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Aston celebrates Spectre with DB9 GT Bond edition

Sorry friends, but as of right now, you can't buy the Aston Martin DB10 that James Bond will be driving in the upcoming film Spectre. That's a bummer, as 007's preferred GT is offering a fresh update on Aston's traditional looks. What you can do, though, is snag the new DB9 GT Bond Edition. According to Aston Martin, this is the most powerful DB9 the company has ever built, with the 6.0-liter V12 pumping out 540 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque. Sixty miles per hour arrives in just 4.5 seconds, while the 007 DB9 will run all the way up to 183 mph. Those are some impressive figures – the top speed and torque output mirror the range-topping Vanquish – but you might still be wondering why not choose the king of the Aston range over this, which still gets to 60 mph 0.3 seconds faster, has an extra 25 horsepower at its disposal, and is arguably the better-looking vehicle. Well, the Bond Edition DB9 comes with a number of unique items. Outside, there's a set of handsome, 10-spoke, gloss-black, 20-inch alloys, a carbon-fiber splitter and diffuser, gray brake calipers, and bright finishes on the hood vents, grille, and side gills. If the little bits aren't enough for you, the entire car is finished in 007-spec Spectre Silver paint. Naturally, "007" badges are included. In the cabin, new sill plates and embroidered headrests call out this DB9's inspiration, while an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel makes the actual act of driving just a bit more pleasant. Sadly, machine guns and ejector seats are not part of the upgrades. Unlike so many special editions, though, there's even more to the Bond Edition DB9 than special trim bits. All 150 DB9s will come with a 21-inch Globe-Trotter wheeled suitcase, while horology geeks will likely gravitate towards the included time piece. Provided by Omega, 007's preferred watchmaker since 1995's Goldeneye, the Seamaster Aqua Terra comes with a unique, Aston Martin-branded strap. The suitcase costs around $2,000 while the watch generally goes for around $3,500 to $4,000. Their inclusion in this limited-edition DB9 might soften the blow of the price, which starts at $237,007. Still, if you're a fan of Britain's most famous secret agent and are in the market for a handsome GT, you could do far worse than this unique Aston Martin. Read on for the official press release.

The legendary Aston Martin DB4 GT is reborn

The trend of resurrecting ghostly automobile legends continues with Aston Martin, which announced Friday it's building a limited run of 25 more DB4 GTs. Originally built from 1959 to 1963, the DB4 GT was among the most powerful British cars of its era and a precursor to the modern supercar. Just 75 DB4 GTs were built during the first run. The GT model was lighter and more powerful than the stock DB4, giving it excellent racing chops. Stirling Moss drove the GT to victory at Silverstone in its competition debut in '59. It's a rare breed with a deep lineage. Within that first batch, just eight even lighter-weight models were built, and Aston is using those as the basis for its continuation series. The company says it will build them in Newport Pagnell in England, its headquarters for decades and now home to the Aston Martin Works heritage division. The DB4 GT continuation brings assembly work back to Newport Pagnell for the first time since production of the Vanquish S left in 2007. The original DB4 GT was produced on this site. The new cars will wear VIN numbers that pick up from the end of the first run in '63. They will use a version of the Tardek Marek-designed straight six-cylinder engine making an SAE-rated 331 horsepower with three twin-choke Weber carburetors. Though it's a straight six like the original, Aston started "from scratch" with the new one, a spokesman said, drawing on the DB11's supplier for the castings. Modern elements, like an FIA-spec roll cage, fire extinguisher, and seat belts will also be added. It will weigh 2,706 pounds. The DB4 GT employs a four-speed David Brown manual gearbox. The car rides on a tubular frame with an independent front suspension; the rear is a Watts linkage setup and both use coil springs. The fuel tank holds 36 gallons, which should prove useful for racing. In that vein, these 25 will be track-only models, and buyers will be able to participate in an international driving program that spans two years and visits circuits like Yas Marina. Owners can receive training from Aston experts like Darren Turner, who counts several class victories at Le Mans. The cost? About $1.9 million at the prevailing exchange rates as of this writing. Aston will begin delivering the DB4 GTs in summer 2017. It joins the growing field of nostalgic continuations, like the Jaguar XKSS, that pick up where the original lineage left off.

Aston Martin to keep the faith with V12, manual transmission

Downsized engines and dual-clutch transmissions may be the way the industry is heading, but Aston Martin is more deeply rooted in the past than most. Which could explain – at least in part – why the British automaker is planning on sticking with V12 engines and manual transmissions for the foreseeable future. After speaking with Aston's new chief executive Andy Palmer at the Geneva Motor Show last week, Car and Driver reports that Gaydon is in no rush to get rid of the building blocks that have made it what it is today. And that means continuing to evolve its VH architecture, twelve-cylinder engine and six-speed manual gearbox. The company is working to develop a new platform and is collaborating on a new twin-turbo V8 with Mercedes-AMG. But those are still several years out, and Aston doesn't plan to wait that long before rolling out new models. Before the new AMG-powered Vantage is ready, C/D reports that Aston will introduce the replacement for the DB9 that will still be based on the VH platform and pack an evolution of the company's ubiquitous and long-serving 6.0-liter V12. "That platform was definitely far ahead of its time," Palmer told C/D. "It should have been described as a modular architecture, like [VW's] MQB or one of the other systems big manufacturers have adopted. We're always making excuses about it being an old platform, but if you were to compare the original VH platform to today's there's an enormous transformation. And it's a great way to build cars in the volumes that we do." The platform and the engine aren't the only old-school technologies Palmer is intent to keep. While Ferrari and Lamborghini do away with the manual altogether, and even Porsche goes PDK-only on the 911 GT3 and GT3 RS, Aston isn't giving up its clutch pedal any time soon. "I would love to be the last car manufacturer providing stick shifts in the U.S.," said Palmer. "That's my hope, we will keep the faith." Of course part of that could come down to Aston not having a dual-clutch transmission to offer, while its antiquated sequential gearbox lags behind the times. But it will likely gain access to Mercedes transmissions along with the engine deal.