2006 Aston Martin Db9 2dr Volante Auto on 2040-cars

Auto blog

800-hp Aston Martin Vulcan will live long and prosper... on the track

The Aston Martin Vulcan might by one of the most beautiful creations to ever emerge from the British sports car company. Unfortunately, its status as a track-only toy limited to 24 units makes seeing one on the road practically impossible. That's a shame, too, because nothing would wake up an early morning commute better than seeing jets of flame shoot out of the side of this coupe. For the Vulcan, Aston Martin takes a 7.0-liter version of its tried and true V12 and promises to extract over 800 horsepower from it. The engine is hooked up to a six-speed sequential gearbox, and the car features all of the other necessities for a full-bore track car too. The pushrod suspension, anti-lock carbon-ceramic brakes and traction control are all fully adjustable to create the perfect balance for any circuit. Underneath, there's a carbon fiber monocoque, and the body panels are also made from the lightweight material. While the mechanicals are everything a driver could want on the track, the design is just as attractive. The styling takes the taut lines from Aston Martins of the last decade and sharpens everything to look futuristic. The pointed, orange filaments making up the taillights are an especially cool touch. The brand promises to reinterpret this look for future models, so we might still see inspiration of it on the road. Give it a thorough look in our live gallery above from the floor at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. Related Video:

Castrol Nexcel is an oil change in a box

Oil changes are a vital part of car ownership. For some this simple bit of maintenance gives them a sense of accomplishment and a closer connection to their car. Others just find it a hassle. Castrol might have a compromise with new tech called the Nexcel that packages the oil and filter into a single, easily removable container. The company claims switching the unit out takes just 90 seconds. Instead of draining the oil for a regular change, the whole Nexcel is replaced each time. Castrol then retrieves the used containers and recycles the fluids inside into other lubricants. The exclusive cadre of ultra-wealthy buyers for the track-only Aston Martin Vulcan get to be the first ones to find out if the Nexcel lives up to the hype. And don't worry, the container can reportedly stand up to the hypercar's punishment. According to Castrol, the Nexcel has been tested to perform at up to 1.8G and can flow as much as 158.5 gallons of oil a minute. The tech also allows Castrol to create specific oil blends to match to different engines. "Today, you can't guarantee the right oil will be used, so the degree to which oils can be tailored is limited. Nexcel is different and can go further. The oil cell enables a concept we call precision lubrication," a spokesperson said to Autoblog. Assuming the Nexcel is a success, Castrol estimates that it could arrive in the first road car in about five years. The company already claims to be in discussions with "several" automakers about potentially implementing the tech. While changes would be far quicker, some enthusiasts might balk at the idea of being locked into oil from just a single brand, though. CASTROL REINVENTS OIL CHANGE WITH NEXCEL: THE REVOLUTIONARY TECHNOLOGY THAT MAKES OIL CHANGES QUICK, SMART AND SIMPLE The Nexcel oil cell, an easy-to-change unit containing both engine oil and filter delivers superior engine performance and improved environmental sustainability The new technology allows your oil to be changed in around 90 seconds, more than 13 times faster than a conventional oil change of 20 minutes The Aston Martin Vulcan track-only supercar will be the first vehicle featuring Nexcel technology LONDON, Thursday 8th October 2015 – Today, Castrol launches Nexcel, a new revolutionary technology that marks the most significant oil change innovation in automotive history.

Aston Martin may be forced to stop selling DB9, Vantage in US [w/poll]

There are any number of factors that are making it increasingly difficult for a small-scale, independent automaker like Aston Martin to stay competitive in today's automotive marketplace, from purchasing power to R&D capacity. But the latest factor endangering Aston's viability on the marketplace seems to be coming down to tighter government safety standards. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is enacting new side-impact crash regulations that require vehicles to better withstand the impact from running into a pole or tree – narrow-gauge fixed objects you're likely to find lining public streets. The standard has been phased in over the last few years, but while an exemption to the gradual phase-in was granted to low-volume manufacturers, even those automakers will have to meet the cut-off next month. And convertibles (which were granted a further extension) will have to meet them by September 2015. Unfortunately for Aston Martin, two of its core models – the Vantage and DB9 – do not pass the test. That would mean that it would have to stop selling both those model lines (which just also happen to be its oldest), but a spokesman for the brand's US dealers is petitioning the government body to grant them an exception. According to James R. Walker, chairman of Aston's US dealer advisory panel and owner of the dealership in Washington, DC, losing the V8 Vantage coupe, V12 Vantage coupe and DB9 coupe next month would cost dealers about 25 percent of its gross profits, and losing the convertible versions of the same next year would cut another 40 percent of their profits. The combined 65 percent drop in sales (assuming, of course, that sales of the recently updated but more expensive Vanquish and Rapide wouldn't rise to make up for it) would mean that many of the 35 dealers across the US would have to close, putting the 230 people who work at the dealers (and another 300 related personnel) out of work. On that basis, Walker is asking the government to grant an exemption for the DB9 through August 2016 and for the Vantage through August 2017. By then, we're lead to assume, their replacement (or replacements) will have arrived, meeting the new crash standards. We've reached out to Aston Martin for comment on the issue and will update you as soon as we hear back. In the meantime, voice your opinion on the issue in our online poll below.