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2020 Aston Martin DBX horsepower revealed — and here's how it sounds

We've seen the upcoming 2020 Aston Martin DBX crossover a number of times in camouflage, but now we're finally getting real details about it. Specifically, the company announced that it will make 542 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque from its AMG-sourced twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8. It's the most powerful version of the engine used in an Aston, with 39 more ponies than the Vantage and DB11, and 3 more pound-feet than the next torque-iest DB11. Aston Martin had a few more interesting, if not yet official numbers to share. The company revealed that in testing at the Nurburgring, the DBX has been setting lap times under eight minutes. That means it could eclipse the 7-minute, 49-second record time set by the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S. That Mercedes uses the same twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 as the Aston with the same amount of torque, but at 503 horsepower, it's down on power. Besides rough 'Ring times, Aston also noted that the DBX can go over 180 mph, though final top speed and acceleration numbers haven't been set yet. Besides the new numbers, Aston Martin also released an audio clip of the V8. It sounds very deep, but not especially loud. It's a smooth and polished sound, too. You can check it out in the video above. And stay tuned for further details when the DBX is fully revealed in December.  

2019 Aston Martin Vantage ridealong: Going to the extremes

"My job is to make them drive like they look," Matt Becker, Aston Martin's vehicle attributes engineer, tells me. The engine is idling, and we're harnessed inside of the 2019 Vantage test mule's racing bucket seats, somewhere on a frozen lake near the Arctic Circle in Sweden. Since the Vantage is Aston's best seller, and it's representative of the things the brand stands for, it's safe to say this chilly prototype is the most important Aston Martin on the planet right now. "Shall we have a go?" Becker rhetorically asks, looking out at the ice track. "First, with all the systems on. We test and develop this car with systems on and off, at every stage." Becker shifts the Vantage into Drive, and immediately it sounds happier. Under the hood is an Aston-ized, AMG-sourced twin-turbo V8, packing 503 horsepower and 505 lb-ft of torque. It was given the full work-over, and the controller algorithms were developed to make it behave like a proper Aston. Power is channeled through an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox. How and when the power comes on depends on driving conditions and mode, of which the 2019 Vantage has three: Sport, Sport Plus and Track. Absent is the DB11's GT mode, which fits perfectly on the grand tourer but not on a pure sports car such as the Vantage. Throughout testing, the Vantage stays under heavy camouflage and even sports some DB11 bits at first to deter speculation. But despite the partial DB11 drag, the Vantage will embody CEO Andy Palmer's directive: "[W]e need greater differentiation between the lines." While the DB11 is a striking and elegant grand tourer, the Vantage dials up the aggression over its predecessor. A massive, oxygen-gulping grille dominates the frontend. The car is about the same width as the DB11, but in person, it seems twice as wide as more pedestrian sports cars. Fender vents serve both functional and aesthetic purposes. The lip of the trunk swoops up, a naturally integrated spoiler that will help deliver downforce. But there's a lot more at play than is even immediately evident to the eyes, most important of which is the electronic rear differential. This the first Aston to ever be fitted with an e-diff. As Becker explains: "What that allows us to do is vary the amount of torque across the rear axle that we have, which allows you to make the car very short, very agile. Add in tricks like Dynamic Torque Vectoring, and because we can open up the diff, it's like putting a pole in the ground when you're skiing.

The Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Volante is a beautiful mouthful

Aston Martin makes some of the most beautiful sportscars in the world. There are few bad looking Astons and most attempts to modify or change the cars' characters usually ends terribly. Zagato, the Milan-based coachbuilder, is one of the few companies that seems to get it right. Last year, the company debuted its Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato coupe and Vanquish Zagato Volante convertible. These new spy shots show the production car in action. As the name suggests, the Vanquish Zagato Volante is simply a Aston Martin Vanquish Volante restyled by Zagato. That means a 5.9-liter V12 sending 592 horsepower to the rear wheels. Expect a 0-60 mph time of 3.7 seconds. That's nearly as quick as the new Aston Martin DB11. The Vanquish Zagato Volante keeps the standard car's long-hood short-deck proportions, but most of the bodywork has been redone. The grille keeps the standard Aston Martin outline, but it grows in size and bubbles out just slightly. Round LED lights sit at the corners of the Z-emblazoned grille. Around the side, we can see the gold-accented wheels and fender. There is a deep cut for airflow just behind the rear wheel. The shape mimics that of the standard car, but changes it just enough to make it special. A carbon-fiber lip runs around the bottom of the entire car. Out back, the wing-shaped taillights have been replaced with round units that use bladelike LEDs. The quad exhaust tips remain in place, but they appear to sit slightly higher than on the standard car. The small rear wing raises and lowers at speed for increased downforce. Just 99 of these Vanquish Zagato Volantes will be built. Most are likely spoken for, going to owners of the coupe version of the car. After all, if you have one, you might as well have the set. Related Video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Volante View 12 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Design/Style Spy Photos Aston Martin Convertible Luxury Performance aston martin vanquish aston martin vanquish volante aston martin vanquish zagato