Autoblog

Lagonda is set to celebrate its 100th anniversary next year. But while enthusiasts are bound to celebrate by recalling Lagondas of yore, Aston Martin plans to give us all something more tangible to commemorate by reviving the long-dormant marque. (Truth be told, having been founded in 1906, Lagonda marked its centenary two years ago already. But we're not going to let some simple facts get in the way of a good story, now are we?)

The British automaker produced luxury cars independently until 1947 when it was bought by Aston Martin. Although Aston used the Lagonda name as a model designation from 1976 to 1989 for a quirky angular four-door, with a handful of coachbuilt specials and concept cars in between, the last model Lagonda produced was the 1961-65 Rapide, a nameplate which Aston is also revived with its upcoming four-door coupe model, previewed by the 2006 concept in Detroit. While the production Rapide is expected to continue as an Aston Martin, the company is planning a unique concept car to be unveiled at the Geneva show next March that will show the way forward for the rejuvenated marque.

While Aston has not confirmed what form the vehicle, which could hit the streets as soon as 2012, will take, they've reportedly ruled out the possibility of a sport-ute. Sources suggest a new competitor aimed at Bentley and Rolls-Royce, although the Longonda will be more focused on performance than long distance cruising. No telling what that will mean for Aston's partnership with Mercedes-Benz, which has its own failing Maybach brand competing in the segment as well. However the resuscitation of Lagonda is bound to form a vital component of Aston Martin's ambitious growth plan. (Press release after the jump.)

[Source: Aston Martin]

Click the C6.R for a high-res gallery from the race

As part of the revival of the Detroit Grand Prix at Belle Isle last year, the Detroit Sports Car Challenge was added as the highlight of Saturday's activities. The sports car race is back this year as the ninth round of the American Le Mans Series. For those who have never checked out an ALMS race, it's one of the best and most exciting forms of motorsport anywhere. Highcroft Racing's Acura ARX-01B captured the pole and led much of the first half of the race ahead of the De Ferran Racing Acura. If you TiVoed the race and don't want to ruin the surprise, you can just check out the gallery and come back later to see the full results after the jump. Otherwise, you know what to do.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Click to view in high resolution

It's not every day that a new supercar is announced. But those are the good days, and for when they roll around, Jon Sibal is ready. The gifted illustrator who has already brought us renderings of the upcoming Mercedes SLR McLaren Speedster and a race-prepped Lexus LF-A has now taken a stab at the upcoming Aston Martin One-77.

The new flagship supercar from Aston Martin was announced earlier this month and accompanied by a few teaser renderings from the factory. Those were followed by a rather uninspired speculative conception of what form the carbon-fiber supercar would take, and though we're not sure what to make of Sibal's take on the subject, it does appear to be rather accurate. We just hope the One-77 looks better in the flesh, as we've come to expect more from the company that brought us the DBS and the V8 Vantage.

[Source: JonSibal.com]

Click above for more gruesome shots of gold-plated exotics

Do you ever wonder what company actually does the 24-carat gold plating jobs on those gilded exotic and luxury cars that surface on the web from time to time? Perhaps you're looking for someone to do the same to your Camry? Alchemist is the appropriately named company behind these works, and its specialty is gold plating just the roof panel, though it will to dip the entire car in gold for the right price. The company is based in London, England and headed by a Frenchman named Jacques Blanc, who will soon be taking a perfectly good Aston Martin DBS and gilding the entire thing with 24-carat gold and platinum-leaf at the upcoming MPH Show in London.


[Source: Alchemist]

To the 'Ring we go, and our companions today are -- in the apt words of World Car Fans -- "beauty and the beast." That would be the Aston Martin Rapide and the Porsche Panamera. We'll let you decide which one deserves which title. Follow the link and you'll find a large gallery of both cars in basic black, un-camo'ed and racing each other around the 'Ring to help cast your vote.

In practical considerations, the Panamera looks to have the Rapide beat in all kinds of ways. For instance, it should get better gas mileage if you get the V6 or V8, and it has more trunk space with 450 liters. Aston's cars have little trunk syndrome, and the Rapide probably won't really change that. But hey, who would buy a Panamera or Rapide for practical reasons? Either way, we won't really know the state of things until the 2009 Geneva Motor Show next March when they are officially introduced.

[Source: World Car Fans]

With a 510 hp V12 under-hood, you wouldn't need any extra motivation to buy an Aston Martin DBS, but the James Bond factor certainly doesn't hurt. So if you're going to be driving 007's ride, you're going to need a Bond-esque watch to go with it. While 007 sports an Omega, Aston Martin's official timekeeper has come out with a watch complete with the kind of high-tech features that would make even Bond take notice.

Like the first one we reported on a year ago, the second DBS watch from Jaeger LeCoultre integrates a transponder that can open and close the doors on the Aston Martin supercar it's designed to accompany. The device took some 18 months to develop, but operation is simple: touch the glass between 8 and 9 o'clock to open the doors, between 3 and 4 to close them. The watch has been redesigned to incorporate more DBS styling cues, with a silver DBS logo below 12 o'clock over a movement designed to mimic the brake calipers on the top-of-the-line Aston. The new AMVOX2 will be officially unveiled at the Paris show in October. Check out the press release after the jump and the micro-site here for more info.

It is our sincere hope that this rendering is as far off the mark as we think it is. The scary part is that if you look at the teaser and then flip back to this shot, the elements actually seem to match up. The horror. That big venty nose on an Aston? We sure hope this chop winds up being the product of a photoshop artist with bad taste. We'll lose all respect for Aston Martin if it ends up making an Attack Mode GT, even if it does pack a V12 and accelerate fast enough to catch a sprinting Chuck Norris.

[Source: TTAC]

click above to view a hi-res gallery of Beijing 008

China, that's what. Artist Qin Yufen has just unveiled Beijing 008 with the help of Aston Martin chieftains Ulrich Bez and Kenny Chen. The art installation brings together a ginormous tape measure, a quote about disorder, a statuary tribute to Stephen Hawking that hangs from the ceiling, and a V8 Vantage in a way that ambiguously represents the mystery held by the 21st century. That is, according to artist Yufen. We think the fuzzy meaning will make the work more accessible to the public at large, as any statements made by Yufen's work is deliberately soft-spoken and open to interpretation. It is a wine-and-cheese set kind of way to commemorate the opening of an Aston Martin dealership in China, too.

Aston Martin is a strong supporter of artistic endeavors, and this is one way to celebrate the brand's entrance into the Chinese marketplace. It's not necessarily the way we would've chosen (autocross inside the Forbidden City?), but it's one way. The high level of craft that's historically gone into Astons also dovetails nicely with the handmade nature of the artwork. Easily interpreted art is all well and good, but the moment you fire up that Vantage, the intent is clear - go fast, be coddled. At least they didn't cut the car up to make some kind of pointless statement.


[Source: Aston Martin]

UPDATE: Official press release from Aston Martin added after the break. High-res gallery below.

Click above for a larger image.

Aston Martin has released the first image of its newest flagship – the limited edition One-77. Details are scarce, but the One-77 will be powered by a hand-built 7.0-liter V12 nestled inside an aluminum and carbon fiber chassis. 0-60 times are estimated at 3.5-seconds, with a top speed cresting 200 mph.

77 examples of the £1 million coupe will be produced and customers will be able to customize the bespoke supercar to meet their individual tastes. The One-77 will be revealed later this year (Paris?) and will go on sale shortly afterwards.

This will be the first all-new vehicle from Aston Martin produced after the brand was sold by Ford to a group of investors spearheaded by Prodrive's David Richards. We're also curious to know if the One-77 will play a part in Project Alligator, the rumored collaboration between Aston and Mercedes-Benz. All details will be revealed in due time. Until then let your eyes feast on the only image we have of the upcoming One-77 supercar.

Project Alligator. That's the internal code-name for a potential collaboration between Mercedes and Aston Martin on everything from drivetrains to platforms. CAR's September issue gets into all the details, which includes such tasty nuggest as the possible use of AMG's 6.2-liter V8 in the next Vantage, porting over Mercedes' future eight-speed auto 'box into Astons, sharing platforms between both automaker's high-end models (think SL and beyond), cooperating on the development of diesels and hybrids, and using Aston's future products to keep Maybach alive and maybe even help the wayward ultra-luxury brand thrive with up to five new models. But it gets even bigger. A collaboration between the two could place M-B in a good position to buy Aston Martin if its new owners, including Prodrive's David Richards, decide to exit the automaking biz. As CAR points out, however, the only potential loser from Project Alligator coming to fruition is Mercedes' other partner, McLaren.

[Source: CAR]