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Aston Martin brings ice driving program to America [w/video]

With between four and six hundred horsepower channeled to the rear wheels from a V8 or V12 engine mounted up front, an Aston Martin – any Aston Martin, really – might not seem like the smartest choice for driving on ice and snow. But that can also make it the most fun, and the most enlightening to experience. That's the point behind the Aston Martin On Ice program: allowing customers to drive the latest Gaydon has to offer on slippery, wintery surfaces. But whereas the On Ice program has been established for years in St. Moritz, Switzerland and in the Swedish Lapland, this year it arrived in America for the first time. A series of custom tracks – including a braking/cornering loop, slalom, skid pad and a full circuit – were carved into the snow in Crested Butte, CO, where expert driving instructors taught customers a thing or two about how to handle a powerful twelve-cylinder GT car like a DB9, Vanquish or V12 Vantage. The program has concluded for the season, returning next February, but in the meantime Aston will use the Colorado base camp as the center of its driving experience through the Rockies. Check out the video footage and the details in the press release below. ASTON MARTIN... ON ICE - New US ice driving program launches in Crested Butte, Colorado - Affords customers the opportunity to drive full Aston Martin range in extreme winter conditions - Utilises custom-built Aston Martin facility Irvine, CA, 17 March, 2014 – Aston Martin has launched the company's first ice driving program in North America, hosted at Crested Butte, Colorado providing customers with the ultimate driving experience against a stunning mountainous backdrop. Offering customers the opportunity to experience the full potential of the Aston Martin range and hone their driving skills, the new On Ice program took place in the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains in a unique setting, with an ice track custom built for the occasion as illustrated in a new film from the event, released today. Comprising a braking/cornering exercise loop, slalom, skid pad and full circuit, the bespoke Aston Martin track was especially constructed for the occasion over the last four months. Under expert tuition, participants were guided through the facility, embarking upon a series of braking, cornering and handling exercises before putting their skills to the test on a mile-long frozen road course.

Xcar takes us behind the scenes of Aston Vantage video shoot

Xcar makes some of the best car videos on the internet, which is why we enjoy bringing them to your attention whenever they surface. And if you've taken the time to watch any of them, it probably won't surprise you to find out they don't just come together all on their own. Like any production, the producers at Xcar do their homework, take their time to set up, shoot and reshoot segments, and surely spend plenty of time in post-production as well. It's a labor of love, but as you can see from this latest "behind the scenes" video, it's not always pleasant. This video shows us what it was like to put together the video with the Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster released a couple of months ago. The talents behind the video series took the unusual decision of filming the drop-top supercar in the sleet and snow of the Welch countryside, enduring some punishing conditions in the process... but it all proved worth the effort for the video that resulted.

Aston Martin recalling majority of cars built since late 2007 over counterfeit Chinese parts

Back in June 2013, Aston Martin recalled just under 700 vehicles over faulty throttle arms that could break without warning. Bad news, for sure – and things just got a whole lot worse. According to Reuters, the British luxury brand now needs to recall 17,590 vehicles due to counterfeit plastic materials being used by a Chinese sub-supplier – that's roughly 75 percent of the company's output over the same period. Basically, here's how it boils down: with the exception of the Vanquish, Aston Martin will recall all left-hand-drive vehicles built since November 2007, and all right-hand-drive cars built since May 2012. Just as we told you in the recall notice from 2013, the accelerator arms in these cars may fracture, increasing the risk of a crash. Shenzhen Kexiang Mould Tool Co Limited, a Chinese company that molds the accelerator pedal arms in these affected models, was using counterfeit plastics, according to Reuters. These bad plastics were supplied by Synthetic Plastic Raw Material Co Ltd, of Dongguan. An Aston Martin spokesperson tells Reuters that there have been no reports of accidents or injuries in conjunction with this problem.