In the wake of the Aston Martin sale last week, information about the green-lighting of the Rapide and the ramping up of the DBS was accompanied by a moniker that many assumed would be an all-wheel-drive version of the DB-series Aston: the DBX. According to AutoExpress, the DBX is actually a codename for a new Aston Martin flagship that will join the exalted ranks of the McLaren SLR, Bugatti Veyron and other hyper-exotics.
This new Aston supercar will be built on the aluminum and composite VH chassis and inspired by the Zagato, which originally launched back in 1986. Expect power to come from a highly-tuned 6.0L V12, making upwards of 700 HP and sending power to the rear wheels via six-speed manual gearbox. The new higher-ups have set performance targets that include a 0-60 sprint in under 3.7 seconds along with a top speed around 205 MPH.
Naturally, no pricing information is available, but according to AE's website, expect this ultra-Aston to carry a price tag in the £350,000 realm.
[Source: AutoExpress]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Bob-o @ Mar 23rd 2007 4:44AM
The current Aston lineup is so confusing as it is. What puts a DBX over a Vanquish? Or over a DBS? Or over a DB9.
DPC car videos @ Mar 23rd 2007 5:06AM
I agree, I saw a DB9 in person and I thought this car looks as good as a Vanquish S. These cars are not about speed but pride so does it really matter if they are .04 seconds faster to 60mph then the other one. As far as interior, they all look like a million bucks. So why do they make so many different models with prices that are so much different from each other when they are so similar. And all of this is coming from a car guy :).
http://www.dpccars.com
DPCcars
The Doctor @ Mar 23rd 2007 5:14AM
How can the AM line-up be confusing? They only sell 3 road cars at the moment!
Felix @ Mar 23rd 2007 5:40AM
Yeah but all 3 essentially look the same. Dont get me wrong...they're all beautiful but they do all look essentially the same. If i had the money i cant imagine purchasing anything nicer than the V8 vantage. The other two are not that faster and not that much better looking (if at all). Plus the V8 sounds better. Its never good for a company if their most desirable model is also the cheapest, even if it is good for the consumer.
DPC car videos @ Mar 23rd 2007 5:42AM
We are talking appeearance here. For example the Ferrari Enzo looks totally different from Ferrari FXX which are based on the same car. But also have to give props to the Aston engineering to get 700hp from a naturally aspirated 6 litter engine.
The Doctor @ Mar 23rd 2007 6:15AM
AM's cars do look superficially similar but much less so than Porsche's which look like triplets. The FXX looks different from the Enzo in the same way that I look different if I wear a hat.
DPC car videos @ Mar 23rd 2007 6:27AM
Another example would be a Carrera GT looks much different them a 997 model even a 997 Turbo looks totally different with totally different mechanical, even the construction is different due to carbon fiber.
JayP @ Mar 23rd 2007 6:31AM
So will Clarkson have a stroke or have heart failure during the test drive?
DPC car videos @ Mar 23rd 2007 6:46AM
JayP,
According to this http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/19/clarkson-confirms-he-and-top-gear-will-return/
NO :)
testa di cazzo @ Mar 23rd 2007 9:28AM
"Its never good for a company if their most desirable model is also the cheapest, even if it is good for the consumer."
i guess BMW is in really bad shape in the states...
testa di cazzo @ Mar 23rd 2007 9:36AM
by the way, you claim to be a "car guy" and yet can't differentiate between the AMV8, the DB9, and the Vanquish? maybe you're not the carguy that you thought...
the AMV8 is a two-seater, and the DB9 is a 4-seater. if you can't see the difference between that, i don't really know what to say. and the Vanquish's taillights look completely different than the other two.
you just can't tell the difference between AM's because you don't see them enough. Where i live they are a dime a dozen, and they can easily be differentiated to anyone who can tell..
i would never buy the AMV8 over the DB9, it doesn't compare, either on the looks side or on the performance side...
mk @ Mar 23rd 2007 10:32AM
Vantage V8... short wheelbase 2-seat V8 Sports car coupe and convertible
DB9... Longer wheelbase 4-seat V12 Grand Touring coupe and convertible
Rapide... even longer wheelbase 4-seat V12 5-door GT sport sedan that looks like a coupe. (and probably the sexiest sedan-type car ever designed)
here is where it can get confusing...
DBS... 2-seat high-output V12 Sports Car with a shorter wheelbase than the DB9, but probably longer than the AMV8
DBX... 2-seat SUPER high-output V12 "Supercar" with a shorter wheelbase than the DB9, but probably longer than the AMV8
A difference without a distinction? perhaps... depends on what it looks like, I guess. I'd rather have seen a mid-engine supercar above the DBS... kind of an Aston-Martin take on a successor to the McLaren F1 or old Jaguar XJ13.
The current discriptions on the forthcoming DBS (Casino Royale car...) and DBX seem like very similar cars, perhaps with a slight performance edge to the DBX.
I hope this new move for Aston is a move in the right direction. In terms of front-engined sporting cars, nobody has anything on Aston's current designs. Gorgeous inside and out, which is what sportscars should be.
Sports cars aren't eminently practical, they are fast, and beautiful. Simply being fast can be done with any sort of a car. Most other cars don't have the proportions to be truly amazing visual designs.
TrueDis @ Mar 23rd 2007 11:49AM
Despite all of this bickering, one fact remains: the Vanquish is a pretty useless car at this stage. It has more power, but is a lot heavier than the DB9 and performs worse from what I've read, so it's not truly the "flagship" that Aston intended it to be. I think the DBX is designed to get them back on track and really have a flagship that they can be damned proud of.
Coolio Hunt @ Mar 24th 2007 11:09PM
The DBX should be great,cool & interesting Aston Martin. It will be likely a V12 powered. I don't know wheather it be a 2 or 4 seater. Mostly likely to be unvieled next year. DBX will promblemly replace the 7 year old Vanquish. I hope 007 drive it first.
Volante @ Apr 17th 2007 7:38PM
I believe that Aston Martin has sufficiently differentiated between its 3 current models. Of course, they are relatively similar since I'm pretty sure they use the VH platform with the aluminium/composite chassis (am I right?)
V8 Vantage - There are three main things, looks-wise, that to me, give away the V8. 1. - the front profile. It's the most rounded, and there is only one grill beneath the classic AM-style grille. 2. - the side - on the v8, there is a distinct line that emanates from the side strake on either side. 3. - the small size and shorter wheelbase. Performance-wise, the v8 has a smaller and less powerful engine, giving roughly 380 BHP, 0-100 KM/h in 4.9 seconds, and a top speed of 175 MPH.
DB9 - My personal favorite of the 3 cars, the looks are elegant and understated. From looks, one can distinguish a db9 from the following - the front profile. Beneath the AM grille, there is a large mouth grille with two little hole-grill-things on either side; 10 spoke rims, as opposed to the 7 spokes on the V8 or 12 (?) rims of the V12 Vanquish, though this is easily changed by aftermarket modifications. Performance-wise, the DB9 is in the middle of the current AM spectrum. It puts out 450 BHP and has a top speed of 186 MPH, which is a good bit more than the V8.
V12 Vanquish - Looks-wise, the Vanquish is very easy to pick out. The front configuration is quite similar to that of the DB7. We can see how unlike the DB9, the bonnet's front edge is separate from the front edge of the car. Below the AM grille is a mouth grille, and on either side of the grille, are two additional headlamps. Another visual feature of the Vanquish (which I like) are the "aggressive" curves throughout the car. Behind the headlights, and above the front wheels, are raised body panels. The rear quarter panels/"haunches" of the car have a distinct lump coming off. Another thing about the Vanquish, which might be a bit harder to notice, is that the headlights appear to have "eyeliner", a black surrounding (to me at least). Performance-wise, the Vanquish is very close if not of supercar status. The V12 engine (in a Vanquish S) puts out 520 HP, 0-100 KPH in 4.1 seconds, and a top speed of 200 MPH. To the user that stated that the Vanquish is very heavy and performs badly - it indeed is quite heavy, though the Vanquish S seems to have fixed a lot of previous problems.
The DBS is a very cool looking and sounding car. If I could get my hands on one....
What confuses me about the car though, is exactly how it stands in relation to AM's other road cars. Is it a souped up limited edition DB9? Or is it an interim model to top the Vanquish?
The DBX also sounds cool and interesting. This kind of a powerful car would really put Aston up there with some of the crazy likenesses of the Veyron, the SLR, and others.
The Rapide is indeed one of the best looking 4-door sedan-esque cars designed.
To the user saying that AM should create a RMR-style car, I disagree. A rear-mounted engine car would, IMO, defeat the AM attitude and elegance. The DBX seems like it will be competing against the SLR Mclaren, which is a front-engine car. In addition, rear-engined cars are often impractical because they throw off weight distribution and limit rear visibility (often making the back looking clunky and awkward).
I look forward to whatever Aston Martin churns out, and I expect it to be especially good, esp. since coming under the ownership of Prodrive.
RArikian @ Apr 19th 2007 10:32AM
Sorry, but I have a Vantage, and before I took possession, I was in the showroom alongside a Vanquish S and asked the salesman if their "showroom Vantage" was available for a ride? When he told me it was a Vanquish I was blown over! I know there is a difference between the models but even I (who can tell the difference quickly between all Porsches, Ferraris and Bentleys)did not recognize the Vanquish.
If you study them - of course - you could tell, but without the cars next to each other they do resemble each other.Without a hesitation I bought the Vantage. Now I look to the headlights to tell the difference. (The Vanquish has a different rear-end and wider fenders
too.)
RArikian @ Apr 19th 2007 11:02AM
Sorry, but I have a Vantage, and before I took possession, I was in the showroom alongside a Vanquish S and asked the salesman if their "showroom Vantage" was available for a ride? When he told me it was a Vanquish I was blown over!
I know there is a difference between the models but even I (who can tell the difference quickly between all Porsches, Ferraris and Bentleys)did not recognize the Vanquish.
If you study them - of course - you could tell, but without the cars next to each other they do resemble each other.
Without a hesitation I bought the Vantage. Now I look to the headlights to tell the difference. (The Vanquish has a different rear-end and wider fenders too.)
J.Sherwin @ May 24th 2007 4:03AM
All aston martin cars are awesome i reckon (i am an avid enthusiast). My dream is to get a custom designed (aston built) 6.1L V12, with a twin turbo in an Aston Martin DBS or the Ultimate Edition Vanquish S model.