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2011 Aston Martin DB9 released with minor nip and tuck

June 30, 2010 at 12:15 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Aston Martin, Cars, International News

Aston Martin has released a 2011 minor facelift of the DB9 with package of improvements. It would probably take more than a few glances to notice the new styling changes which include a new front bumper, bright finish radiator grille, reshaped lower intake featuring bright hexagonal mesh, new headlight coverings, restyled sills, silver brake calipers, 20-spoke “diamond turned” alloy wheels and clear rear light lenses.

Under the skin, Aston now offers Adaptive Damping System as standard on both the DB9 coupe and Volante convertible. Also included is a tyre pressure monitoring system, revised Bluetooth microphone system and the addition of a new “Double Apex” alloy finish for the cabin, not forgetting the Bang & Olufsen stereo.

Besides the sleek sheetmetal, popularity of the DB9 stems from the 6.0-litre V12 engine that lives under that long hood. It comes with 470 hp, 600 Nm and lots of charisma. Power is fed to the rear wheels via a rear mid-mounted six-speed manual gearbox or an optional Touchtronic 2 six-speed auto.

Prices start from £122,445 for the Coupe, while the Volante retails from £131,445. Hi-res gallery after the jump.
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James Bond’s original Aston Martin DB5 on auction

June 2, 2010 at 3:42 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Aston Martin, Cars, International News

Fans of James Bond films will instantly recognise the Aston Martin DB5 seen here. It’s on auction, so you can start saving up now. How much? To go under the hammer on October 27 through RM Auctions in association with Sotheby’s, Bond’s DB5 is expected to fetch in excess of $5 million. Proceeds will go to charity.

With its familiar UK registration plate, FMP 7B, this DB5 is one of two remaining cars from the original 007 films featuring Sean Connery at the wheel. The other unit fetched more than $2 million in 2006.

The wow factor here is the fact that FMP 7B comes with all the gadgets for Bond by Q. Bidders can expect machine guns, bullet-proof shield, revolving number plates, tracking device, removable roof panel, oil slick sprayer, nail spreader and smoke screen, all controlled from switches in the DB5′s centre armrest.

Owner history? This unit was loaned to EON productions for the filming of Goldfinger and Thunderball and was eventually returned to the Aston Martin Lagonda factory after its promotional tour. American radio broadcaster, Jerry Lee, then bought it off the factory for a measly $12,000 in 1969. He has owned it ever since and the car has been rarely seen in public.

This example is in mint condition after recently undergoing a recommissioning program by experts at RM Auto Restoration. It’s now active and running perfectly after many years of lying dormant.

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Feel like James Bond with Jaeger-LeCoultre’s transponder watch – it starts your Aston Martin DBS!

May 24, 2010 at 11:25 am By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Aston Martin

Gadgets, great cars and James Bond are inseparable. So when the franchise moved back to Aston Martin after flirting with a certain German brand, fantasies and imaginations started to centre around the beautiful DBS. Not sure if actual DBS owners have Bond fantasies, but it wouldn’t hurt to be a world class spy for a few seconds right?

Not new, but still cool, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s AMVOX2 DBS Transponder watch is billed as “the ultimate accessory for the ultimate sports car”. Besides the usual functions, this watch has is the ability to lock and unlock your DBS. Because of this, only Aston Martin dealerships are able to authorise the timepiece to “read and communicate” with the supercar.

The case and dial of the AMVOX2 DBS Transponder are highly detailed, featuring a suspended metallic grey DBS symbol, a discrete Aston Martin emblem on the movement operating indicator and ruthenium grey bridges, satin finish and a black dial that all evoke the DBS’s instrument panel. The outer dial ring also has an opening that reveals the internal mechanisms of the chronograph and transponder functions, an allusion to the exposed brake callipers visible behind the sporting wheel rims of the DBS car.

Prices are around $40,750, but then again when have you ever seen James Bond asking the man at the counter “How much?”

Pore over the detailing from the hi res image after the jump.
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Aston Martin One-77 – ten units sold to one customer!

May 19, 2010 at 9:18 am By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Aston Martin, Cars, International News

Ultimate luxury and class comes with a price tag. A price tag of 1.2 million pounds to be exact. The item it’s attached to is none other than the gorgeous Aston Martin One-77. But for some, money is no object for desires of the heart, which certainly applies to one customer who purchased 10 of these beauties.

Word is that the £12 million customer in question is of Middle Eastern descent. It should be the biggest purchase from a single customer Gaydon has ever received. The 10 units also represent 13% of the One-77′s total production run of 77 cars. Each the cars were customised with different interiors.

The One-77 has plenty of lucky sevens surrounding it – a 7.3-litre engine with 700 bhp and a limited run of 77 units. The most extreme Aston’s top speed is…no not 700, but an impressive 354 km/h. Acceleration to 96 km/h (60 mph) is achieved in 3.5 seconds.

With this latest supermarket sweep, 65 of the 77 cars are already spoken for. So what are you waiting for? To help you decide, click here to see the pics and hear the V12′s howl.

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First Aston Martin Rapide rolls out from Austrian factory

May 10, 2010 at 11:05 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Aston Martin, Cars, International News

The first of the Rapides have rolled out from Magna Steyr’s factory in Austria for delivery to customers. The four-door sports car is set to reach buyers and Aston Martin’s 125 showrooms in 34 countries over the coming weeks.

The Rapide is the first Aston Martin not to be made in England, although Aston promises that the Rapide achieves the “same exacting standards” as its other models from Gaydon. From the preparation of Rapide’s bonded aluminum body frame to the six-stage painting process where nine coats of paint are applied (Aston claims best in class paint finish), it’s all done at Aston’s dedicated area within Magna Steyr’s facilities. The contract manufacturer also takes on other tough projects, like making the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG’s body (Gullwing doors) and the Peugeot RCZ (complicated double bubble roof/rear glass).

The four-seat Rapide is powered by a hand-built 5.9-litre V12 engine producing 470 bhp and 600 Nm. It’s paired to a six-speed “Touchtronic 2″ automatic transmission with steering column-mounted magnesium paddles. There’s also plenty of luxury in the package, but then this costs £139,950 in the UK, a lot higher than what Porsche charges for the Panamera Turbo (£95,298).

The Rapide will race in the upcoming Nürburgring 24-hour race in “near standard” form, driven by a team of Aston engineers lead by CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez. Click here to see how the race car looks like.

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Aston Martin to race “near standard” Rapide at Nürburgring

April 8, 2010 at 4:18 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Aston Martin, Cars, Motorsports

aston rapide race car
Click to enlarge image

Aston Martin will compete at the Nürburgring 24-hour race on 15-16 May with the marque’s new four-door sports car, the Rapide. This will be Gaydon’s fifth consecutive year racing at the famous Nordschleife circuit after previously campaigning the V8 Vantage and V12 Vantage.

Aston’s decision to use the Rapide is to “underline the sporting credentials” of its four-door car. The Rapide will compete in “near-standard specification” apart from mandatory changes required to compete in the endurance race such as safety mods, interior trim removed to reduce weight, retuned suspension and slick tyres. No star drivers either; the Rapide will be driven by a team of Aston engineers lead by Aston Martin CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez.

He explained: “This race represents the ultimate final engineering durability test for any sports car – it subjects the car to the toughest possible assessment under public scrutiny. The Rapide has the capability to carry four people in comfort but first and foremost it is a sports car and we will subject it to the same tests we would our other sports cars.”

The 470 bhp 5.9-litre V12 Rapide will be joined by a similarly lightly modified V12 Vantage which won the SP8 class last year on its competitive race debut, finishiing 21st place overall. Porsche GT3s have won the event since 2006.

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Hear the Aston Martin One-77′s V12 howl!

March 7, 2010 at 10:35 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Aston Martin, Cars, Videos

Aston Martin One-77

I don’t know about you but an Aston Martin has always seemed to be like the more refined and gentlemanly alternative to more hot blooded cars like a Ferrari. I found that appealing. But now Aston Martin has developed a limited edition car with aggressive looks. Under its hood is a monstrous 7.3 litre V12 engine with over 750 bhp. Good thing is thanks to that V12 it has the soundtrack to accompany its looks – check out the video after the jump, which shows the One-77 undergoing some tests ahead of first customer deliveries. Let us know in the comments – are you liking the One-77?
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Aston Martin Cygnet – brilliant idea or a bad joke?

March 6, 2010 at 4:52 am By Danny Tan Filed Under 2010 Geneva Motor Show, Aston Martin, Cars

Absolutely no one in Geneva cared about the “real” Aston sports cars at the Palexpo, because all attention was on the “not so real” Aston Martin based on a Toyota. Of course we’re talking about the debuting Cygnet, which is based on Toyota’s diminutive four-seat iQ city car.

To differentiate the Cygnet from its donor car, styling cues typical of Gaydon’s sports machines have been added liberally; examples include Aston’s trademark front grille, air intakes on the bonnet, side “gills” and boomerang shaped taillamps. Inside, the Cygnet is trimmed in a way that Toyota engineers would never have dreamed of when creating the iQ – fine, soft leather covering almost every surface, plush high-backed seats with Aston logos and a trendy bag to go along with it.

Aston’s official images portray the Cygnet as a trendy accessory for its current owners, a small runabout when you don’t feel like taking out that big V12 to the congested city or the nearby shops, or even as a gift for the new girlfriend/mistress, perhaps. So, brilliant idea or a bad joke? For me, the former. I’ll order a few or these (one for keeps, the rest for the ladies) along with a V12 Vantage should the lottery picks me!

Live images from Geneva and official gallery after the jump!
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Aston Martin One-77 breaks 350 km/h in testing

December 23, 2009 at 10:10 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Aston Martin, International News

The One-77 supercar is set to be Aston Martin’s fastest road car ever after surpassing its maker’s predictions and comfortably breaking the 320 km/h mark.

The ultra exclusive £1.2 million car (only 77 will be made) is currently in the later stages of development ahead of its planned debut in 2010. During high speed testing at an undisclosed proving ground in southern Europe, the One-77 recorded a 354.86 km/h top speed in dry but windy conditions.

Powered by a new 7.3 litre V12 engine with over 750 bhp, the One-77 features a new carbon fibre monocoque body structure and adopts active aerodynamic technology. Gaydon describes it as “the ultimate expression of what Aston Martin stands for which will combine modern technology and design with craftsmanship and ultimate exclusivity to create the world’s most desirable automotive art form.”

Check out our previous post for an undisguised view of the One-77.

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Aston Martin Cygnet is not a joke after all – sales to begin in 2010!

December 17, 2009 at 2:19 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Aston Martin, Cars, Concept Cars

aston cygnet

I remember when I first saw the Cygnet. In the office, having morning coffee, I unwrapped my weekly Autocar and nearly fell out of my chair! It wasn’t April Fools so this “Astonised” Toyota iQ had to be real. Only one official photo was released then – of people working on a clay model – and now Aston Martin shows the completed car and says that it will go on sale next year.

We can see that although the good folks at Gaydon have tacked on Aston styling cues such as the big grille, side fender vents and rear lights, the Cygnet still looks very much like an iQ. Similarly, the cabin retains the little Toyota’s dash architecture and instrument pack but with everything wrapped in red and black leather.

The official line is that the Cygnet “represents a creative, environmentally conscious solution, being small, yet with presence – and highly fuel efficient, now combined with the prestige of Aston Martin’s luxury brand ownership.”

The Cygnet will be initially available only to Aston’s European customers before general sales start. Perhaps Aston is positioning the Cygnet as a “top up” option for its current menu, like when you’re offered dessert at a special price after buying the main course!

More pics after the jump.

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