2019 Aston Martin Vantage Coupe 2d on 2040-cars

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UK electric motor maker YASA expands production 50-fold for EVs

LONDON — British electric motor manufacturer YASA said on Thursday it was increasing its production capacity from 2,000 to 100,000 units with a new factory to tap into growing demand from carmakers for greener technologies. Automakers are racing to build greener vehicles and improve charge times in a bid to meet rising customer demand and air quality targets but Britain lacks sufficient manufacturing capacity, an area the government is building up. Last year, the government picked a site in central England to house a new automotive battery development facility, which will develop the processes required to manufacture the latest battery advancements. On Thursday, YASA, based near the English city of Oxford, said it had raised another 15 million pounds ($21 million) as part of its expansion. "Our customers are looking to adopt innovative new technologies such as YASA's axial-flux electric motors and controllers in order to meet the needs of the rapidly expanding hybrid and pure electric automotive market," said Chief Executive Chris Harris. The firm exports 80 percent of production and has worked with companies including Britain's two biggest carmakers Jaguar Land Rover and Nissan as well as Aston Martin. JLR will decide this year whether to build electric cars in its home market, previously citing factors such as pilot testing and support from science and government as pre-requisites. Reporting by Costas PitasRelated Video:

Kahn and Evanta team up for hot-rod Defender, custom Barchetta

If you're familiar with the work of Afzal Kahn, it's probably for his tuned Range Rovers. And if you live in London, you may have seen his Bugatti Veyron with the F1 license plate. But the British tuner and self-styled "automotive fashion designer" is now embarking on a far more ambitious project. Kahn is teaming up with Ant Anstead of Evanta fame – responsible for rebodying Aston Martin DB7s to look like DB4 GTs and that full-scale DBR1/2 model kit – on a new outfit called Ant-Kahn. Far more than a tuning endeavor, Ant-Kahm is setting about creating truly unique (and uniquely British) automobiles. Their first project is called the Flying Huntsman, a long-nose Land Rover Defender that we imagine will emerge as something like a British take on the 1998 Jeepster concept crossed with something Icon might concoct. It'll pack a 6.2-liter GM LS3 V8 producing 550 horsepower, mated to a push-button six-speed automatic transmission, mounted close to the bulkhead with over 15 inches of extra bodywork and set to be unveiled within the coming months. Their second collaboration is set to yield the Evanta Barchetta previewed by rendering above. "Inspired by the design language of 1950s motorsport," the Barchetta pays homage to classic British and Italian roadsters. It's being built around a tubular frame with handcrafted composite Kevlar bodywork and powered by that same LS3 tuned to 450 hp but in a much lighter form than the Flying Hunstman. Only 20 examples will be made after its debut at the Goodwood Revival come September. An Aston Martin project codenamed WB12 is also in the works, painting a picture of an ambitious startup backed by two experienced operators whose projects we're looking forward to seeing come to fruition. Ant-Kahn – The birth of a groundbreaking collaboration between two leading figures in the UK automotive industry. Ant-Kahn is a collaborative partnership between Afzal Kahn - innovative automotive fashion designer and founder of the Kahn group of companies, and Ant Anstead, founder of expert vehicle manufacturer Evanta, and star of Channel 4's "For The Love of Cars". Working together under the Ant-Kahn banner, they will lead a resurgence in British specialist vehicle manufacture, with a number of projects already underway. Their focus is on luxury and quality, using modern prototyping and manufacturing technology, while maintaining the attention to details associated with traditional coach building.

Aston Martin DB9 successor spied, may be called DB11

This is by far our best look yet at the car that will replace the long-serving Aston Martin DB9. Previous photos of the grand tourer have consisted of mules based on the current car, but here we get our first taste of a model wearing its production skin. Despite the heavy camouflage, the DB9 successor looks to borrow its styling from the Aston Martin DB10, which will feature in the latest James Bond film. Considering this, it's not surprising that our spies report the new GT will wear the DB11 moniker. While the headlights look somewhat like the current Vantage, it's a fair bet that they'll bear more of a resemblance to the DB10 when the production model arrives. The grille sits lower than on current models, although, unlike 007's Aston, it does have an independent lower grille. It's hard to discern much from the rear of the car, though, owing to the fake taillights and heavy camouflaging on the rear hatch. That, thankfully, isn't an issue in the car's profile. Despite the heavy camo, we can see a suitably large set of haunches and the brand's trademark side grille. Expect Aston to continue using swan wing doors, judging by the shape of the units spied on this prototype, while we predict a larger greenhouse than seen here, owing to the camo over the quarter window. The partnership between Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG will bear production fruit with the so-called DB11, as our spies report the new Brit will be available with the same 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 being offered in the AMG GT. Don't fret purists – Aston's 6.0-liter V12 will also be on offer. We're fairly convinced Britain will sink into the ocean before Gaydon abandons the venerable 12-cylinder. Have a look at the latest round of spy photos and let us know what you think of Aston Martin's work so far. Related Video: