Aston Martin: Vantage 2 Door Coupe on 2040-cars

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Is your new-car warranty good at the race track?

We've all heard the horror stories. Your buddy knows a girl that was dating a guy whose best friend's brother once broke his brand-new, recently purchased performance car while making runs at a drag strip or laps at a track day, and the manufacturer wouldn't cover the repair under warranty. True story? Urban legend? Complete crap? Yes, no, maybe. One thing's for sure: Automotive warranties have always come with caveats. In 1908, an ad in the Trenton Evening Times clearly stated: "All Ford Cars Guaranteed for One Year." Although it changed over time, by 1925 the Ford New Car Guarantee only covered 90 days on material and 30 days on labor, and it clearly stated that that there was "No guarantee whatever on Fan Belts, Glass, Bulbs, Wiring, Transmission, Bands, Hose Connections, Commutator Shells, Rollers, Spark Plugs or Gaskets." Whether or not Ol' Henry would pay to fix your Model T if you broke it shaving a tenth off your lap time at the local board track seems to be lost to history. We're guessing no. But what about today? Do new-car warranties in 2017 cover cars when they are driven on race tracks? We researched the warranties of 14 auto brands to find out, and the answer is yes, no, maybe, depending on the brand, in some cases the model, and whether or not your car is modified from stock. Acura has been out of the high-performance car game for a number of years, but jumps back into the party in 2017 with its hybrid-powered $173,000 NSX supercar. And Acura's warranty, as well as Honda's, clearly states that it does not cover "the use of the vehicle in competition or racing events." View 33 Photos So we asked Sage Marie, Senior Manager of Public Relations for Honda and Acura. "If the car is stock, the warranty covers it on a track just as it does on the street. No question," he told us. "However, if the car is modified, say with slick tires or other components that would put higher stresses on the vehicle's parts and systems, then we would have to investigate the circumstances further." Marie went on to say the same would be true for any Acura model or Honda vehicle, including the new 2017 Honda Civic Si. This became a common theme. Chevrolet actually started this practice with the fifth-generation Camaro on the high-performance ZL1 and Z/28 models.

Win an Aston Martin Vantage and an L.A. dream house

Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. No donation or payment necessary to enter or win this sweepstakes. See official rules on Omaze. If you’re a fan of sunshine, beaches and luxury performance cars, this giveaway is for you. Omaze is giving away not only an Aston Martin Vantage, but a 5-bedroom, 6-bath modern farmhouse in the City of Angels. Win This $4.3 Million Los Angeles Dream House and an Aston Martin - Enter at Omaze HereÂ’s what we said about the Vantage when we last drove it: "Aston wrapped its aluminum-tubbed baby – its chassis 10% stiffer than the pricier DB11Â’s – with aluminum, steel and composite panels, for a svelte dry weight of 3,366 pounds. It goes down further with optional, weight-saving forged wheels and ceramic composite brakes.  "Combine that with a wicked-fast 13.1:1 steering ratio; an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission (with a carbon-fiber prop shaft); and Mercedes-AMGÂ’s superlative, 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with 509 horses and 505 pound-feet of torque, and youÂ’ve got a British-German missile that cracks 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, and reaches a 195-mph peak. The DB11 has adopted this optional V8 as well, which only improves its handling versus the V12, though the Vantage gains more off-the-line advantage with a shorter final-drive ratio of 2.93, versus 2.7 in the DB11. "Driving the Aston is easy peasy in contrast, but thereÂ’s still rewarding effort involved. The AstonÂ’s street-killing, track-worthy intent is underlined by a three-mode drive system – adjusting throttle map, transmission, stability control and that basso-profundo exhaust – with no “Comfort” mode, only “Sport,” “Sport Plus” and “Track.” The steering is bristling with feedback, the chassis supremely balanced. ItÂ’s the kind of sports car that likes to be grabbed by the scruff of the neck and flogged, and if things get out-of-sorts occasionally, all the better. IÂ’d been on some of these same roads a few weeks ago in a $240,000 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S, and itÂ’s just a different experience. It may be faster than the Aston, as youÂ’d expect from a 640-horsepower 911 with a Bugatti-like 2.6-second launch to 60 mph, but the Porsche is also a more-effortless, surreal traveler, as much spaceship as sports car. If you can afford either or both, the choice is up to you. "This being an Aston, there are other flaws and quirks.

Aston Martin and Tom Brady partner for new content series

Love him or hate him, it's difficult to argue with Tom Brady's popularity. While celebrity endorsements are as old as advertising, a tie-in between a storied British automaker and the most successful quarterback in NFL history doesn't happen everyday. Today, Aston Martin and Brady announced a new partnership on a content series, Category of One, that's set to debut later this year. Brady is apparently a longtime Aston Martin owner, though the only model mentioned is his current 2017 DB11. Brady will be working with the automaker on a custom-curated 2018 Aston Martin Vanquish S. The whole thing will be documented and released in portions, with the full car debuting sometime this summer. The Vanquish S, while still beautiful and plenty powerful, is the last remaining car on Aston Martin's old platform. There are few other detail on the collaboration. We also really hope Brady didn't scratch the hood of that DB11. We assume Gisele gave him a few tips for proper poses. Related Video: Celebrities Design/Style Aston Martin aston martin db11 aston martin vanquish s