2020 Aston Martin Vantage on 2040-cars

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Aston Martin tests new Lagonda super-sedan in Oman

Aston Martin has been on a long road towards reviving the Lagonda name. The last Lagonda – that famously wedgy sedan – ended production in 1990. The name came back on a crossover concept in 2009, but for better or worse, never reached production. Then about a month ago, Aston teased a new super sedan to revive the marque, and shipped it off to Oman for hot weather testing under the baking Arabian sun. And now it's released a full batch of photos giving us our best look at the exclusive new four-door yet. This first verification prototype is taking part in a four-week testing cycle in the Sultanate, running some 500 miles per day with the aim of logging 14,000 test miles in temperatures as high as 120 degree Fahrenheit. The British automaker (known in full as Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd.) purposely chose a black paintjob to further punish its prototype, including an hours-long heat soak test that will bring the surface temperature of the cabin trim up to around 175 degrees. Aston isn't telling us much about the sedan itself, but we figure it's more likely to be powered by the company's ubiquitous 6.0-liter V12 engine and based on the aging VH architecture, though for all we know at this point, it could packing the upcoming AMG-sourced turbo eight and new platform. What we can see is that the styling is a radical departure from the design language to which Aston adhered rather rigidly over the past couple of decades, potentially previewing a new styling direction for the British marque. Unfortunately you shouldn't expect to see one in your neighborhood, because production will be strictly limited and exclusive to the Middle East.

Best luxury SUVs of 2022 and 2023

Once upon a time, the idea of a luxury SUV meant a Range Rover, and even that was pretty agricultural by modern standards. Then Jeep Grand Cherokees and Ford Explorers started offering fancy, range-topping versions followed soon by Lexus, BMW and Mercedes dipping their toes in the water. And then the floodgates opened. Today, there is a staggering number of luxury SUVs available in every shape, size and price point. There are electric luxury SUVs like the Tesla Model X and Jaguar I-Pace, as well as gas-swilling, high-performance SUVs like the BMW X5 M and Cadillac Escalade V. Sports car makers Porsche, Aston Martin and Lamborghini have even dived in.  But of this great many, which are the best luxury SUVs? We sat down, scoured our reviews, took some votes, had some discussions and came up with the luxury SUVs we view as the best. They are listed alphabetically within the six segments listed below.  Best Subcompact Luxury SUV   |   Best Compact Luxury SUV   |   Best Midsize Luxury SUV (Two-Row) Best Midsize Luxury SUV (Three-Row)   |   Best Flagship Luxury SUV (Two-Row)   |   Best Flagship Luxury SUV (Three-Row)  Best subcompact luxury SUVs Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class Why it stands out: Outstanding space and versatility; legit luxury interior; amusing GLB 35 versionCould be better: Overwhelming and confusing tech interface Most subcompact luxury SUVs are a dubious value, with cramped interiors of marginal quality and unrefined driving dynamics. You'd be much better off paying less money for a loaded, non-luxury compact SUV. The Mercedes GLB is different, though. Its boxy design provides space few other subcompact SUV can match (luxury or otherwise), while its cabin design and feature content are in keeping with pricier Mercedes models. The quality's not exactly up to GLC standards, nor is driving refinement, but the difference is appropriate for how much you're saving and still perfectly acceptable. There's nothing dubious about buying a GLB.     Volvo XC40 Why it stands out: More features for the money; spacious and versatile interior; distinctive design; electric versionCould be better: Fuel-efficient base engine only available with FWD Most subcompact luxury models feel a bit like cheap knockoffs of their bigger, pricier brand mates. The XC40, by contrast, is a break from the Volvo norm in a good way.

Watch Prodrive build an Aston Martin race car in 60 seconds

It's always fascinating to watch a racecar's production whether the construction is out of Lego blocks or a cutting-edge mix of aluminum and carbon fiber. This time-lapse clip offers a glimpse of the latter as Prodrive creates an Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE in just 60 seconds. The process took nearly three weeks in real time. Starting from just a bare shell, you first notice bits of wiring, suspension, and brakes appear on the chassis. Then the engine eventually arrives, but there's still a lot of work to do. The builders keep adding body panels and do lots of other wrenching. The process reminds us of building a plastic model kit but with much more expensive consequences if parts go missing. The #98 Vantage GTE will compete in the GTE Am class this season in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Drivers Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy, and Mathias Lauda are the lucky folks who get to pilot this beauty.