9s are now ready for final inspection. pic.twitter.com/arpi2NPus7 — Aston Martin (@astonmartin) July 22, 2016 Just like the DB9 in 2003, the upcoming DB11 is expected to be a fresh start for Aston thanks to a new 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 and a modern platform. While the DB9's VH underpinnings will live on in the Rapide and Vanquish, the sports car was a huge success for Aston and arguably kept the company afloat during rough times. According to Left-Lane, Aston sold 8,701 DB9s from 2004 to 2015 in Europe alone. With its sales numbers and large following, it shouldn't come as a surprise to hear that Aston is hard at work ensuring the DB11 be a hit. Related Video: News Source: @astonmartin, Left-LaneImage Credit: Aston Martin/Twitter Auto News Plants/Manufacturing Aston Martin Coupe Luxury Performance aston martin db9

Aston Martin V12 Vantage teased again

The newest Aston Martin V12 Vantage cometh. Although we don't know when it comes and we don't know how many, we know what its front kind-of looks like, we know what it sounds like, and thanks to another Twitter tease, we've got a glimpse of the rear end. Starting with that front aspect in the clouded image above, there will be an oversized grille like that on the Vantage F1 Edition with flanking intakes and a front lip spoiler. That lip will be aerodynamically entangled with some downforce-generating devices in back. The shaky-cam video tweet reveals a high wing with what look like serious endplates, and a double diffuser that would create additional ground-hugging suction over the standard car's diffuser. If the prototypes spotted at the Nurburgring can be trusted, a central exhaust will replace the tips normally existing under the diffuser wings. Do not go gentle into that good night.#AstonMartin #V12Vantage #NeverLeaveQuietly — Aston Martin (@astonmartin) December 21, 2021 The two previous V12 Vantages, parked behind the coming model in the photo above, have all been hardcore. This one, clearly, will go several leaps deeper into brutal territory. Considering CEO Tobias Moers' time heading AMG, this feels like the company skipping a predictable V12 Vantage and going straight to a V12 Vantage Black Series. This being the third teaser this month for what will become the flagship Vantage in the range, we get the feeling a reveal won't be more than a few weeks away. Rumors and whispers say we can expect the 5.5-liter twin-turbo V12 to produce somewhere around 670 horsepower, which would be 20 ponies down on the same engine in the Vantage-based Aston Martin Speedster unveiled last year, 40 ponies above the DB11 with the V12. The Supercar Blog heard that all the body panels will be carbon fiber, and that there will be just 299 examples built, all using an eight-speed automatic transmission. Moers has said he plans 10 derivatives of existing models by 2023, the V12 Vantage's tagline "Never Leave Quietly" leading us to believe this car will start the crescendo that announces the V12's exit. The next Vantage and DB11 will go all-electric, the automaker pledging all its road cars will be battery-electric by 2030, with ICE builds reserved for track purposes.

Best luxury SUVs of 2022 and 2023

Once upon a time, the idea of a luxury SUV meant a Range Rover, and even that was pretty agricultural by modern standards. Then Jeep Grand Cherokees and Ford Explorers started offering fancy, range-topping versions followed soon by Lexus, BMW and Mercedes dipping their toes in the water. And then the floodgates opened. Today, there is a staggering number of luxury SUVs available in every shape, size and price point. There are electric luxury SUVs like the Tesla Model X and Jaguar I-Pace, as well as gas-swilling, high-performance SUVs like the BMW X5 M and Cadillac Escalade V. Sports car makers Porsche, Aston Martin and Lamborghini have even dived in.  But of this great many, which are the best luxury SUVs? We sat down, scoured our reviews, took some votes, had some discussions and came up with the luxury SUVs we view as the best. They are listed alphabetically within the six segments listed below.  Best Subcompact Luxury SUV   |   Best Compact Luxury SUV   |   Best Midsize Luxury SUV (Two-Row) Best Midsize Luxury SUV (Three-Row)   |   Best Flagship Luxury SUV (Two-Row)   |   Best Flagship Luxury SUV (Three-Row)  Best subcompact luxury SUVs Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class Why it stands out: Outstanding space and versatility; legit luxury interior; amusing GLB 35 versionCould be better: Overwhelming and confusing tech interface Most subcompact luxury SUVs are a dubious value, with cramped interiors of marginal quality and unrefined driving dynamics. You'd be much better off paying less money for a loaded, non-luxury compact SUV. The Mercedes GLB is different, though. Its boxy design provides space few other subcompact SUV can match (luxury or otherwise), while its cabin design and feature content are in keeping with pricier Mercedes models. The quality's not exactly up to GLC standards, nor is driving refinement, but the difference is appropriate for how much you're saving and still perfectly acceptable. There's nothing dubious about buying a GLB.     Volvo XC40 Why it stands out: More features for the money; spacious and versatile interior; distinctive design; electric versionCould be better: Fuel-efficient base engine only available with FWD Most subcompact luxury models feel a bit like cheap knockoffs of their bigger, pricier brand mates. The XC40, by contrast, is a break from the Volvo norm in a good way.