2010 Aston Martin VANTAGE v12

NEWS & REVIEWS Fastest and most agile Vantage ever; ultimate performance interpretation of the Vantage range • Purposeful, striking and functional styling signalling performance capabilities • Everyday usability associated with a modern Aston Martin • Race-derived technology used throughout Aston Martin will present the most potent production sports car in the marque’s 95-year history at the Geneva motor show on 3 March. Based on the hugely successful V8 Vantage, the V12 Vantage will feature a 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque with a top speed of 190 mph and 0-62 mph time of 4.2 seconds. The latest incarnation of the Vantage family has been designed to provide a unique character, appealing to different driver tastes and complementing the other models in the current Aston Martin line-up. The original V12 Vantage concept was unveiled to guests at the opening of the Aston Martin Design Studio in December 2007. Continuing the marque’s impressive record of bringing concepts through to production, Aston Martin engineers have brought the V12 Vantage to market in an incredible 12 months. Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez said: “This is the ultimate performance interpretation of the Vantage range, combining our most agile model with our most powerful engine. It represents the definitive driving package; providing spectacular performance to ensure a dynamically thrilling and everyday useable driving experience. Designed for the focused driver, every component of the V12 Vantage has been honed with pure driving enjoyment in mind. Benefitting from race-developed materials and components, and featuring lightweight carbon fibre; performance and agility have been tuned to perfection. Visually enticing, the V12 Vantage expresses its performance potential through its purposeful stance created by enhanced aerodynamic and cooling aids optically widening the car, while retaining traditional understated Aston Martin design. Equally inviting, the cosseting interior permits the driver to extract maximum performance ability from the car while also enjoying customary levels of Aston Martin comfort on longer journeys. High levels of power and torque are available at all engine speeds making the V12 Vantage responsive and tractable in any driving situation. The V12 Vantage will be built at Aston Martin’s global headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire joining the DBS, DB9 and V8 Vantage model lines which are built in the state-of-the-art production facility combining hi-tech manufacturing processes with traditional hand-craftsmanship. Production will be limited up to 1,000 examples over the life span of the car, making the V12 Vantage a truly exclusive driver’s car. Deliveries of the V12 Vantage are expected to commence during quarter three 2009 with prices to be confirmed at the Geneva motor show. PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge

2010 Aston Martin V8 VANTAGE Elite LMV/R

NEWS & REVIEWS Final concept images have just been released for the 2010 Aston Martin LMV/R (Le Mans Vantage Racer). Only 30 of these race cars for the street will be produced for the world. Following in the footsteps of the Ferrari Scuderia and Stradale and Lamborghini Superleggera, the Elite LMV/R is lighter than the factory Vantage due to most of the body panels being made from carbon fiber. The Scuderia, Stradale and Superleggera were built for the purists who wanted a race car for the street, a more nimble version of the production street car that they were built from. These cars aren’t for everybody due to their harsher ride and loud exhaust systems. This is the company that the LMV/R will now be amongst but even more rare and special. The Superleggera’s US production was 172 cars, the Ferrari Stradale seen 1,288 examples built and the Scuderia production is supposed to top out at about 1,500 cars. Compare these production numbers to the 30 LMV/R’s that will be built and you can see how special and rare the LMV/R will truly be. To take a Vantage and turn it into an LMV/R, many components are used. Here is a list of what comes standard on the LMV/R: -- Carbon fiber body kit consisting of: front bumper with screens, visible carbon canards, visible carbon front splitter, hood, fenders (2” wider), side skirts, side skirt panels, rear quarter panel extensions (2” wider), trunk lid with visible carbon rear wing, rear bumper with visible carbon diffuser -- Matte black 20” wheels and tires for wide body kit -- Lowering springs -- Big Brake kit -- Sport muffler with tips -- Carbon fiber engine bay kit -- Full Alcantara interior -- Carbon fiber interior kit -- Serial numbered plaque (only 30 cars will be produced) -- LMV/R matte black stripes -- Installation and full repaint All LMV/R’s will be assembled in Florida and sent to and from the dealership that sold the car within the US. All LMV/R’s will be based on 2010 Vantage’s and will be very unique. The customer will order a brand new Vantage in any color offered by Aston Martin with any options. The Vantage is then picked up and sent to Florida where the work will be performed. The exterior can be painted the factory color or a custom color at an additional charge. The interior can be assembled in any color of the customers choosing since all the surfaces will be covered in new Alcantara. Elite is currently seeking an Aston Martin dealer in the US to be the exclusive dealer for these 30 cars. The package price is estimated at $173,000 plus the cost of the Vantage. These will be very special and unique cars and more information on deposits can be requested by Elite’s exclusive distributor, Exotica Motorsports. PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge

2010 Aston Martin Rapide

VIDEO: NEWS & REVIEWS Aston Martin will unveil one of the most eagerly awaited cars of 2009 at the 63rd Frankfurt Motorshow. The elegant Rapide, functional yet luxurious, provides space for up to four adults combined with an engaging driving experience synonymous with all Aston Martins. As the marquee’s first production four-door sports car, Rapide encapsulates core values of power, beauty and soul while bestowing four occupants with ample accommodation. A luggage compartment affords generous space for belongings for all four passengers, creating an Aston Martin which can be enjoyed on any occasion, anytime, anywhere. Rapide’s rear has been intelligently packaged to create a space where passengers feel a part of the driving experience with clear views to the front and sides. Comfort and support is supplied in the form of two hand-trimmed individual seats and a personal face-level heating and air conditioning system. Rear passengers can benefit from the optional Aston Martin rear entertainment system; two LCD screens are seamlessly integrated into the back of the front seat headrests optimally positioned at eye level. Aiding the practicalities of everyday use, the luggage compartment features a movable bulkhead to permit access from the rear cabin while the rear seats fold flat at the touch of a button to create a flat loading space increasing the luggage compartment from 10.6 cubic-feet to 26.4 cubic-feet. At the heart of every Aston Martin lies an evocative engine providing effortless power and torque: Rapide features a hand-built 6.0-litre V-12 engine producing 470 hp with peak power being delivered at 6,000 rpm and 443 lb.-ft. of peak torque at 5,000 rpm. A specifically tuned six-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic transmission is standard, allowing the driver to change gear automatically or manually via the steering-column-mounted magnesium paddles. The system also includes a “Sport” mode—activated by a button on the center console—which engages a more aggressive gear shift strategy as gear changes feel sharper along with more forceful engine speed matching on downshifts. The use of lightweight materials has resulted in the Rapide’s projected weight gaining only 419 lbs. over its DB9 sibling delivering a target curb weight of 4,299 lbs.; a small weight gain considering the Rapide is 11 inches longer than the DB9. Aside from the front doors and bonnet, all of Rapide’s body panels are new. The front wings are formed from composite while all four doors and roof are pressed aluminum and the rear quarter panels are steel. For the first time on an Aston Martin, Rapide features a dual cast brake system. The discs are made from two materials, cast iron and aluminum. The new technology provides dynamic advantages in the form of reduced unsprung mass with a brake that is 15–20% lighter than a standard cast iron brake. Using both cast iron and aluminum takes advantage of the heat resistance provided by cast iron and the weight saving properties of aluminum. To take full advantage of its extremely rigid platform, the Rapide features Adaptive Damping System (ADS) first seen on the DBS which uses two separate valves to set the dampers to five different positions, allowing instant adjustment of the car’s ride and handling characteristics. The ADS automatically alters the suspension settings to ensure the driver has high levels of control at all times, with the ability to respond instantly to different road conditions and driver inputs. First deliveries of the Rapide will commence early in 2010 and will be available globally through Aston Martin’s 125-strong dealership network. Pricing will be confirmed at the Frankfurt Show. PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge

2010 Aston Martin One-77

NEWS & REVIEWS The One-77 is Aston Martin’s definitive sports car, one that epitomizes everything Aston Martin from technology, the hand-craftsmanship of the hand rolled aluminum panels to the attention to detail. A culmination of the entire marquee’s know-how, the One-77 delivers effortless beauty guaranteed to stir the senses with performance potential eclipsing any previous Aston Martin. The One-77’s structural core is a lightweight and immensely rigid carbon fiber monocoque. Conceived and designed at Aston Martin’s Gaydon HQ, the monocoque, or ‘tub’, has been built in partnership with Multimatic (MTC). As world leaders in carbon composite technology, advanced vehicle analysis and dynamic simulation, MTC brings unrivalled specialist capabilities to the exacting challenge of the One-77 program. Employing the classic formula of double wishbones at each corner, the One-77 features inboard suspension front and rear, with pushrods employed to transfer vertical suspension movements to the horizontally mounted spring/damper units. A practice taken directly from racing car design, the main advantages of inboard suspension are a reduction in unsprung weight and the ability to package the suspension components more effectively. The dampers are fully adjustable and feature advanced Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) technology; a world-first for a road car application. These special valves are state-of-the-art even at the highest levels of motorsport, and use high-precision machined components to enable the shock-absorbing characteristics of the damper to be changed without having to remove them from the car, as is the norm. Naturally, such a spectacular chassis demands – and gets - an equally exceptional drivetrain. It comes in the form of an immensely potent 7.3-liter, naturally-aspirated V-12 engine. Thanks to the adoption of a dry-sump oil system the engine is mounted 3.9 inches lower than in any previous V12-engined Aston Martin road car, which helps keep the One-77’s centre-of-gravity as low as possible. Wearing Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires (255/35 ZR20 front, 335/30 ZR20 rear) developed specifically for the One-77, all 700+ hp is transmitted to the road through the rear wheels via a new six-speed gearbox. Controlled via column-mounted paddles behind the steering wheel, this robotized sequential manual is a new generation of Aston Martin’s familiar transmission. Though it is made specifically for the One-77 and features specially strengthened internals to cope with the tremendous power and torque, the lessons learned in its development will ultimately find their way into the company’s series production models. With a projected weight of 3,307 lbs. the One-77 will occupy the very highest echelons of road car performance. Top speed is confidently predicted to be in excess of 200mph, with a 0-60mph time in approximately 3.5sec. Perhaps more importantly, thanks to the purity of a front-engine, rear-drive layout, the responsiveness and immense tractability of a naturally-aspirated V-12 and the low mass, high-rigidity properties of a carbon fiber chassis, the One-77 promises a driving experience of unrivalled intensity and excitement while representing the world’s most desirable automotive art form. PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge

2010 Aston Martin DBS VOLANTE

NEWS & REVIEWS Aston Martin will premiere the DBS Volante at the Geneva Auto Salon on the 3rd March 2009. Completing the DBS line-up, the new Volante will afford customers the combination of the DBSs already-established benchmark sports car characteristics with all the thrills of open-air motoring. Broadening the DBSs character, the DBS Volante will appeal to drivers who wish to combine the excitement of driving a finely-tuned sports car with the invigorating feeling of being open to the elements. This juxtaposition of ultimate performance and openness stirs the senses on any drive whether a exhilarating jaunts on favored roads or cruising on lengthy journeys. Volante, meaning: moving with light rapidity, perfectly defines the performance potential and the dynamic characteristics of the DBS Volante. Featuring a motorized retractable fabric roof, the DBS's beautiful profile is preserved whether up or down. When the roof is closed, it provides a warm comfortable ambience and when open, it neatly disappears behind the new tonneau cover at the touch of a button. Aston Martins Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ulrich Bez said: The DBS Volante delivers the utmost relaxed driving experience with the hood up or down. It combines engineering excellence with design perfection. The DBS Volante offers a subtle mix of power and performance. Adding to this, the fine craftsmanship it is an unparalleled ownership and driving experience. Conceived as a Volante from the outset, Aston Martin engineers opted for a fabric hood to closely follow the silhouette of the DBS coupe and due to its lightweight properties, minimize overall weight gain. Fully retractable in only 14 seconds and at up to speeds of 30 mph (48 km/h), the roof will automatically stow under the newly sculpted tonneau, maintaining the DBS Volantes perfect form hood up or down. Power is provided by Aston Martins hand-built all alloy 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 bhp (380 kW / 517 PS), and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque with a top speed of 191 mph (307 km/h) and 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time of 4.3 seconds. The nature of the V12, and in particular the torque available at all engine speeds, serves to provide effortless driving in all situations. Aston Martins 16th convertible in 95 years, the DBS Volante draws on the marquees extensive experience in designing iconic Volantes and is a 2+2 featuring two occasional rear seats, ideal for young people or extra luggage. In standard specification, the DBS has a rear-mounted six-speed manual gearbox, while an automatic six-speed Touchtronic option is also available. As with the coupe, the Volante is offered with carbon ceramic brakes as standard providing exceptional stopping power. Benefitting from materials derived from the motorsport and aerospace industries, the bonnet, front wings and boot lid are made from carbon fiber all helping to reduce weight. The DBS Volante also comes with Bang & Olufsens renowned BeoSound DBS in-car entertainment system, featuring 13 speakers as standard equipment. The BeoSound DBS has been expertly tuned by Bang & Olufsens Tonmeisters and Aston Martins acoustic engineers specifically for the Volante resulting in a system that senses when the roof has been retracted and adjusts the sound stage to compensate for extra wind noise, providing an unrivalled automotive audio experience. The DBS Volante will be built at Aston Martins global headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire with customer deliveries expected to commence during quarter three 2009 and prices will be confirmed at the Geneva Auto Salon. PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge

2009 Aston Martin V8 VANTAGE ROADSTER

NEWS & REVIEWS See Aston’s V8 Vantage—the baby Aston—on the street and you risk whiplash from whipping your head around to get a better look. But despite its supercar looks, it never quite delivered supercar performance. Zero-to-60-mph in 5.0 seconds? A Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 is quicker. Thankfully the folks at Aston have corrected that with a makeover for 2009. PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge

2009 Aston Martin V8 VANTAGE

NEWS & REVIEWS See Aston’s V8 Vantage—the baby Aston—on the street and you risk whiplash from whipping your head around to get a better look. But despite its supercar looks, it never quite delivered supercar performance. Zero-to-60-mph in 5.0 seconds? A Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 is quicker. Thankfully the folks at Aston have corrected that with a makeover for 2009. PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge

2009 Aston Martin V8 VANTAGE Hellvellyn Frost

NEWS & REVIEWS MWDesign ups the ante on the already beautiful Aston Martin V8 Vantage with a well thought out aerodynamic and performance upgrade package. Appropriately named Helvellyn Frost, this frozen matte white Aston takes its name from a mountain range in England. This mountain epitomizes romance and beauty with a dash of treachery, just as this V8 Vantage does. The Aston Vantage is undoubtedly a stunningly beautiful car straight from the factory. To enhance her looks without becoming ostentatious, every curve had to be considered. It is a very easy process to add aftermarket parts to these cars, but also very easy to disturb the balance of beauty, proportion and classiness. The first task was to pick a color scheme to go with. The car came from the factory finished in an already beautiful Tungsten Grey with 2 tone red/black interior and red calipers. To accentuate the lines and create a more mystical subdued glow, a crisp pure matte white was selected. This concept was executed beautifully by the pros at GPFX. After the full color conversion, RSC (Racing Sports Concepts) came into the equation for subtle aerodynamics additions and serious power upgrades. For this project, MWDesign placed a special order for these aero pieces in matte carbon fiber to flow with the muted exterior reflectivity. The carbon pieces fit flawlessly and were given the matte white 2 tone effect to flow into the rest of the bodywork. Next on the agenda was to upgrade the stance of the Aston with wheels and suspension. To achieve this, first H&R suspension was installed to get the proper ride height. For wheels, MWDesign immediately called their good friends at Modulare wheels to fabricate a custom set of wheels for the Vantage. MWDesign’s prototype included a matte black lip and a highly textured tinted brushed aluminum face reminiscent of a clear coat version of the TiAN finish found on some of the world’s most exclusive watches. After some design revisions, MWDesign applied their concept to Modulare’s then-unreleased M14 wheels. This finish was combined with piano black hardware and aluminum center cap with small body color accents. These highly detailed wheels are glued to the road via Michelin Pilot Sport PS2’s measuring 255/35-20 in the front and 285/25-20 in the rear. After the major modifications were complete, the fine styling details had to be addressed. In MWDesign’s opinion, often these small accents are the “make or break” features in their projects. To match the matte theme and the matte black wheel lips, matte black was applied to the side vents, front grill, window trims and trunk lip area. DBS style clear tails were added to the rear to create a lighter, more airy feel to the body of the car. The solid Ferrari Red callipers were entirely too flashy for the vehicle and had to be subdued. The callipers were pulled out and powdercoated in a frost white with carbon fiber plate to match the body. To retain a more subtle tie with the red interior, the Brembo calliper’s bleeder line was left in red. Drawing from the influence of the GT4 Racing Vantage, removable anodized red tow hooks were installed in the front and rear giving it a small hint of red to match the interior and to pay homage to its racing counterpart. Lastly, the Vantage’s underachieving 380hp was the final priority on the list. RSC’s Vantage-C Powerkit including a beautiful polished canister race exhaust system, high flow 200 cell catalysts and engine software retune bring this machine to a serious contender at 445hp. The loud yet refined bark emitted from the hand-built V8 through the free flowing exhaust produces such a beautiful note that the car feels right at home whether it be at the Glyndebourne or at Goodwood. PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge

2009 Aston Martin DBS

NEWS & REVIEWS Two things a new owner of Aston’s magnificent $265,000 DBS should know before taking delivery. First, it doesn’t float. Earlier this year, some unfortunate soul was delivering a new DBS to the set of the next 007 escapade, Quantum of Solace due out in November. When he lost control of the 510 hp, 191 mph projectile, he crashed through a wall and dunked the car into Italy’s Lake Garda. Unlike Bond’s famous Lotus in The Spy Who Loved Me, which morphed into a submarine when it dived in the briny, the Aston sank like a rock. The second piece of advice is never lose the ignition key. Why? A replacement will cost a cool $2,000. It’s because this chunk of stainless steel and crystal glass is nothing less than a piece of automotive jewelry. So much so that Aston doesn’t even call it a key—it’s an ECU, short for Emotion Control Unit. That’s a pretty good description for the entire car. PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge

2009 Aston Martin DB9 VOLANTE

NEWS & REVIEWS After half a decade on the road, it was time for Aston’s DB9 to get a little nip/tuck make over to keep it fresh. Mechanical changes include a compression increase for the big 6.0-liter V-12, to give an extra 20 hp and 23 lb.-ft. of twist. Plus a revised version of the six-speed ZF auto that delivers 25 percent swifter shift times. Together, they’re good for a 0.3 second drop in the 0-to-60 sprint, to around 4.6 seconds. The ‘9’ also gets new Bilstein shocks for ’09 to give a smoother low speed ride and better bump absorption. Inside, some of the dash features of the latest DBS are carried over—the fancy keyless ‘emotional control unit’ and the rotary switches. On the exterior, changes are limited to a new five bar grille and door mirrors from the DBS. But it all only heightens our love affair with this British beefcake which continues to rank as one of the world’s great GTs. PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge