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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 reveals new V12 Vantage S Roadster as its fastest droptop to date

You have to hand it to Aston Martin. Its entry-level V8 Vantage may be nearly a decade old, but the British automaker never tires of rolling out ever more powerful versions. Where the original packed a 4.3-liter V8 derived from a Jaguar design and producing 380 horsepower, this latest version packs 565 hp to become the company's quickest and fastest roadster to date, not to mention its most powerful. Following the debut of the V12 Vantage S coupe, the new V12 Vantage S Roadster packs the most powerful iteration of Aston's ubiquitous 6.0-liter V12 engine to date. Equipped with CNC-machined combustion chambers and hollow camshafts, unburdened of 44 pounds of excess weight and mated to Gaydon's latest Graziano-developed Sportshift III seven-speed sequential gearbox, that engine is capable of propelling the open-top rocket to 60 in 3.9 seconds en route to a top speed of 201 miles per hour. That's considerably quicker than the flagship Vanquish Volante, which runs to 60 in 4.1 seconds and tops out at 183 mph, painting the V12 Vantage S Roadster as Aston's most performance-focused droptop to date. It's also got a flatter and fatter torque curve than the previous V12 Vantage Roadster, three-stage adaptive damping, three-stage stability control and two-stage ABS, carbon-ceramic disc brakes and a lightweight exhaust derived from the pipes on the One-77. Like what you see? There are more details to digest in the press release below, including a full range of customization options from the Q by Aston Martin catalog. ASTON MARTIN V12 VANTAGE S ROADSTER – AN OPEN INVITATION TO EXCITEMENT - Debut of the luxury brand's most potent and exhilarating roadster yet - 6.0-litre V12 engine: 565 bhp and 620 Nm delivers 201 mph top speed - Supreme agility and intense excitement characterise new model Aston Martin is opening up a new world of exhilarating driving excitement with the announcement of the hotly anticipated V12 Vantage S Roadster. When it arrives in markets around the world later this year the new sports car will become the luxury British marque's most potent, fastest and fastest-accelerating series production roadster to date and follows in the broad tyre tracks of the V12 Vantage S Coupe that was launched to worldwide acclaim in 2013.

Aston Martin waxes poetic about the good life with The Art of Vanquish

Aston Martin markets itself as offering the classy alternative to hardcore sports cars. Its vehicles are certainly capable, but they are also sold as offering an extra dose of luxury to go along with their power. The company is leaning hard into that image in a new short film called The Art of Vanquish. Over the grumble of the coupe's V12, the announcer reads a poem about the metaphor of life's journey, and it positions the Vanquish as a symbol of progress. The film is interspersed with shots of luxury goods like thickly upholstered leather chairs and products from sound system maker Bang & Olufsen, men's clothier Hackett London and Swiss watchmaker Jaeger Le Coultre. The production team True Motion Pictures created the short and has also done projects for Audi and Sony, among other companies. Of course, the idea that Aston Martins and other luxury goods are a symbol of life's adventure is a little contrived. It's still just a car after all – albeit an absolutely gorgeous one. Still, the film is an opportunity for a closer look at the Vanquish, and its wonderful growl is featured throughout. Scroll down to watch the video and be swathed in its poetic concept of luxury. Aston Martin, 'The Art of Vanquish' from True motion pictures on Vimeo.