2011 Aston Martin Vantage S Roadster Lightning Silver on 2040-cars

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Best in Show From 2016 Geneva Motor Show | Autoblog Minute

Highlights of our favorite vehicles from the 2016 Geneva Motor show. Aston Martin Bugatti Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video 2016 geneva motor show Bugatti Chiron aston martin db11 koenigsegg regera touring superleggera disco volante db11

Aston Martin crafts one-off equestrian-themed DB9 Volante

Ask most people what kind of cars Aston Martin makes and they'll probably tell you it makes sports cars. But it doesn't. No, Aston Martin actually makes luxury GTs that focus at least as much on fine craftsmanship as they do on outright performance. In other words, any Aston Martin – from the 'entry level' V8 Vantage to the flagship Vanquish – packs an unrivaled attention to detail. But for those looking for that extra measure of exclusivity and intricacy, there's Q by Aston Martin. And this is its latest project. Similar to the Ferrari Tailor Made program, Lamborghini Ad Personam, Porsche Exclusive or Rolls-Royce Bespoke, Q by Aston Martin is dedicated to meeting the specific needs of individual customers who want their luxury GT crafted just so. We've seen several specially crafted and eye-catching Q projects at auto shows around the world, created to showcase what the division can do. This one was commissioned by a dealership in Los Gatos, CA. Starting with a DB9 Volante, the Q division gave it an equestrian theme with saddle tan leather with diamond-quilted ivory Alcantara trim, light burlwood veneer, specially-embroidered horse-head logos and saddle-style luggage fitted to the rear console. The exterior is finished in Ashen Blonde metallic with ten-spoke diamond-turned wheels in satin champagne and Howlite stone-inlaid logos. This one-off DB9 will be auctioned off at the Menlo Charity Horse Show, held August 5-10 at the Menlo Circus Club in Atherton, CA, with proceeds to benefit the Vista Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired.

2018 Aston Martin DB11 V8 First Drive | Longing for 4 more cylinders

Undeterred by implications of penance or irony, the Germans have emerged as stewards of the high-end British automotive industry. At the end of the 20th century, venerable brands such as Rolls-Royce and Bentley were producing stately, outmoded and haphazardly assembled vehicles in quantities more befitting a Paraguayan shipyard than a car company. Since their acquisition by BMW and Volkswagen, respectively, those storied marques have seen investment and product diversification that have transformed their offerings, their sales figures and their bottom lines. You may long for the anachronistic glory of a Silver Spur, but the new Phantom VIII makes it look like the condemned manor home of your black-sheep relations who subsist on cat food and family castoffs. Aston Martin is the latest manufacturer to reap the benefits of Teutonic largesse. Though Aston remains independent, with its major investor being an Italian private equity firm, Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, also owns about a 5 percent stake. While we witnessed the first tasty fruit of this union when the DB11 launched last year, it was mainly deep in the underpinnings, the Benzes having granted Aston the right to implement their electronic architecture. This resulted in surprisingly (for Aston) functional and legible dash, ventilation, safety and infotainment controls. Now, with the release of the DB11 V8, we are meeting the true Aston/Benz offspring. And we like this kid, though he may not win the title of favorite nephew. The heart of this baby is Mercedes-AMG's 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8, which, in this application, produces 503 hp and 513 lb-ft of torque. This is fiesty enough to rocket this DB to 62 mph in 4.0 seconds, barely discernible from the 3.9 seconds in which it's dispatched by the 600-hp V12. Continuing with the markdowns, the V8 deducts a $17,500 premium from the V12's list for a sub-$200,000 starting price. It also trims about 250 pounds from the DB's overall mass, which brings its fighting weight into the sub-two-ton category. Also changed are a few cosmetic features.