2008 Aston Martin V8 Vantage on 2040-cars

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Aston Martin partners with Chinese company to make RapidE by 2018

Aston Martin intends to launch a production version of the electric RapidE concept by 2018, and a partnership with Chinese company LeEco should make that quick timeline possible. The deal brings the British brand a significant step closer to its goal of offering a more electrifying lineup. Under this deal, Aston Martin and LeEco will develop the battery and powertrain tech for the RapidE together, and they'll also work out how to produce the electric sedan. According to the announcement, some of these innovations might show up in Faraday Future vehicles because LeEco is the new name for LeTV, which is backing the mysterious EV startup. Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer confirmed development of the electric Rapid last spring and later said the company already had a test mule. Rumors suggest the all-wheel drive EV could be astoundingly powerful with between 800 and 1,000 horsepower. A single-charge range of 200 miles is also possible. However, the British company might produce only a few hundred RapidE's a year at prices between $200,000 and $250,000 each, which would make it a niche product for the boutique brand. The RapidE's high price and low production would keep the sedan out of the mainstream, but the model's development could allow Aston Martin to hone its EV prowess for the more mainstream DBX electric crossover. The CUV is due around 2019. ASTON MARTIN AND LEECO PARTNER TO CO-DEVELOP ELECTRIC VEHICLE Published: Feb 17, 2016 17 February 2016, Frankfurt, Germany: Leading global technology company LeEco and luxury sports car brand Aston Martin today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) towards the creation of a partnership that will develop a production version of the Aston Martin RapidE electric vehicle concept. It is anticipated that the partnership will see the two companies working together in developing and manufacturing RapidE, with potential for adding a range of next-generation connected electric vehicles on behalf of Aston Martin, LeEco and Faraday Future. This new signing extends the existing collaboration between the two companies. In January 2016, LeEco and Aston Martin revealed the first results of their partnership – an Aston Martin Rapide S incorporating the latest Letv Internet of the Vehicle (IOV) system.

2017 Aston Martin Vantage GTS is only for America

Earlier today, Aston Martin announced that a short run of V12 Vantage S models would come to the US with a manual. Just 100 will be built, but that's an exciting prospect nonetheless. The US is also getting a unique rationalization of the V8 lineup, spiking the low-price GT and more expensive S variants and consolidating them into one trim: the GTS, available in fixed and droptop versions. Basically, there's one trim, but two flavors thereof. Both offer the 4.7-liter V8 in the existing V8 Vantage, and both offer a choice of a six-speed manual or 7-speed single-clutch automated manual. The Sport flavor offers some styling baubles (think: carbon fiber) as well as the sport suspension that was optional on the older Vantage. Inside, the Sport is trimmed with either black or grey leather with either alcantara or leather detailing. The center stack face is carbon fiber, and the rotary controls are black. The Lux version skips the sport suspension bits, but adds in some gloss black exterior elements at the front splitter and rear diffuser, and brightwork at the front grille, headlamp surrounds, hood vent strakes, and window surrounds. The seats are leather, although the color is up to the buyer from an "extensive color palette". Controls are done up in satin chrome finish with piano black. The GTS is, like most Astons, a blank slate for too many styling options to list, but if you can write a check big enough chances are you can have it any way you'd like. Expect it to start at roughly the current V8 Vantage S's price, or right around $134,000. Related Video:

Last original Aston Martin DBS found in barn headed to auction

There's still big money in auctioning off barn finds. For example, the relatively tattered 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider from the Baillon Collection is now the highest priced 250 GT ever after its recent sale for $18.5 million. UK auction house Coys is hoping to hit a similar goldmine with its upcoming offer of the final, original Aston Martin DBS ever made. This dinged and rusty 1972 DBS in a shade called Dubonnet Rosso rolled off the assembly line as the last of its type in September 1972. These models were meant for the Aston driver looking for a slightly larger GT car, and they sported a 4.0-liter inline-six. This one also has an automatic transmission and 40,000 miles indicated on the odometer. Unfortunately, it has been sitting in a barn in Surrey, England, since 1980. As is plainly obvious, this Aston Martin is far from perfect with busted windows and missing trim pieces. Stuffing straw in the open portions of it is probably taking the ratty look a bit too far, though. Still, the auction house estimates the final DBS to sell for between 25,000 and 40,000 pounds ($38,000-$61,500) when it crosses the block at the Royal Horticultural Society on March 10. A practically perfect 1970 example once driven by Roger Moore fetched the equivalent of $900,000 in 2014. THE ULTIMATE BARN FIND 02/03/15 from COYS The last original Aston Martin DBS to come off the production line has been found in a barn in Surrey and will be auctioned by international auctioneers COYS in London on March 10th. The car was discovered by Chris Routledge, the Managing Partner of the auction house, and is one of the features of COYS 'Spring Classics' auction at the Royal Horticultural Society. Aston Martin Mayfair is hosting the barn find car for a week before the event takes place. Chris Routledge said: "This is the ultimate barn find and an important part of Aston Martin's history. It has been sitting in a barn since 1980 and now needs to be brought back to its former glory." He added: "The windows are broken, the interior trim is missing and its rusty, but it's all there and there has been huge interest from collectors around the world.