2019 Aston Martin Vantage Coupe 2d on 2040-cars

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U.S. issues new tariff threat, this time against British-built cars

WASHINGTON — Britain is the United States' closest ally but their long friendship may be sorely tested as the two countries try to forge a new trade agreement after Britain's exit from the European Union. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Saturday in London that he was optimistic that a bilateral deal with Britain could be reached as soon as this year. But Mnuchin gave up no ground after a second meeting with his UK counterpart, Sajid Javid. Javid has insisted that Britain will proceed with a unilateral digital services tax, despite a U.S. threat to levy retaliatory tariffs on British-made autos. Mnuchin told reporters after Saturday's meeting that such taxes would discriminate against big U.S. tech companies like Alphabet Inc's Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. The UK Treasury declined to comment on the private meeting. The divide highlights the challenges ahead as the Trump administration seeks a new bilateral agreement with Britain, part of a broader push to rebalance relations with nearly all its major trading partners. The stakes are high — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pegged the trade deal with United States as a way to ease the pain of breaking with Europe, Britain's largest trade partner. U.S. President Donald Trump, has promised a "massive" trade deal to support Brexit, the product of a populist movement similar to his "America First" agenda. The goodwill and special relationship the two countries have enjoyed for decades may not count for much, experts say. "Trump is not going to be doing Johnson any favors," said Amanda Sloat, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution in Washington. "He's not going to give him a trade deal without major concessions." Even before the digital tax issue arose, the Trump administration threatened to tax foreign car imports, which could hit British-made Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini, and Honda Civic hatchback cars. Stiff U.S. trade demands include increased access for U.S. farm goods, concessions that will be difficult for Britain's entrenched natural food culture to swallow. The United States also wants Britain to change the way its National Health Service prices drugs and allow in more U.S. pharmaceuticals, which could prove politically unpopular for Johnson's government. Washington's demand that London block Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd for national security reasons could also cloud talks.

Aston Martin deal with Red Bull means F1 tech for Vanquish

Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing made no secret that their AM-RB 001 hypercar (rendering above) would use Formula One tech, but the cutting-edge motorsports knowledge will also trickle down to more accessible Aston Martin vehicles. "Some of the technologies we are developing with Red Bull Technologies and Adrian [Newey] will undoubtedly flow through to the next Vanquish," Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer told Drive. He thinks the model's price is high enough to allow the use of F1 tech. "I am particularly interested in structural carbon fiber and KERS type technology that you could easily see working in that car," said Palmer. The AM-RB 001 is due for 2018, and the new Vanquish would come afterward. Aston Martin and Red Bull hope their hypercar project sets benchmarks in the class. "The McLaren F1 is the perfect analogy of what we're trying to do - bring Formula One to the road in a genuine and authentic manner," Palmer told Drive. He claims that simulations already show the AM-RB 001 could lap Silverstone quicker than an F1 car. For context, the slowest qualifying time in the British Grand Prix last year was a 1:39.377 lap around the nearly 3.7 mile track. With projects like the hypercar, the next Vanquish, and the latest DB11, Aston Martin has a busy launch calendar over the next few years. A next-gen Vantage is in the company's plans, and there's the DBX crossover, too. The British sports car maker also wants to do two limited-edition models a year, like the Vantage GT12 and Vulcan in 2015. The vehicles for 2016 and 2017 are still mysteries, but 2018 would bring the electric Rapide and the AM-RB 001, according to Palmer. When combined with Mercedes powertrains and technology in future models, the company hopes to appeal to more customers. Related Video:

Aston Martin DB11 spied in production sheetmetal

Aston Martin has taken yet another step toward debuting its long-awaited replacement for the DB9, the DB11, ditching the heavy, obstructive plastic cladding for production sheetmetal and stick-on camouflage. The move gives us our best look yet at the automaker's next volume grand tourer. Opinions on whether or not this new car gets its inspiration from the DB10 featured in the James Bond film Spectre are divided. From what we can tell, the profiles are virtually identical between the cinematic machine and this DB11 mule, and it looks like the DB10's thin taillights sit in larger cutouts below a similarly shaped trunk lid. The DB11 does look to get some kind of spoiler, though, and it may even be a pop-up item, neither of which were featured on the Bond car. The biggest differences between the movie coupe and the road car are found on the front end. The headlights are certainly larger and have had their shape tweaked. They now run further up into the fenders, giving just a hint of Ferrari F12. Even so, they're still unmistakably Aston Martin units. That's also true of the grille, which ditches the concept-spec single element on the DB10 for a more conventional upper and lower unit. We have no explanation for one element, though. Look closely at the C-pillar, and you'll notice what looks almost like some kind of vent. Our spies argue that it's an aerodynamic item, like you'd see on the C-pillar of a BMW i8, but we aren't sure. Were it a pure aero aid, we'd expect to be able to see through the other side, like you can with the i8 or something like an Air Curtain. Instead, it could be some kind of air intake for cooling. That's just conjecture, but it's not unreasonable. But what's under the hood? Our spies did some digging and doubt that it's Aston's traditional 6.0-liter V12. Instead, registration data for the prototype shown above lists its engine displacement at 5.2 liters, with our spies claiming forced induction will be used. It's not clear if this engine is a product of of Aston's relationship with Mercedes-AMG – the only V12 you'll get from the Germans is a 6.0-liter twin-turbo, while it also sells a 5.5-liter, twin-turbo V8 – but it seems like a possibility. Check out the spy shots up at the top of the page for the full battery of spy images. Related Video: