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Aston Martin launches Evolution Academy driver training program

No longer content with simply recruiting new talent when they're ready, young driver training programs are becoming increasingly vital to a racing team's success and continuity. But while most of those programs are run by Formula One teams like Red Bull and Ferrari, this time it's Aston Martin that's set up a network of its own. The British automaker, as any endurance racing fan will tell you, has a robust motorsports program, including works entries in the FIA World Endurance Championship, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Nurburgring 24 Hours, to say nothing of the privateer teams it supports in other series around the world. And to feed it with new talent, it has launched the Evolution Academy. Designed for up-and-coming drivers between the ages of 17 and 25, the Aston Martin Evolution Academy will be limited to ten participants each season. Each trainee will be assigned a veteran professional racing driver from the Aston Martin Racing roster, get seat-time in Aston's simulator, and will be coached in everything from fitness and nutrition to marketing and sponsor recruitment. At the end of the program, the top of the class will be offered a contract to race full-time with the company, which would be a pretty plum assignment for any sports racing driver. The announcement was made at the Autosport International show in Birmingham, where Aston is showcasing its various Vantage-based racers. ASTON MARTIN RACING LAUNCHES LANDMARK EVOLUTION ACADEMY 7 January 2015, Gaydon: Aston Martin Racing is launching a young driver programme, the Evolution Academy, which offers a coveted 2016 Aston Martin Racing works driver contract to the most successful participant of the season. The academy, being launched at the Autosport International Show, is open to applications from drivers aged 17-25 competing in an Aston Martin racing car this season. It has been devised by the Banbury-based team to help support and develop young talent, as well as creating a breeding ground for Aston Martin Racing works drivers of the future. Successful applicants, limited to a maximum of ten, will be assigned a professional mentor from Aston Martin Racing's team of top GT drivers. In addition, they will be given fitness and nutrition assessments and advice; PR, marketing and sponsorship support; training sessions in an Aston Martin Base Performance Simulator; and Evolution Academy-branded apparel including a race suit and team kit.

Alfa Romeo 8C and GTV: Classic names revived as high-powered hybrids

BOLOCCO, Italy — There were grand plans for Alfa Romeo at FCA's last five-year plan. By 2018, we were supposed to get eight new products, including a new "specialty" vehicle. In reality, we've gotten the Giulia and Stelvio. At this year's follow-up, Alfa Romeo brand head Tim Kuniskis called the last plan ambitious, but he offered a new vision that was both more realistic and more far-reaching. Beyond doubling down on utility and electrified vehicles, by 2022 Alfa has plans to revive both the 8C and GTV names as high-performance hybrids. Since 2014, Alfa sales are up 160 percent, with an estimated 170,000 vehicles to be sold in 2018. The North American market counts for 16 percent of that, up from nothing back in 2013. Future products will focus on Alfa's current strengths: styling and performance. Look for new compact and full-size utility vehicles to slot on each side of the Stelvio. Plans for a larger sedan seemed to have been nixed, though a long-wheelbase version of the Giulia will make it to the ever-increasing Chinese market. The most exciting news obviously comes from the return of the 8C supercar and GTV sports car. We have few details, but what we do know looks promising. The 8C will use a carbon-fiber chassis with a mid-mounted twin-turbo V6. More than 700 horsepower will be sent to all four wheels thanks to an electrically-driven front axle. The car should hit 62 mph in fewer than 3 seconds. The GTV will be slightly more tame, though Alfa is promising more than 600 horsepower from its hybrid powertrain. The four-seater will also have all-wheel drive, torque vectoring and a 50/50 weight distribution. The brief teaser image shows a car that looks like a two-door Giulia, though it's unclear if we'll actually get a new coupe. Electrification, autonomy and connectivity are coming, too. Obviously, the 8C and GTV will get electrified powertrains, but look for each Alfa Romeo model to have some sort of electrification available. Look for six plug-in hybrids with all-electric ranges of more than 30 miles. Level 2 and 3 autonomous systems are coming, too. Related Video: Design/Style Earnings/Financials Green Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Coupe Crossover SUV Hybrid Luxury Performance Supercars FCA alfa romeo 8c

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.