Category: Aston Martin

Aston Martin are boasting that development of their One-77 supercar is currently up to speed. In fact, they have even put a figure on that speed—220.007mph to be exact. No, I don’t really believe the 007 bit is anything other than a marketing gimmick, either.

Still, 220mph is bloody quick, in modern lingo that’s 354km/h. Mind, with a 7.3 litre V12 engine at one’s disposal you’d expect some pretty healthy numbers. True to form the One-77 is on track to be the fastest Aston Martin ever.

Aston have been conducting high speed testing in southern Europe, although they don’t say where exactly, and the 220mph run was achieved as recently as last week. Dynamic testing is scheduled for early next year.

Deliveries of the ultra exclusive coupé will commence in mid 2010 and will be limited to just 77 examples—hence the name.

I wonder if the reason recent climate change talks in Copenhagen were considered a bit of a non-event is related to the arrival of two new “Carbon Black” Aston Martin special editions? Well, despite the company’s efforts with the questionable “Cynical”, Aston is hardly the world’s greenest car manufacturer.

Like the COP15 discussions adding the words “Carbon Black Special Edition” to the DBS and V12 Vantage sounds very promising. However, exactly like the Copenhagen talks, the reality fails to live up to the hype.

The good news, though, is that these special editions don’t come at much of a cost. While firm pricing is yet to be announced Aston say sir will only need to cough up an extra 5% over the existing pricing for the DBS and V12 Vantage.

For your money you’ll get unique Carbon Black exterior paint and a few other cosmetic tweaks. The V12 Vantage gets a slither of carbon fibre on the side vents, too. Obsidian black leather with contrast stitching also features on both cars. Audiophiles can get their jollies with a 700w Premium Audio in the V12 Vantage, while DBS buyers will get to brag to their mates that the have the Bang & Olufsen Beosound system. Impressive, huh.

Actually, it seems the only change of genuine merit are the carbon fibre and kevlar seats which save 17kg each over the regular pews.

Orders can be made now, although pricing won’t be confirmed until next month. Overseas deliveries are scheduled for March 2010 and according to The Motor Report Australia is in line to receive four Carbon Black models. Yes, just four.

More after the break.

Back in July Aston Martin shocked us all with the revelation they were developing a tiny little city car—the ‘Cygnet’. Well, actually, Toyota is doing the developing, mostly in the form of providing the iQ on which Aston can adorn its own design language. That process, in visual form at least, has been revealed today in the images you see here.

While a definite rationale hasn’t been published by Aston Martin it is understood that the car’s relatively frugal fuel consumption and exhaust emissions will help lower the figures of Aston’s overall fleet.

Even now the company has given little away, only providing a meagre three sentence release. So let’s show Aston that two can play that game, and instead of using the concept’s proper name, AUSmotive shall henceforth refer to the car as the ‘Cynical’.

Australian pricing for the Aston Martin Rapide—the car the whole family can love—has been announced. Priced between the DB9 and DBS the 2010 Rapide will kick off at $366,280 plus all those horrible on road charges and dealer delivery fees.

If you’ve a lazy $400K burning a hole in your pocket, then the good news for you is you should be able to get your grubby little mitts on a Rapide before the middle of next year, as Australian deliveries are expected in the second quarter of 2010.

When Sir parks his family’s new pride in his driveway he will be able to smile inside while remembering the words of Aston Martin’s CEO, and part-time racer, Dr Ulrich Bez, “Now there is an Aston Martin for every type of sports car customer regardless of the demands of their lifestyle.”

But, we all know Sir will really be thinking about how ably he is able to cater for all the needs of his family with 350kW at his disposal, courtesy of the familiar Aston 6.0 litre V12. Not to mention the peak torque figure of 600Nm. That’s a lot of Newton metres he is providing for his loved ones. Hasn’t he done well for himself.

Most importantly, though, Dr Bez once again, “With Rapide, the entire family can enjoy their Aston Martin together in unison, in an invigorating yet comfortable environment, sitting low, with plenty of visibility from every seat and with new levels of comfort, refinement and entertainment.”

As we all know, a family that sits low together is a family that stays together.

[Source: The Motor Report]

A bit of a catch up story this one, but it’s never a bad idea to feature an Aston Martin article. The One-77 hypercar made its public debut at the Concorso d’Eleganza in Italy last month. And while doing so it won the Concorso d’Eleganza Design Award for Concept Cars and Prototypes. Yay, for Aston then!

If you want a closer look at the One-77 then check out the images after the jump and be sure to click on each pic to load the 2000px super image.

If you’re still hankering for some more One-77 goodness, check out this evo article.

Aston Martin’s newest concept, the One-77, is set to make its public debut today at the Concorso d’Eleganza. The famous and exclusive event is held in the grounds of the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este, on the shores of Lake Como in Italy, and runs from 24-26 April 2009.

While the car on show is considered a concept car, it will have a working drivetrain and finished interior that, if not exact, will be very close to the final production model. A leaked document has given us a sneak preview of the interior already, so seeing a close to final product will prove interesting.

Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez is cockahoop, “The craftsmanship and design that has gone into the creation of the Aston Martin One-77 lifts automotive engineering into the realm of art. With its finely sculpted forms and sleek lines, it is an expression of unparalleled beauty that embodies everything Aston Martin stands for.”

Check out the Concorso d’Eleganza website for more info on the event.

Following the release of four computer generated images in February comes this first official image release of the Aston Martin Rapide in production form. You can click on the image above to load a wallpaper sized 2000px super image.

Dr Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin CEO, claims this is the “world’s most elegant four-door sports car”. That’s a big claim, but one that can be taken seriously. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but you can be sure you will have many admirers if you have a Rapide parked in your driveway.

The car is due for a full public reveal in late 2009 (Frankfurt maybe?) with the first customer deliveries scheduled for early 2010.

It has taken some time for the 2006 concept to reach maturity, and it is clear that Aston has high hopes for their new baby. Dr Bez states, “Rapide will exceed expectations to deliver elegance and practicality in a form that will allow driving enjoyment and comfort beyond anything that exists today.

“The Rapide will exist in a class all of its own, a true Aston Martin with the high performance and dynamic excellence that defines the brand, and a luxurious sporting grand tourer without equal.”

More after the jump.