It’s official, the brand new Aston Martin V12 Zagato is expected to begin production in the summer of 2012.
After completion of the 2011 Nurburgring 24 Hour race, the two-seat supercar received huge interest from customers. This exclusive car was built to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original DB4, Aston Martin Zagato.
Under its aluminum and carbon fibre skin lie the foundations of the outgoing V12 Vantage, sharing the chassis, core design and crucially, the same 6.0-litre V12 front-mounted engine.
The engine itself remains unmodified from the range-topping Vantage, producing the same 510bhp, and 570Nm torque.
The price for such exclusivity is a blinding £330,000 (£396,000 including VAT), three times the price of the mechanically similar V12 Vantage, at £135,000.
The 1964 Aston Martin DB5 that Sean Connery drove in Goldfinger and Thunderball has sold for €3,328,000 / $4,608,500 USD at a London auction.
Bought by American Harry Yeaggy, the iconic movie car is original condition and features all of the gadgets used in the Bond movies. 007’s DB5 has a rear bulletproof shield, hidden Browning machine guns, a passenger ejector seat, a nail / calthrop spreader, an oil slick sprayer, and front and rear rams. In addition, there’s futuristic goodies (for 1964, that is) such as a mobile phone and a radar receiver.
According to Yeaggy, “This is a car that I’ve always wanted, after all it is the most famous car in the world.”
A rare classic Aston Martin DB 2/4 Mk 111 drophead coupe which lay under a tarpaulin on a driveway with the keys in the ignition for 30 years has sold at auction for over £200,000.
The 1958 model was first registered to David Brown, who owned Aston Martin and whose ”DB” initials continue to this day.
The car, which is one of only 84 ever made, was stored on a trailer under a tarpaulin for 30 years by its previous owner – after it ran out of petrol.
The battered wreck went up for auction last week where it was expected to fetch between £80,000 and £100,000.
But a bidding war between two British classic car collectors saw it sell for £207,866 at Sandown Park in Esher, Surrey.
Laurence Sayers-Gillan, managing director of Barons auctioneers who handled the sale, said the price ”exceeded all expectations.”
He said: ”Considering how it was stored the car is amazingly sound and comes complete with the original logbook, workshop manuals and service history.
Cars like this come onto the market very rarely and the association with David Brown, who is a historic figure for Aston Martin, attracted a lot of interest.”
Aston Martin is showing the all-new Aston Martin One-77 in Geneva. The first in a 77-unit limited edition will be on display during the entire auto show there.
Aston CEO Dr. Ulrch Bez explained: “It had to combine high-technology with hand-built craftsmanship, and demonstrate the unique capabilities and passion of our designers, engineers and technical partners. Quite simply it had to be the ultimate expression of Aston Martin. As you can now see, we have achieved that goal in magnificent style.”
The Press Release, reads that the One-77 has a carbon fiber monocoque, based on ideas seen in the racecars on the DTM race circuit. The cars use a Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve damping, which the company claims is a first for a street car. The dampers are fully adjustable, even while they’re still on the car.
A street car needs serious power to even require such a suspension system. Aston certainly did not short the One-77 in that department. It comes with a 7.3-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine that produces over 700 bhp. Unfortunately, final power, torque, acceleration, and speed ratings are not yet available.
Final testing still needs to be conducted on the vehicle. Once completed, Aston believes they will announce a top speed of over 200mph, a 0-60mph time of 3.5 seconds.
Meet the fastest, most powerful Vantage ever! This is Aston Martin’s new V12-engined supercar – a striking machine which packs race-derived technology into a stunning body. And Auto Express has been given access ahead of its world debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show.
The V12 Vantage was first seen as the RS concept in 2007, and the production version has lost little in its translation from dream to reality. Under the many bonnet louvres lies a mighty 6.0-litre V12 producing 510bhp and 570Nm of torque. That’s 90bhp and 100Nm more than the regular 4.8-litre V8 Vantage. The powerplant is hooked up to a six-speed manual gearbox driving the rear wheels. This means the new model does 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds and accelerates on to a top speed of 190mph.
Here are the first offiicial pictures of the Aston Martin Rapide, the new four-door super saloon. This computer-generated rendering from Aston reveals the final production form of its new Rapide saloon.
There have been a few minor tweaks here and there, but nothing major. At the front, the production car has lost the concept’s quad air intakes, instead making do with a double-decker grille.
Down the sides, there’s now a strong crease that runs from the front wing vent through both doors, while the fuel filler cap is now body-coloured rather than chrome.
The rear features a redesigned bumper and bootlid, with a chrome strip running between the rear lights to split up the mass of bodywork on the rump.
We’ve yet to see inside the Rapide, but from our image you can see the cabin is lifted from the DB9, will be bathed in light from the full-length glass sunroof, while the rear passengers will be kept entertained by televisions in the front headrests. - Watch the video for this entry after the break -
Wouldn’t you be surprised if you found out you’re using a Volvo key to start the engine of your $120,000 V8 Vantage? While under the ownership of Ford, Aston Martin was able to use the Blue Oval’s parts bin to cut costs. Save for some switchgear and nav systems, only a few items were visible to the customer. Until now…
Edward Legge, general manager of Rio Prestige hire, was perhaps the first to find out when he received the damaged key-fob back from a client. The person borrowing the luxury GT somehow damaged the rich leather covering the fob, revealing a Volvo logo underneath. ‘Our reaction was amusement and slight horror. We all know they share parts, but you would have thought someone would have invested a tenner to rub the name off,’ he says.
Aston Martin is now owned by a consortium headed by Prodrive boss Dave Richards, but Ford still have a £40m stake in the company. The firm points out it is moving from old-tech keys to new ‘Emotion Control Units’, the glass-block keys you’ll find in a DBS.
ALCHEMIST LAUNCHES ‘PREMIUM BOND’ AT MPH WITH 24-CARAT SUPERCAR
There’s nothing standard issue about this unique Aston Martin DB7. Even the world’s most famous secret agent couldn’t stay incognito in this 24-carat gold and platinum-leafed supercar from luxury customization company, Alchemist.
The day after Quantum of Solace premieres in the capital, Alchemist will showcase its one-off Aston Martin at MPH The Prestige and Performance Motor Show featuring Top Gear Live at London’s Earls Court.
And with seven diamonds embedded in the bodywork, it is sure to be a jewel among the 200 supercars on display.
Alchemist’s creative director and modern day ‘Goldfinger’, Jacques Blanc, said: “Forget the everyday optional extras offered by car manufacturers, this is the King Midas of customization and the gold standard of luxury.”
MPH The Prestige and Performance Motor Show featuring Top Gear Live at London’s Earls Court runs from 30 October to 2 November. Tickets are available via mphshow.co.uk/info or by calling the ticket hotline on 0871 230 7150.
The nomenclature is a working title, which helps to emphasise just how limited this car’s production will be. Only 77 examples will be crafted by Aston’s workers. The Telegraph.co.uk has reported that the new super car from Aston Martin has already gauged some serious buyers, with a total of 100 applying to get their hands on the hottest Aston Martin ever produced.
The One-77, which uses a carbon-fiber chassis, will have an all-aluminum body that’s completely hand crafted. The offical picture is somewhat vague, but the car looks somewhat similar to current Astons, yet slightly more muscular.
Aston Martin says the One-77 will use a 7.0-liter V-12, producing close to 700 hp. Rumour has it the car will achieve a 0-62 mph time in 4 seconds and a top speed of over 200 mph.
Of course, there’s a price tag attached to this. At £1.2 million, which converts to approximately $1.6 million, it’s a rare price to pay for one of the rarest Aston Martins - especially in this time of financial crisis.
