Beautiful! 2002 Aston Martin Db7 Vantage Volante Convertible on 2040-cars

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Aston Martin teases extreme Vantage GT3 for Geneva

Aston Martin's Vantage range has been on the market for ten long years, dating back to the Ford era and making it just a bit younger than the DB9, but still ripe for replacement. And that's just what Aston Martin has in store, with a new platform under development and a new engine deal with Mercedes-AMG. But before a replacement arrives, the British automaker will send off the current Vantage with what promises to be its most extreme version yet. First mooted over a year ago and spied more recently undergoing testing at the Nurburgring, Aston has now released this teaser video announcing the upcoming debut of the Vantage GT3 to bridge the gap between the top-of-the-line V12 Vantage S road car and the competition-spec V12 Vantage GT3. As such, we're expecting it to pack the company's ubiquitous 6.0-liter V12 engine, likely with some upgrades: what produced 510 horsepower in the previous V12 Vantage and 565 hp in the newer V12 Vantage S is likely to nudge the 600-hp mark in the GT3. Along with the expected power upgrade, we can look forward to all the usual suspects: more extreme aero and cooling, upgrades suspension, brakes and rolling stock, a stripped-out cockpit and more. The Vantage GT3 is confirmed to debut at the Geneva Motor Show this coming March.

2017 Aston Martin DB11 Prototype First Drive

Flashback: Geneva. The 2017 Aston Martin DB11 debuts, its artfully sculpted body signaling a departure from the brand's luscious yet familiar design language. But this time, the car in question is more than just a pretty face. Beneath the gently arced bonnet is the first turbocharged engine in the Aston's 103 year-old history. Gone is the so-called Vertical Horizontal architecture, replaced with a bonded aluminum chassis that's so new that it has yet to be graced with a catchy marketing name. Sumptuous interior? Check. Slick multimedia system? Finally. The quickest, fastest, and most powerful DB to date? Hell yes. With radical changes coming in hot from Gaydon, the DB11 isn't just an all-new car; it's nothing short of golden opportunity to reinvent the brand. There's so much new stuff in this DB9 replacement that the double integer leap in nomenclature seems justified (the DB10 was already taken by a certain spy from Blighty). In the grand scope of the Aston Martin lineup, the DB11 inherits the DB9's role as the archetypal grand touring car—elegant but quick, thirsty for miles. But as our wheel time revealed, it takes some time to comprehend the depth of the DB11 story. When you settle into the $211,995 Aston Martin DB11 there's a lot to take in, especially since our tester is a "verification prototype" that's two stages away from final production. Hence, the data logging equipment and big red fire suppression button. The engine has shrunk from 6.0-liters to 5.2, but now churns out 600 horsepower and a whopping 516 lb-ft of torque at only 1,500 rpm thanks to those turbos. Aston claims 0 to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 200 mph. The rear double wishbone suspension has been replaced with a multilink setup for greater compliance, and the DB11 also gets Aston's first-ever torque vectoring (via brakes) and electronic power steering system. The prototype car is a visual paradox, with its camouflaged exterior contrasting with the delightfully gaudy baby blue leather interior (made from extra trimmings of hide). In terms of development, the car is about "85 percent there" according to Aston brass. Disclaimer: this car's traction control system is only about 70 percent complete, and the torque-vectoring feature isn't active on this particular car. The big V12 fires up with a full-sounding rush of exhaust, though the tone isn't quite as naughty or shrill as the old naturally aspirated mill.

This is Aston Martin's sexy 580-hp Vanquish S Volante convertible

You might remember that we drove the Aston Martin Vanquish S earlier this month. That was the fixed top twin to this car, the S Volante, which we're getting our first look at. Since they're mechanically identical save the top mechanism, we can give you a sense of what the S Volante will be like. In a word, it'll be awesome. Remember, the Vanquish S twins are lovable dinosaurs in the powertrain department. Both feature a naturally-aspirated, 5.9-liter V12 – that means no turbochargers. It might make a healthy 580 horsepower at 7,000 RPM and an equally healthy 465 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 RPM, but it's an endangered species. It is, however, a sonorous beast with incredible throttle response (no lag!) – and it's backed up with the smooth, well-regarded ZF 8-speed transmission, just like the coupe. The similarities are fun, but the vive la difference. Especially in profile, with the top down, the Vanquish S Volante is beautiful. The small cowl humps are a racey, tasteful touch. There's almost assuredly some sort of weight penalty associated with choosing the Volante version, and there's definitely a cost penalty. The Vanquish S Volante will start at $315,775, or an $18,000 premium over the fixed-top version. From there, you can spend a lot more with various personalization options. Update: An Aston Martin representative told us there isn't an official Vanquish S Volante weight figure to release at this time. For reference, the old non-S Vanquish Volante was 232 lbs heavier than the coupe. The Vanquish S coupe weighs 3,834 lbs, so it's a save assumption that the Volante version will be slightly north of 4,000 lbs. We'll update you when an official weight figure is released. Both versions will hit US dealers in April. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Aston Martin Vanquish S Volante Aston Martin Convertible Luxury Performance aston martin vanquish aston martin vanquish s