Aston Martin
First few Aston Martin Rapides leave the factory
The sweet looking Rapide 4-door sedan by Aston Martin was first unveiled in late 2009 at the Frankfurt Motor Show and the first few examples are now ready to leave the factory. These brand spanking new Rapides are set to reach their respective owners as well as up to 125 Aston dealers in 34 countries.
The Rapide is being manufactured at the Aston Martin Rapide Plant in Graz, Austria. This plant was co-created with Magna Steyr. The Rapide is motivated by a mouth-watering 470hp 6.0 liter V12 which also makes a healthy 600Nm of torque at 5000 rpm. The engine is linked to a 6-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic box with steering-mounted magnesium paddle shifters.
Aston Martin Rapide to race in Nurburgring 24 Hours
Aston Martin has announced that its Rapide sedan will take part in the Nurburgring 24 Hours on May 15th. This exercise helps the company establish that while the Rapide can accommodate four, it is still a sports car at heart.
The specifications of the contender will be heavily based on the production Rapide however things like the interior will be ripped out to help reduce weight. It will also have additional racing-related safety features and will use slick tires.
The racing Rapide also gets a revised suspension while power still comes from 5.9 liter mouth-watering V12 with 470hp. The Rapide will also be joined by the Vantage V12 which returned a class win in 2009.
Aston Martin releases promo video showcasing the Cygnet
Aston Martin stunned the world last June by revealing the Cygnet supermini concept that is based on the Toyota iQ. Then the British sports car maker that is fondly associated with mouth watering sports cars announced that the Cygnet will go into production and that the development of the supermini will continue into 2010. Slated for a market launch late this year or by early 2011, the Cygnet is expected to be sold to owners of Aston Martin’s full-sized sports cars and only 2,000 units are planned.
The company has just released a 1 minute 32 second-long promo video of the Cygnet and unfortunately slightly more than a minute of it is used to showcase parkour, a French sport. I really believe Aston Martin could have come up with a better a promotional material, anyway you decide. Catch the video after the jump. Read the rest of this entry.
Buy a full-sized Aston Martin to get your hands on the Cygnet
According to a report published by The New York Times, you will have to purchase a full-sized Aston Martin in order to be eligible to buy the Toyota iQ-based Cygnet. Apparently the company only plans to roll out 2,000 units and it may be exclusive for the UK market only with availability in the US out of the question.
Aston Martin recently confirmed that the Cygnet will go into production and the development work will still continue into next year. The company expects to put the super mini on sale by the end 2010 or beginning of 2011. So, with only 2,000 expected to be made and that you will have buy or have a ‘proper’ Aston Martin first, will you be interested in driving home an Aston Martin that is a Toyota underneath?
Aston Martin One-77 surpass predictions to breach 350 km/h
The ultimate Aston Martin will also be the fastest ever, as the firm’s One-77 supercar has set a 354.86 km/h top speed in “dry but windy conditions” at a top secret proving ground in southern Europe, where it’s currently undergoing a stringent development process ahead of a 2010 launch. “Dry but windy conditions” means that the One-77 can cook up a higher top speed if conditions are better?
Powered by a new 7.3 litre V12 engine, the £1.2 million One-77 surpassed initial predictions by comfortably breaking the 320 km/h mark. The dramatically styled two-door, two-seat coupe is based on an innovative new carbon fibre monocoque body structure and adopts new active aerodynamic technology.
As name suggests, production is limited up to a maximum of 77 individually numbered examples, with deliveries expected to commence in mid-2010. Dynamic testing is scheduled to continue into the New Year. Look for high-res images of the One-77 performing the top speed test. Read the rest of this entry.
Aston Martin reveals Carbon Black Special Editions for DBS and V12 Vantage
Aston Martin has created a new special variant for its DBS and V12 Vantage sports cars. Called the Carbon Black Special Editions, both are treated to a bespoke Carbon Black metallic paint finish and each car will undergo 50 man-hours of hand painting. Both cars are also treated to 10-spoke gloss black, diamond cut alloy wheels. The V12 Vantage Carbon Black Special Edition receives a carbonfibre side strake which sits on a black mesh. There is also a bright finished grille along with front parking sensors, fitted as standard.
On the inside both models feature swathes of Obsidian Black leather highlighted with a contrast silver coarse stitch, all hand stitched. The fascia trim, centre stack and centre console are finished in piano black. There are also anodised black tread plates and unique sill plaques.
The Carbon Black Special Editions come with lightweight seats that are formed from carbon fiber and kevlar which result in a 17-kg weight saving. The V12 Vantage gets the 700w Premium Audio System as standard while the DBS is offered with a Bang & Olufsen Beosound DBS audio system.
The auto maker did not reveal exact price figures but did say that buyers can expect to pay an extra 5% over the price tag of the standard model. Continue reading to view an image gallery after the jump. Read the rest of this entry.
Aston Martin confirms production for Cygnet Concept
Couple of months ago Aston Martin revealed the Cygnet Concept project that will place the auto maker in the small car segment. The Cygnet looks familiar because it is actually based on the Toyota iQ, but treated to Aston’s design cues like the front grille, fender vents and so on. Aston Martin has now confirmed that the Cygnet will go into production and that development on the micro car will continue into 2010. It is expected to go on sale by the end of 2010 or beginning of 2011.
Along with the announcement, Aston Martin also released three images of a finished product. In the list is an image of the interior that is mostly finished in black and red leather. Although no information was revealed about its powerplant, expect Aston Martin to use Toyota’s 1.33 liter Dual VVT-i engine that is good for 99hp.
No V8′s here but it is likely that power will be increased to above 100hp. By the way, how long will it take for ‘modders’ to create aftermarket kits for the iQ so it can look like the Cygnet, without paying through the roof? Continue reading to view an image gallery. Read the rest of this entry.
US pricing for Aston Martin Rapide released
Following the announcement of the Rapide‘s pricing for the UK market, Aston Martin has also revealed the price tag of its high-performance 4-door vehicle for the US market. Compared to the £139,950 price tag, US customers can drive one home for US$199,950 which is about US$30,000 less than above mentioned UK price.
Deliveries will begin in spring next year and the sports car maker confirmed that the US-spec Rapide will be equipped with Bang & Olufsen Beosound audio system, heated memory seats, dual cast brakes as well as an Adaptive Damping System. Aston Martin plans to build about 2,000 Rapides in its first year. Power comes from a 6.0 liter V12 with 470hp and just for the sake of comparing, US$132,600 will get you the Panamera Turbo by Porsche.
