2011 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster 2-door 4.7l on 2040-cars

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The mood at this year’s Paris Motor Show: Quiet

The Paris Motor Show, held every other year in the early fall, typically kicks off the annual cavalcade of automotive conclaves, one that traverses the globe between autumn and spring, introducing projective, conceptual and production-ready vehicle models to the international automotive press, automotive aficionados and a public hungry for news of our increasingly futuristic mobility enterprise. But this year, at the press preview days for the show, the grounds of the Porte de Versailles convention center felt a bit more sparsely populated than usual. This was not simply a subjective sensation, or one influenced by the center's atypically dispersed assemblage of seven discrete buildings, which tends to spread out the cars and the crowds. There were not only fewer new vehicles being premiered in Paris this year, there were fewer manufacturers there to display them. Major mainstream European OEM stalwarts such as Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Nissan and Volkswagen chose to sit out Paris this year, as did boutique manufacturers like Bentley, Aston Martin and Lamborghini. This is not simply based in some antipathy on the part of the German, British and Italian manufacturers toward the French market — though for a variety of historical and societal reasons that market may be more dominated by vehicles produced domestically than others. Rather, it is part of a larger trend in the industry. Last year, Mercedes-Benz announced that it would not be participating in the flagship North American International Auto Show in 2019 — and that it might not return. Other brands including Jaguar/Land Rover, Audi, Porsche, Mazda and nearly every exotic carmaker have also departed the Detroit show. Some of these brands will still appear in the city in which the show is taking place, and host an event offsite, to capitalize on the presence of a large number of reporters in attendance. And even brands that do have a presence at the show have shifted their vehicle introductions to the days before the official press opening in an attempt to stand out from the crowd. In many ways, this makes sense. With an expanding number of automakers, with diversification and niche-ification of models and with wholesale shifts that necessitate the introduction of EV or autonomous sub-brands, there is a growing sense that, with everyone shouting at the same time, no one can be heard.

Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Volante is the belle of the Pebble Beach ball

While Aston Martin is showing off the Vanquish Zagato Coupe for the first time in North America, it's also using the Monterey Car Week to confirm a convertible version of the stunning supercar. Limited to just 99 cars – many of which will be spoken for this week by those visiting Aston's Carmel, California pop-up shop – the Volante will share the coupe's enhanced V12, cranking out 592 horsepower. The 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds is almost as quick as the 3.5 touted by the new DB11. And, of course, the topless models will distinguish themselves in several ways aesthetically. The Vanquish Zagato Volante gets the same rounded taillight reflectors and "bladed LED technology" of the Vulcan supercar. Lower carbon fiber sills that run the length of the car add a pronounced, sporty emphasis. Zagato's trademark twin cowls blend into the rear deck, concealing the folded top used in the Vanquish Volante. Design director Marek Reichman says the Zagato version is more muscular and flowing that the coupe. The interior gets the Zagato "Z" quilt pattern stitch on the seats and doors, and an embossed "Z" on the headrests and doors add additional flourish. The Vanquish Zagato Volante is the latest result of Aston's partnership with the Italian design house dating back to the 1960 DB4 GT Zagato race car. Aston says this latest Zagato model is aimed especially for the North American market, much like the 2003 DB AR1, an open-topped Zagato-bodied DB7 that was also limited to 99 units and is now considered a collectible. Aston's pop-up shop this week attracted enthusiasts and owners alike, and featured the cream of the DB lineup, the iconic DB5, DB10 from the latest Spectre Bond film, and, of course, Aston's newest series-production GT car, the DB11. Check out the new Vanquish Zagato Volante in the gallery up top, and the brand's pop-up shop below. Related Video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Volante View 9 Photos Related Gallery Aston Martin's pop-up shop at Pebble Beach View 9 Photos Design/Style Misc. Auto Shows Aston Martin Convertible Luxury Performance Pebble Beach zagato

Check out King Charles III's $17.6 million car collection

King Charles III's coronation will take place in England on May 6, and being crowned a monarch comes with a long list of perks with four wheels. He will gain full access to the Royal Family's fleet of cars, which is valued at about GBP14 million (approximately $17.6 million). The two most expensive cars in the collection are nearly identical: they're a pair of Bentley State Limousine models (pictured) built for Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III's mother, in 2002. Only two units were made, and they're both part of the Royal Family's fleet, so they're difficult to put a value on; it's not like one is going to end up listed on your favorite auction site anytime soon. British company Nationwide Vehicle Contracts, which compiled the list, estimates that each armored, 245-inch long sedan is worth at least GBP10,000,000 (roughly $12.6 million). Dropping below the eight-digit threshold, the second-most-valuable car in the Royal Family's fleet isn't really a car. It's the Gold State Coach, which Matchbox recently released a 1/64-scale replica of, and its value is estimated at GBP1.6 million (about $2 million). At 275 inches long it's even bigger than the Bentley limousine and it weighs about 9,000 pounds. It's 261 years old and designed to be pulled by eight horses, and has been part of every coronation since 1831. The rest of the Royal Family's vehicles are relatively mundane. There's a 1965 Aston Martin DB6 Volante that Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Phillip, bought for King Charles III on his 21st birthday. It's worth GBP1 million (about $1.2 million). The collection also includes a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI (about $627,000), a Bentley Bentayga (about $201,000), a Land Rover Range Rover long-wheelbase Landaulet ($133,000), a Jaguar XE (about $41,000), and a Land Rover Defender ($38,000). "Luxury cars have long been associated with the monarch and King Charles III, in particular, is known for his fondness of motor vehicles. His impressive collection features sentimental value with motors passed down from his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to cars bought for him by his parents," explained Keith Hawes, the director of Nationwide Vehicle Contracts, in an interview with CBS News. Being at the head of a car-making nation's royal family also comes with drawbacks: Every vehicle in King Charles III's fleet is British.