Oh, bloody hell. They couldn’t even get the car jack right. How the hell do they expect to remove the wheel? Damn London kids. This DBS is too pitiful to stare at.

[Jalopnik]

Spare us your James Bond fantasies. We all know you’re drooling for a $1.5 million Aston Martin One-77. So what? It’s deathly boring. It’s only powered by a 7.3-liter 12 cylinder engine that is capable of 700 hp and 500+ lb-ft of teeth-breaking torque. And it can only get you cruising up to 220.07 mph. So what if it has everything that Aston Martin stands for (power, luxury and the latest technology). We don’t care if you have enough money to buy ten One-77s, just to give them out to your family members. That doesn’t mean we’re going to go nuts and have sleepless nights. We’re not even going to wake up at 3am thinking about it. So if you’re thinking you’ve got it made by ordering ten One-77s and paying $17 million up front even before they’re produced, you’re mistaken. We’re not jealous. We’re deathly jealous.

This is a joke, of course. And whoever that gentleman is who ordered ten of these top-of-the-line Aston Martins, you’re one lucky son of a Bond.

Source: Motor Trend

Some people really have it good. Those who are fortunate enough to get to own, or even drive, an Aston Martin V12 Vantage know how well it performs under all that beauty. Unfortunately, only Europeans are lucky enough. Or are they?

If you look at Aston Martin’s website, you’ll see it says that the V12 Vantage is not going to be sold in Canada. In fact, only 1,000 units will ever be produced during its one-year production span.

That’s what the website says, but not what Dr. Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin CEO, announced in the Frankfurt Motor Show. According to the kind doctor, the beautiful beast will be available in the US. They’re planning on extending production to benefit those who can afford the V12 Vantage in the US market. Talking about the seemingly similar faces the V8 and V12 Vantage share, including the DB9 and DBS models, Bez says that it doesn’t matter much. What does matter, says Dr. Bez, “is that people recognize it is an Aston Martin.”

How true. If you’re a Bond fan, it doesn’t take more than a second to recognize an Aston Martin on the streets, especially with its clear tail light design and unique front grille. But more important than the looks, however, is the performance of this beauty. If you want to experience first hand what that means, well, you’ll just have to wait until it reaches US shores.

Source: Car and Driver

Talk about righting a wrong. Aston Martin has just put on hold production of its Lagonda crossover. No surprise there. We all saw what kind of abomination the Lagonda is. Even if you’re an Aston Martin fan, I’m sure you would have second thoughts of riding in it. James Bond would look pretty awkward driving one as well. Its high profile and big snout looks something borne out of prehistoric times. In fact, it resembles the Flinstones’ pet, Dino. (Remember that sweet little critter?)

I’m sure Aston Martin had the best intentions when they designed the Lagonda. But motives aside, the press simply didn’t like it and showed their disapproval right after its unveiling in Geneva back in March. This prompted Aston Martin to roll it off the Geneva stand even before the public got first look at it. Talk about saving face.

Aston Martin has a long list of impressive sports cars ever since they introduced the DB7. They’ve even earned themselves quite a name in racing, winning races in different motoring events. However, the Lagonda may have proved to be a far-fetched attempt at creating an SUV crossover. And in the world of automotives, bad designs are all too often ignored and such incidences spell bad times for any auto maker’s image and financial outlook. Thumbs up to Aston Martin for doing the right thing.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/20/report-aston-martin-puts-the-lagonda-on-hold/

Here’s a treat for Aston Martin fans and owners out there. Aston Martin’s V8 Vantage will no longer be the lone warrior in this year’s ADAC Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race, as the V12 Vantage is set to enter the event in all its glory.

The new V12 Vantage is now much lighter, owing to the abandonment of its luxury components. It has been reinforced with a full roll cage, a modified suspension and Pirelli P Zero Circuit Racing slick tires, all in the spirit of endurance racing. It’s bringing along 510 horses in its stable so other teams better watch out.

For the rest of you, come witness the V12 Vantage makes its debut in the ‘Ring this May 23 and you may just be converted into an Aston Martin fan, and not just some James Bond wanna-be.

For more information, just click on the link below.

Source:

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/24/aston-martin-taking-on-the-nurburgring-24-hour-enduro-in-v12-van/

The 2009 Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4

I’m not especially fond of Aston Martins because of the fact that they’re closely associated with James Bond flicks. I’m not a James Bond fan. But this particular Martin’s name got me curious – the 2009 Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4.

So what’s up with this baby? Is it just another Bond babe trying to fit in the racing track? According to Aston Martin’s website, the GT4 is built following regulations set by FIA GT4 rules and has been certified to compete in several series such as the FIA GT4 European Cup. It’s price is a mere $145,000.

Here’s an interesting trivia – Aston Martin now competes in all four GT classes (1 to 4). Well, it looks like they’re more into racing than I thought. The GT4’s 4.7L V8 engine is hand built by engineers in Aston Martin Racing that drives the rear wheels through a Valeo twin-plate cerametallic racing clutch. It’s quite heavy at 1,330 kg but it supposedly weighs 300 kg less than the production Vantage.

Some standard equipment that may entice racing aficionados are a high-strength steel rollcage and Recaro bucket seats. Its seat belts are Sabelt six point safety harnesses that release with a quick push of a button. It also has a Lifeline Zero 360 gas extinguisher system that will save the driver in case the GT4 catches fire.

Now, I wish Ferraris have that kind of a system. Ferrari’s have a bad tendency to catch fire after sprinting. I guess that adds to the thrill of driving a Ferrari. It’s like a fiery dragon waiting to breathe flames.

The GT4’s suspension has both front and rear anti-roll bars and adjustable ride height dampers made of aluminium. You still have to hurl it into a corner to see if such a setup works. Its Pagid RS 29 brake pads are less impressive than the Ferrari F430’s brakes.

Now here’s something that boggles me. Why bother to build a race car if you’re going to throw in training-wheel systems such as the following – dynamic stability and traction control, antilock braking system (ABS), and electronic brake force distributor.

As I’ve said before, these systems limit a driver’s ability to learn the limits of a car. That’s what racing is all about right? More than winning, racing is about pushing your car to its limits. The implication of which is you’re not competing with other drivers – you’re competing with yourself. Automated systems eliminates the need to outdo your own level of skills and understanding to be able to push the car near, or even beyond, its envelope.

I’d say despite its being a V8, the GT4 did not leave that much of an impression in me. I don’t know about Aston Martin and James Bond fans though. I could only say that the GT4 is a bold attempt at building a supercar. I especially am not fond of the red (racing?) stripes that run along the GT4’s body. It kind of reminds me of a scene from a Batman movie.

They could have put in a large rear wing to give the GT4 more punch visually. Aston Martin Racing could also create an edgier design that will cut through air. The rounded body is just too similar to the production Vantage. They could do away with the automated systems and throw in a turbo to add to the power to weight ratio.

If I were to own a GT4, I’d take away that red stripe. It looks like someone put lipstick on the GT4 without caring about its racecar identity. It’s just not fair to do that to a racecar.

Source:

http://www.astonmartin.com/eng/thecars/v8vantage/vantagegt4

Besides the Martini and the tux, there’s another thing that James Bond is known for. And that is for the car that he drives—the Aston Martin. Some say that it’s a car that makes the man, and that is the case with Bond and the Aston Martin. Should Bond tell you what car he drives, he would tell you it’s “Martin, an Aston Martin.”

History:

Aston Martin Lagonda Limited: this is the official name of the marque. It’s name was from the founder, Lionel Martin and the Aston Hill known for its speed hillclimbing.

The company specializes in luxury sports cars and has not disappointed the public in that regard. If it’s good enough for a Bond car, then it should be good enough for the rest of us, right?

The company has undergone several changes and transfer of ownerships. Currently, Ford has $77 million stake at the company, but the company is already purchased by Investment Dar and John Sinders.

Models:

Aston Martin models have two general categories: the Vantage and the Volante. The main difference is that the Vantage is for performance while the Volante stands for convertibles.

Performance:

Though the company started with a four-cylinder engine, Aston Martin has further developed larger engines and more powerful output. There’s the Aston Martin V8 and and the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish. This is but expected from a company that makes its bread and butter from creating luxury sports cars.

Design:

It’s going to be hard to describe in words the impressive design aesthetics of the Aston Martin. You have to see one to appreciate the beautiful and sleek lines of an Aston Martin. Incorporating style, luxury and aerodynamic efficiency, Aston Martin is one of the most sought-after sports car in the world today.

Bond Car

Perhaps the most famous line of Aston Martin cars was the DB series. DB, named after its top excutive in the 1950s, David Brown. This established Aston Martin as a top brand amongst car enthusiasts and this was topped off by the featuring of the DB5, DB6 and the DBS V8. The DB5 is most known as the Bond Car that was featured in Goldfinger, Thunderball, Tomorrow Never Dies and Casino Royale.

Featuring an inline six-cylinder engine and a 282 bhp output and a top speed of 141 mph, it fits perfectly the sleek image and the thrilling ride that Bond Car is supposed to have.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Martin

http://www.motorauthority.com/aston-martin-the-past-the-present-and-tomorrow.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Martin_DB5