Aston Martin auto news

Report: Chinese demand could prompt Aston Martin to press on with Lagonda revival

Automakers are usually pretty decisive. They either build a car or they don't. But Aston Martin has embarked down a bumpier road with Lagonda.

Aston bought the Lagonda marque way back in 1947, but after operating it as a separate brand for a few years, it let the brand peter out in the 1950s and 60s. The moniker was revived as a nameplate on a handful of Aston Martin sedans beginning in the 1970s, but that was pretty much the last we saw of it until the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.

That's when the British automaker unveiled the rather unusual concept vehicle (pictured above) to revive the Lagonda name once again as a separate brand. It was meant to test the waters, and the response was not favorable. So it had appeared that AML was dropping the L from its initials and the entire project along with it. But as a stand-alone niche automaker looking to stay afloat in a rapidly amalgamating industry, Aston needs to produce more than front-engined, rear-drive, two-door GTs. And the Rapide sedan apparently isn't going to be enough, so it looks as if that the Lagonda project could be back on the table.

According to Autocar, the real impetus, however, could be coming from emerging markets in Asia - particularly China, but also the Middle East and Russia. The timing for a high-end luxury crossover built by a company known for its exotic sports cars, however, could prove to be good timing or poor: Maserati, Lamborghini and Bentley are all entering the segment in the coming years, so if Aston wants to get a slice of that lucrative pie pioneered by Porsche, it had better get those wheels in motion.

Official: Aston Martin opens new Works shop at old Newport Pagnell site

It's been five years since Aston Martin shifted production to its new facility in Gaydon, Warwickshire, but after years of operating at Newport Pagnell, it could never shake the legacy of its historic home. So while the current model line is produced an hour away (probably less if you're actually driving an Aston), the company has inaugurated a new facility at its spiritual home.

Actually, truth be told, the old factory at Newport Pagnell was kept as-is under historic preservation laws, so the new facility is actually situated across the street. Its showpiece is a 10-car showroom that will serve as Aston Martin's flagship dealership. If you're thinking that Aston doesn't offer ten different models, well... it actually offers nine, between the DBS, DB9, Virage, V8 Vantage, V12 Vantage, V12 Zagato, Rapide, Cygnet and the One-77 (although we hear they've sold out of the latter). And even more if you take the V8 Vantage S variant and five convertible versions into account. But the showroom will also be displaying a variety of hand-picked and pristine classic Astons for sale, too.

That's because the space is attached to Aston Martin Works, which has spruced up its operations as well. The division is charged with restoring and servicing Astons old and new with its staff of over 60 employees, handling some 2,500 cars every year for everything from an oil change to a full restoration. It also handles the company's own fleet of historic vehicles and the catalog of new Q by Aston Martin accessories. Scroll down for the full press release and a breakdown of Aston Martin Works' activities.

Continue reading Aston Martin opens new Works shop at old Newport Pagnell site

Followup: Aston Martin prices limited-edition DBS Ultimate

If you want to get your hands on the Ultimate version of the Aston Martin DBS, you'd better act fast, and come with cash in hand.

The DBS Ultimate, as you may recall, is Gaydon's way of saying goodbye to what has been (notwithstanding the comings and goings of the One-77 and V12 Zagato) its mainstay flagship model for five years now. It's distinguished by such special touches as a painted rear decklid spoiler, carbon-fiber wing mirror caps, darkened grille, smoked taillamps, Zircotec-coated tail pipes, special badging, and a choice of yellow, black or red brake calipers.

Its interior has likewise been upgraded with red or silver diamond-quilted stitching on the leather seats and Alcantara headliner, and can be ordered in manual or automatic, coupe or Volante convertible, and in one of three colors: Carbon Black II, Quantum Silver or Silver Fox.

Aston has now confirmed that only 100 examples will be offered globally, on a purely first come, first served basis, with no specific allotments for individual markets. The order books are open now with production slated for early June, with American pricing pegged at $287,576 for the coupe and $302,576 for the Volante. Aston also released a fresh batch of images, which you can browse above.

Official: Aston Martin reveals DBS Ultimate online

Typically when an automaker releases a new car, we see it in a press release (whether embargoed for later release or not) before it pops up on their public-domain website. But not this time.

The car in question is the Aston Martin DBS Ultimate, a vehicle whose arrival we were anticipating. Like the Ultimate edition of the Vanquish that came before it, the DBS Ultimate is a harbinger of the vehicle's departure from the catalog. A new model is expected to arrive in celebration of the company's centenary next year, but before it does, the last few customers will have the privilege of owning one of the few Ultimate editions of the DBS that will ever be produced.

We've yet to receive word on just how many those will be, or what they will cost, but we can tell you that each car will be individually numbered. They will also feature special badging, a painted rear deck-lid spoiler, carbon-fiber wing mirror caps, a darkened grille, smoked tail-lamps, Zircotec-coated tail pipes and a choice of yellow, black or red brake calipers.

The interior is decked out in diamond-quilted stitching on the leather seats and Alcantara headliner in either red or silver thread. Buyers will also be able to choose between three exterior paint finishes - Carbon Black II, Quantum Silver or Silver Fox - and order theirs in either coupe or Volante convertible body-styles and with either a manual or automatic transmission.

We'll have to wait for that press release to come out to bring you more information - particularly on pricing and availability - by which time they'll all likely to have been spoken for. But you can check it out now on the company's website or in the screen caps we've assembled for you in the gallery above.

Official: Aston Marin reveals DBS Ultimate online

Typically when an automaker releases a new car, we see it in a press release (whether embargoed for later release or not) before it pops up on their public-domain website. But not this time.

The car in question is the Aston Martin DBS Ultimate, a vehicle whose arrival we were anticipating. Like the Ultimate edition of the Vanquish that came before it, the DBS Ultimate is a harbinger of the vehicle's departure from the catalog. A new model is expected to arrive in celebration of the company's centenary next year, but before it does, the last few customers will have the privilege of owning one of the few Ultimate editions of the DBS that will ever be produced.

We've yet to receive word on just how many those will be, or what they will cost, but we can tell you that each car will be individually numbered. They will also feature special badging, a painted rear deck-lid spoiler, carbon-fiber wing mirror caps, a darkened grille, smoked tail-lamps, Zircotec-coated tail pipes and a choice of yellow, black or red brake calipers.

The interior is decked out in diamond-quilted stitching on the leather seats and Alcantara headliner in either red or silver thread. Buyers will also be able to choose between three exterior paint finishes - Carbon Black II, Quantum Silver or Silver Fox - and order theirs in either coupe or Volante convertible body-styles and with either a manual or automatic transmission.

We'll have to wait for that press release to come out to bring you more information - particularly on pricing and availability - by which time they'll all likely to have been spoken for. But you can check it out now on the company's website or in the screen caps we've assembled for you in the gallery above.

Report: Aston Martin working on all-new Centenary model to celebrate anniversary

Aston Martin is rapidly approaching its 100th anniversary, and the company is reportedly hard at work on an all-new model to mark the occasion. According to Auto Express, CEO Ulrich Bez says the new creation will be an all-new mainstream model. That means we can count out any special-edition version of the DB9 or a super-limited production vehicle like the One-77. As you may recall, our spy photographers recently laid their glass on what we originally thought was a successor to the DB9 throne. It's entirely possible the machine was actually the new model Bez spoke of in his interview.

Either way, a 6.0-liter V12 will likely shuttle a full 550 horsepower or so to the rear wheels. Auto Express says the two-door ought to yield a 0-62 mph time of around four seconds flat. Sounds like an Aston Martin to us. With 2013 right around the corner, it's only a matter of time before we see this all-new model in the light of day.

Report: Aston Martin to offer Ultimate Edition before replacing the DBS

In the earlier part of the last decade, the king of the Aston Martin hill was a model called the Vanquish. More muscular than the DB7 it superseded, the Vanquish was offered first with a 450-horsepower V12, and then as the Vanquish S with 514 hp on tap. The flagship model from Newport Pagnell was replaced in 2007 by the DBS, but before it went the way of the proverbial dodo, Aston offered a final run of 40 examples called the Vanquish S Ultimate Edition. And now that its successor is itself due for replacement, sources expect Aston to offer a DBS Ultimate Edition, as well.

What separated the Vanquish S Ultimate Edition from its penultimate basis were a special black paint job, an enhanced interior and - most significantly - a conventional manual gearbox to replace the maligned sequential transmission in the regular model. What the DBS Ultimate Edition might comprise remains to be seen, but sources don't expect a manual gearbox to factor into the mix.

The Ultimate Edition, then, may boil down to something largely similar to the above-pictured Carbon Black edition that, like the Vanquish special, also featured a special black paint job and unique wheels, but little in the way of powertrain or suspension upgrades. Whatever the Ultimate Edition does encompass, though, is expected to cost nearly $300,000 and limited in production to just 100 units, of which only 30 are expected to make it to American dealerships.

Report: Aston Martin finally sells out of One-77 supercars

If you were waiting for those savings bonds to mature so you could get your hands on an Aston Martin One-77, we're afraid we have some unfortunate news for you: they're all gone.

According to the reports circulating the interwebs, all 77 examples of the range-topping, seven-figure Aston Martin supercar - complete with its specially-built 7.3-liter, 750-horsepower V12 engine - have been spoken for. That's after the last example was apparently sold since reports surfaced in February indicating there was still one left.

Don't worry too much, though, as Aston should still have a few examples of its new top-of-the-line model up for grabs. Production of the V12 Zagato is pegged at 150 units - barely more than twice that of the One-77 - with a sticker price of £330,000 - roughly half a million dollars, or a quarter the price of the One-77. Of course if you're hell-bent on spending over a million on a new supercar, there are some gentlemen in Modena and Molsheim who'd be glad to help you out.

Official: Aston Martin rolls out Dragon 88 special editions in Beijing

Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar and Land Rover all unveiled new special editions at the Beijing Motor Show, and Aston Martin wouldn't miss the opportunity to join in their company. Hence the Dragon 88 Limited Edition.

A special trim level available on the DBS Volante, Virage Coupe and V8 Vantage S, the Dragon 88 range is outfitted at the hands of the Q by Aston Martin division that tricked out the matte-violet Virage we saw in Geneva. The Dragon 88 celebrates the Year of the Dragon with such special touches as 24-carat gold badges, embroidered headrests, special interior trim, commemorative sill plates and a choice of three unique exterior colors.

As the name implies, only 88 examples will be offered, exclusively in China, at an as-yet undisclosed price. Since your chances of ever seeing one up close, then, remains rather slim, the high-res image gallery above (joined by the press release after the jump) is probably your best shot.

Continue reading Aston Martin rolls out Dragon 88 special editions in Beijing

Private showing gives us a closer look at the Aston Martin V12 Zagato

We last saw the Aston Martin V12 Zagato on the floor at the Geneva Motor Show in March. It was hardly an opportune moment to relish the automaker's stunning new two-seater, however, as we were forced to dodge the crowds while shooting images for our live gallery. Wanting to get a closer second look at the exceedingly rare exotic and shoot a more detailed photo montage, we visited Galpin Aston Martin in Southern California for a private viewing (astute readers may recall that several years ago we visted Galpin's exclusive "vault room" to check out the Aston Martin One-77).

Beneath this example's glossy Diavolo Red paint, mounted within the all-alloy aluminum monocoque platform, is the powerful running gear of a V12 Vantage (a car we called "an intoxicating machine masterfully engineered to gratify every emotion in a car enthusiast's soul" in our V12 Vantage review). In a nutshell, the rear-wheel drive V12 Zagato features a naturally-aspirated 6.0-liter V12 (rated at 510 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque), a rear mid-mounted transaxle and a traditional six-speed manual gearbox. Ever so slightly lighter than the V12 Vantage, the V12 Zagato will crack the 60 mph benchmark in about four seconds and not run out of steam until about 190 mph. Scroll down to continue reading.

Continue reading Private showing gives us a closer look at the Aston Martin V12 Zagato