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The Windsor Castle Concours d'Elegance in pictures, courtesy of Bentley

Bentley went to the Windsor Castle Concours of Elegance as the main sponsor and showed off six of its best among the gathering of "60 of the finest motor cars in the world," including the 4¼-liter Bentley 'Embiricos' Special built for a Greek shipping magnate and gentleman racer in the 1930s.
Even better, for us at least, is that when Bentley decided to capture the moment it took pictures of most of the metal on the lawn, not just the Bentleys. Thanks to that, we have a high-res gallery that's home to rarities like the Vauxhall 30-98 Type OE Boattail Wensum Tourer, beauties like the Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, long-tail Ford GT40, Maserati Tipo 60 Birdcage, Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato, a sinister Ferrari 250 GTO and the even more sinister Rolls-Royce Phantom Aerodynamic Coupe, among others. All you need to do now is click and enjoy.

Aston Martin underscores its independence with the DB11

Aston Martin's future looked murky under private ownership after it was cast off by Ford in 2007. The British icon had an aging lineup and seemingly little chance to weather the looming economic storm and transform into a modern automaker. Nearly a decade later, Aston has defied doubters and reaffirmed its independence, which was embodied by the 600-horsepower DB11 revealed this week at the Geneva Motor Show. This high-powered sports car is a microcosm of Aston's strategy and capabilities. The 5.2-liter V12 was developed in-house and uses twin turbochargers to outgun the old naturally aspirated 6.0-liter 12-cylinder. The aluminum platform and sleek, contemporary design are all Aston. These are the pillars of its so-called second century plan. "This is not only the most important car that Aston Martin has launched in recent history, but also in its 103-year existence," CEO Andy Palmer said in a statement. "The DB11 rightfully places Aston Martin once again as a leading brand in the luxury automotive market." Aston also knows its limitations under private stewardship, which is why it tapped partner Daimler for the infotainment system. The German giant holds five percent of Aston, which is owned by a Kuwaiti consortium and an Italian equity group. Aston leadership chose the areas that defined the company's future and outsourced the non-essentials. That strategy allowed it to focus on making the DB11 true to the company's heritage. Sure, it faces challenges against stiff competition from high-end sports-car makers, but it's already gaining traction. "[It] will have to prove the company's new platform and powertrain technology while generating solid profits," IHS analyst Tim Urquhart wrote in a research note. "However, the omens for Aston are good, with over 1,000 advanced orders already." Even though Aston has ambitious plans to expand its product portfolio with a crossover and electrified vehicles, the DB11 remains the flagship. In 2007, many would have questioned if this car was even possible. Now the question is: What's next? News & Analysis News: Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne wants to partner with Apple to build its car, according to Bloomberg. Analysis: Sure he does. A lot of carmakers probably do. Sergio isn't shy about partnerships. This is the guy who turned an earnings call into a manifesto on industry consolidation and used a bizarre hugging analogy to illustrate his pursuit of General Motors. In this case, he's right.

Aston Martin rules out going downmarket

When Aston Martin sat alongside Jaguar under the Ford umbrella, the two had to be careful not to step on each other's toes. That kept the top end of Jaguar's sports and GT lineup at bay, and in the years since they parted company, Jaguar has steadily moved up-market with new versions of the XK and now with the new F-Type. But does that mean Aston Martin will in turn start offering cheaper models? "No, not at this stage," Aston's US chief Julian Jenkins told AutoGuide.com. "If there is an opportunity that we can sit comfortably within we will go after it." But for the time being, the V8 Vantage will remain the brand's entry-level model, coming in just under the $100K mark in base Vantage GT trim. Enthusiasts will remember the Cygnet, a version of the Toyota/Scion iQ which Aston reskinned and sold to customers looking for a more compact, economical mode of transportation without skimping on luxury. But that model never made it to North America, and lasted only a few years before being discontinued in 2013. More recently, Aston branched into the four-door market, first with the Rapide and now with the Lagonda Taraf. The Lagonda Taraf is a four-door luxury sedan initially launched in the Persian Gulf, but under consideration for additional markets. The company has been on and off the fence regarding launching a crossover SUV like the Lagonda concept it showcased at the 2009 Geneva auto show to lukewarm reception. If Aston were to proceed with such plans, it would be up against the likes of the upcoming Jaguar F-Pace, Bentley Bentayga and Maserati Levante.