V8, Sportshift, Navi, Heated Seats, Bluetooth, Parking Sensors, Satellite Radio on 2040-cars

Auto blog

First Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato continuation body completed

Last fall, we reported how Aston Martin was bringing back the DB4 GT Zagato model as a continuation series of 19 cars to celebrate Zagato's 100 years. Building the new classics has begun at Aston's Heritage Division at its Newport Pagnell facility, and the first body has now been completed. Aston Martin says the cars, which are only sold paired with new DBS GT Zagatos, are built using "a blend" of David Brown-era old-world craftsmanship and modern applications. As an example, a digital body buck now exists to help craft the panels, which are hand-formed from 1.2-millimeter-thick aluminum sheets in 1950s style. The adjacent gallery shows the unhurried style in which these very limited-edition, new/old Astons are built, and how a ball-peen hammer is still the tool of choice there. Underneath the aluminum, in a lightweight tubular frame, sits a Tadek Marek-designed 380-horsepower "twin spark" straight-six engine, paired to a four-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential. Power is up about 50hp in comparison to an earlier DB4 continuation model. We only need to take a look at classic Astons to see what the DB4 GT Zagato continuation cars will look like, but the design of the modern DBS GT Zagato counterparts is still to be officially revealed. The DBS Superleggera-based twin-turbo V12 cars were previewed in a set of renderings late last month, and they are expected to come with at least 715 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. The continuation DB4 GT Zagatos will reach owners in the third quarter of 2019, and the DBS GT Zagatos will follow in 2020. The car combos are priced at almost $8 million. Featured Gallery Aston Martin DB4 GT Continuation Build Image Credit: Aston Martin Aston Martin Classics zagato

Aston Martin may have filed a trademark for a new logo [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Aston Martin did indeed file a trademark for the logo below, but company CEO Andy Palmer has confirmed it will be used for merchandise and won't replace the classic winged logo on cars. Here's Palmer's tweet: For those who reached out, we have no intention to remove/change the Aston Martin Wings.This logo is for merchandise https://t.co/iWdejAwO00 — Andy Palmer (@AndyatAston) January 23, 2017 "There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. It would be a pity to damage yours." Those words were spoken by Cary Elwes in the classic 1987 film The Princess Bride. Or, if you prefer, they were written by William Goldman in his book from 1973 by the same name. Either way, it doesn't matter. The point is, there aren't many things in this world that are perfect, and that have stood the test of time without alteration. The Aston Martin logo is one of those rare things. Apparently, Aston Martin filed a trademark application for a new logo. You can see it below. It's unclear where this design might make an appearance. If it's on pens, watches, or some other non-vehicular form, that's fine. If it's on the bonnet of a new supercar rolling down the line at Aston's plant in Gaydon, well... that's another matter entirely. Please, Aston Martin, your logo is perfect and has stood the test of time. Don't even think about changing it. Related Video:

You can buy this gorgeous one-off Aston Martin Jet 2 Bertone shooting brake

It was the last project built by Italian coachbuilder Bertone before it went bust, a one-off project designed and commissioned by the man who drove a 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 around the world in 80 days, and now's your chance to buy it alongside the full-size clay model and fiberglass mold that preceded it. We’re talking about the Aston Martin Bertone Jet 2+2, a wagonized Rapide that we last saw at the Geneva Motor Show back in 2013. It was built in homage both to AstonÂ’s centenary and to mark six decades of cooperation between the automaker and the Italian design house. At the time, the identity of the client who commissioned it was kept secret. ItÂ’s being offered for sale by Barry Weir, the British motoring enthusiast famous for his four-continent, 22-country, 34,000-mile world rally record, set in 2000. He designed the shooting brake based on the Rapide saloon, added a rear hatch, full-length tinted glass roof and sliding rear floor, and got it approved by Aston, which reportedly intended to put the car into production after Bertone built 10 of them. But that never happened, as Bertone folded operations after this project. View 10 Photos Nevertheless, Weir says he found the fiberglass molds and clay model used to build the car earlier this year on auction in Italy while browsing the web. He managed to negotiate their removal from the auction and bring them back to the U.K., and heÂ’s even offering to sell the tooling set separately. “IÂ’m minded to sell the complete package, and the buyer can choose what they wish to do with it,” Weir says. “They could reproduce the moulds and model or, alternatively, have it as a one-off production car which is registered as Aston Martin Jet 2; which is a new model.” The finished product is said to share 70% of its DNA with the Rapide, including the stock 6.0-liter V12, offering 476 horsepower, and the same wheelbase and a nearly identical curb weight to the donor car. Inside, it features a 2+2 setup with four individual seats, the two in back foldable at the press of a button to make for hauling stuff, and Bertone gave the interior some wood, glazed aluminum and two-color leather trim, per request of Weir, whose name is etched on a plaque inside the cabin. The total design and build took around 3 1/2 months. Related Video: