2014 Aston Martin Vanquish on 2040-cars

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Miami real estate investor selling world's largest collection of Bond cars

In 2011 Miami real estate investor Michael Dezer bought dozens of cars used in the James Bond films from the Bond Museum in Keswick, England. Since then, he's added to the trove which now stands at 59 cars, as well as motorcycles, boats, jetskis, tanks and thousands of photos, posters and memorabilia. It is the largest collection of 007 cars in the world, and Dezer has put it up for sale for 20 million pounds ($33.25M US) - the caveat is that you have to buy the entire collection. But what a collection it is. Among the six Aston Martins are the DB5 from Goldeneye, the Vanquish from Die Another Day and both V8s from The Living Daylights. There is also the Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me - not the Esprit submarine that Elon Musk bought last year at auction, but the pre-dive roadgoing car. The new owner of the collection will keep things up to date with the Audi A5 and the Land Rover Defender 110 from the opening scene of Skyfall, and properly varied with the dragon tank from Dr. No, the Fairey Huntress yacht in From Russia with Love, and the chopped-in-half Renault 11 from A View to a Kill. An agency in the UK is handling the sale. We will now leave you to handle the money transfer from your people in Liechtenstein. News Source: London Express via Driven Auto News Celebrities TV/Movies Aston Martin Lotus lotus esprit

Aston Martin DB11 AMR gets more power and carbon fiber

Aston Martin has pulled the wraps off the DB11 AMR, and the fact that it's just what we expected it'd be shouldn't diminish the impact of this ultimate (for now) DB11. But, if you're not down with AMR, a quick backgrounder for you: Early last year, Aston launched the Vantage AMR Pro and the Rapide AMR, the first salvos in a full broadside of AMR models that will encompass the entire range. There are two AMR subdivisions — AMR is handled by Aston's main design and engineering teams, while the Pros are handled by the Advanced Operations department. History aside, the DB11 sports a 30 horsepower bump, up to 630 horsepower. Previous AMR models made power bumps with new exhaust systems, and given the DB11 AMR's exhaust revisions, we wouldn't be surprised if some of the power increase came from the exhaust side of things. More to the point, the twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter V12 now scoots the DB11 AMR to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds, and top speed is increased to 208 MPH. Unspecified suspension and chassis changes are claimed to deliver "a greater sense of connection without harming the supple ride," Aston claims, and we've no reason to doubt it. A new transmission calibration rounds out the dynamic changes. On the visual side of things, there's much more exposed carbon fiber and a smattering of gloss black detailing, smoked tail lamps, and dark, monotone leather/Alcantara draped throughout the interior. It's darker, a bit harder-edged, and sportier, but very much in the vein of Aston's careful balancing act between conveying athleticism visually while maintaining a degree of traditional British comfort and decadence. The eye-popping, dayglo accents on some color combinations seem more Nike shoe than grand tourer, but that's AMR's thing. The U.S. MSRP will be $241,000, and the cars will be delivered to owners in summer 2018. The extremely limited edition Designer Specification cars, offered in Stirling Green with lime accents, will be limited to 100 units globally and are $29,000 more. If you want one of those, you should probably get on the horn with your Aston dealer right now. Related Video:

Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG formalize technical partnership

The development of a partnership between Mercedes-Benz and Aston Martin has been a long time coming. The news dates back to 2008, and over the five years since was supposed to lead to a rejuvenation of both the Maybach and Lagonda brands. That program ultimately fell apart, but the tie-in was forged afresh in July when the two automakers signed a letter of intent over a renewed partnership. And now that partnership has been formalized.
In a deal just announced, Mercedes-AMG will build a new V8 engine for Aston Martin that will power a new generation of luxury GTs for the British marque, presumably to replace the 4.7-liter V8 in the Vantage. The relationship appears to be similar to the one already in place between AMG and Pagani, only in this case, will involve Daimler taking as much as a five-percent stake in Aston Martin and an observer seat on Aston's board.
The technical partnership is also set to lead to the supply of electric and electronic systems, and could incorporate "additional areas of cooperation in the future." Whether that will include a fresh attempt at reviving Lagonda remains to be seen, as does the future of Aston's long-serving, Ford-based 6.0-liter V12 engine. But for now you can read the full announcement below.