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Aston Martin tests new Lagonda super-sedan in Oman

Aston Martin has been on a long road towards reviving the Lagonda name. The last Lagonda – that famously wedgy sedan – ended production in 1990. The name came back on a crossover concept in 2009, but for better or worse, never reached production. Then about a month ago, Aston teased a new super sedan to revive the marque, and shipped it off to Oman for hot weather testing under the baking Arabian sun. And now it's released a full batch of photos giving us our best look at the exclusive new four-door yet. This first verification prototype is taking part in a four-week testing cycle in the Sultanate, running some 500 miles per day with the aim of logging 14,000 test miles in temperatures as high as 120 degree Fahrenheit. The British automaker (known in full as Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd.) purposely chose a black paintjob to further punish its prototype, including an hours-long heat soak test that will bring the surface temperature of the cabin trim up to around 175 degrees. Aston isn't telling us much about the sedan itself, but we figure it's more likely to be powered by the company's ubiquitous 6.0-liter V12 engine and based on the aging VH architecture, though for all we know at this point, it could packing the upcoming AMG-sourced turbo eight and new platform. What we can see is that the styling is a radical departure from the design language to which Aston adhered rather rigidly over the past couple of decades, potentially previewing a new styling direction for the British marque. Unfortunately you shouldn't expect to see one in your neighborhood, because production will be strictly limited and exclusive to the Middle East.

'Q by Aston Martin' bringing unique creations to Monterey

Want an Aston Martin unlike any other on the road? You'll need to look to Q, and no, we're not talking about the inimitable Desmond Llewelyn. No, we're referring to Aston's in-house customization shop, a one-stop destination that can set your Vantage or Vanquish even further apart from every other vehicle on the road. Aston Martin is bringing four new Q-customized cars to next week's festivities in scenic Monterey, CA, covering the gamut of the brand's portfolio. At the lead is the Aston Martin flagship, the hardtop Vanquish. Finished in an eye-catching – and decidedly un-Aston-like – Abor Orange, the Vanquish boasts unique carbon fiber work, with a twill that's twice the size of your average CF. Inside, a new print has been emblazoned on the Obsidian Black leather, which Aston says is styled after the helix of a carbon molecule. For those who want to stand out and experience the wind in their hair, Q is also bringing out a pair of Aston Martin's Volante variants. The Vanquish Volante wears Frosted Silver paint, 10-spoke alloys and a Chestnut Tan interior. The DB9 Volante, meanwhile, sports perhaps the oddest style of this quartet, with Ashen Blonde exterior paint and, um, a pink interior. It's actually called Blush Pearl, and it's complemented by Piano Ice Mocha on the center stack. Finally, Q has turned its eye on the V12 Vantage S, decking it out in amethyst paint with a Monterey Pearl grille. The cabin sports the same Obsidian Black leather found on the Q-fettled Vanquish, but rather than the helix design, the Vantage S sports bold, Vivid Purple leather accents. The contrasting bits include the seat stripe, headliner, portions of the steering wheel finish and glove box liners. Take a look both up top and below for galleries of all four customized Astons, and then scroll down for the full press release from Aston Martin.

Aston Martin Vantage GT8 spied looking all fast on the 'Ring

Aston Martin keeps rolling out new versions of its long-serving Vantage, and we keep not complaining. This latest piece, spotted on the Nurburgring, looks particularly mean in matte black with a nice big wing on the back. We believe it to be the anticipated Vantage GT8, which should be the ultimate version of the V8 Vantage. The GT8 will follow in the footsteps of the Vantage GT12; its smaller engine should pack less of a punch, but the car will be lighter in the nose a V12 Vantage, which should help handling balance. Expect the 4.7-liter V8 to be retuned to produce more power than it has in any other Vantage: currently, the top V8 Vantage tops out at 430 horsepower, and we wouldn't be surprised to see the GT8 boast more like 450. That would still leave plenty of breathing room to the V12 models that start at 565. The aero package looks similar to the GT12's aggressive setup but incorporates several changes, including fewer cooling ducts and a reshaped front splitter, rear wing, and diffuser. Expect the interior to come stripped out like the GT12's. This top V8 Vatage ought to make a fine swan song for the eleven-year-old model line before its AMG-powered, turbocharged successor arrives. But don't expect to see too many of them – sources anticipate just 150 examples to be built, which is more than the 100 units of the GT12, but will still make this a rare bird indeed. Related Video: