Autoblog

Prince Charles is not new to the environmental debate. His blue, 38-year-old Aston Martin, however, has had nothing to do with being environmentally friendly. Until now. The car, a gift from the Queen on Charles' 21st birthday, has joined the growing fleet of cars that run on bioethanol, having been converted to run on surplus British wine.

The wine comes from an English vineyard in Wiltshire, and the EU limits how much wine a vineyard can produce, so the vineyard sells the overage to Green Fuels, which turns it into biofuels and supplies it to the Palace.

The Aston can go ten miles on a gallon of gas, which would equate to 45 bottles of wine to go the same distance. The wine, though, puts out 85-percent less CO2 and costs £1.10 per liter, which is slightly less than the cost of gas. However, Charles only goes 300 miles in the car every year, and it's not like he's worried about gas prices, so the car won't make a difference by itself -- but he's got his royal heart in the right place.

[Source: Daily Mail]

We have to admit, when we heard the next Bond film was going to be called "Quantum of Solace," we kind of scrunched our faces a little bit. Still, Casino Royale was so good that we figured we'd give it the old innocent-until-proven-guilty treatment. Well, now we've seen the trailer, and it looks so bloody good we're all verklempt. We clapped at the end. And then we watched it again.

There's so much action in the trailer that we don't know how there's going to be room for story unless it's as long as Ben Hur, but right now we don't much care. There's only a brief glimpse of the DBS in the trailer at the very end, but whatever it's doing it looks suitably Bond-ish. We'll even admit that the 2-minute clip is good enough to forgive wrecking this Aston DBS, this Alfa, and another Aston DBS during filming. Now you'll have to excuse us while we go watch the trailer a third time. Come on, November 7. Check out the Quantum of Solace trailer for yourself after the jump.

[Source: Moviefone]

Since Ford sold it over a year ago, rumors have been flying around regarding a possible re-sale of Aston Martin by its current owners or a large purchase of shares by Mercedes-Benz. While all of these rumors have been denied, a public offering of the historic British brand has been mentioned in the past and is indeed likely. Aston's current chairman David Richards has again alluded to this option, saying that he'd like the company to go public sometime within the next three years. If you long for the opportunity to do your best James Bond impression in an Aston, but couldn't hope to afford one any time soon, perhaps a chance at owning a piece of the company itself would be a fair alternative.

An initial offering on the London Stock Exchange could net £500 million for expansion of the storied British marque. Anything that would allow Aston Martin to continue offering its range of drop-dead beautiful cars is fine by us.

[Source: AM Online]

Click above for a high resolution gallery of the V8 Vantage

Not one to settle, Aston Martin is giving its V8 Vantage a host of upgrades for 2009 highlighted by a larger V8 engine with more power. Originally displacing 4.3 liters, the V8 has been bored and stroked to 4.7 liters for an 11% increase in power to 420 bhp and a 15% increase in torque to 347 lb-ft. Despite these changes, fuel economy has been improved by 13%. Both optional transmissions have been upgraded as well, with the 6-speed manual getting a modified clutch and flywheel, and the Sportshift automatic has been programmed to provide smoother shifts. The suspension has been slightly revised with slightly stiffer spring rates, improved steering geometry, and stiffer bushings in the front suspension to improve handling. The interior has been revamped with a new center console finished in graphite silver as well as an ECU that replaces the standard key. Thankfully the Vantage's beautiful lines have remained untouched, although new 19-inch wheels are available.

Full details on the 2009 upgrades to the V8 Vantage can be found in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Aston Martin]

So you want to work for Prodrive/Aston Martin, but you don't quite have the qualifications to be a bodyshell fabricator or a chief engineer? Then perhaps you have what it takes to fill the position of estate manager for the chairman of the company. You won't need to know your way around a sheet of carbon fiber, but you will need to be able to manage the garden and domestic staff, have a good sense of humor, and "carry out occasional driving duties," among other things. For your dutiful service, your rewards will include a fully paid-for cottage on the property, a mobile phone, and a company car. But remember, Ford still owns part of Aston, so that car could be a Mondeo... but that wouldn't be too bad, would it, guv'nor? Thanks for the tip, sndkick!

[Source: Prodrive]

Filming of the latest Bond flick, Quantum of Solace, has been put on hiatus after two stunt drivers were injured during filming. The crash apparently took place while performing a chase sequence where one driver in an Alfa Romeo crashed into a wall while chasing Bond's Aston Martin DBS along the Gardesana, a curvy road that lines Lake Garda. The man behind the wheel of the Alfa was flown to the hospital in a helicopter and is in serious condition, while his passenger sustained only minor injuries.

This news comes within days of the previous crash that put one of the DBSs used for filming into the same lake, and despite the fact that filming was about to be wrapped today, the set remains closed until an investigation takes place. Thanks to all who tipped in.

[Sources: CNN, MI6.co.uk]

The typical 007 Aston looks phenomenal, goes incredibly fast, and has enough gadgets to single-handedly depose a hostile government. Unfortunately, not all of those attributes apply when it's raining, as Mr. Bond's Euro KITT ended up at the bottom of lake Garda in Italy after a chase scene on the set of Quantum of Solace went awry. We reported last week that the stunt driver involved in the crash was relatively unharmed, and after watching the Youtube footage of the destroyed DBS, we'd say it was a miracle worthy of the real James Bond. Hit the jump to view the post-mortem of a DBS that can't swim. And if you come across an unbelievable deal for an Aston on Ebay, you may want to run that vehicle history report. Thanks for the tip, Joe!

[Source: YouTube]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Aston Martin DBS.

According to Autocar, the lucky few that have put a deposit down on the new Aston Martin DBS will have to wait an additional three-months to get behind the wheel of the body-kitted Bond car. The problem apparently stems from suppliers who aren't able to deliver Aston with the one-off parts necessary to complete the DBS. As such, coupes are sitting unfinished at Aston's plant, but sources within the automaker say that they're willing to hold off on deliveries to ensure that all the parts are top-notch. Unfortunately, we doubt that some of the bespoke bits can be salvaged from one of the vehicles that's already been delivered.


[Source: Autocar via Winding Road]

Click above to view video after jump

For decades, the Ford Mustang has been a symbol of affordable performance. While the average GT will still run you less than $30,000, for many that is merely the starting point. Next is the booming Ford Mustang aftermarket business, where you can beef up every square inch of your ponycar. One item not commonly found in a Ford Racing catalog is an Aston Martin Vanquish V12 engine, but after hearing one in the engine bay of a beautiful blue stallion, we think that problem should be corrected.

Hit the jump to view video of a very well-modified Mustang that has the face of a GT500, the butt of a Saleen, and the heart of an Aston. If you thought the throaty V8 of a stock GT was music to your ears, the silky smooth symphony coming from the Vanquish V12 is better than Bach. The best part of the video comes about a minute in when the snugly-packed V12 reveals itself for the first time. Is it just us or is a real Mustang with an Aston motor a hundred times better than a 'Stang with a Vanquish body?

UPDATE: Video after the jump fixed.

[Source: Streetfire]

Video posted after the jump

No, Kobe Bryant did not throw caution (and the Los Angeles Lakers' playoff hopes) to the wind by leaping over a moving Aston Martin. If you don't know what we're referring to, don't feel bad. We were in the dark until emails began flooding in this morning.

Nike has unveiled its new Hyperdunk basketball shoe, which is endorsed by Kobe and will go on sale this July. To help ramp up awareness, the company filmed a new viral video in which Kobe shows off the new kicks and, in a demonstration of their lightness, wows teammate and observer Ronny Turiaf by jumping over an Aston Martin convertible that's driven directly at him.

Kudos to Nike: if our email inbox is any indication, you've created the buzz you're looking for. And if any of you were still wondering if the video were real, Kobe told a local news reporter, "Hollywood, baby!" when asked how he did it. We tend to agree with the speculation offered up by the Bleacher Report: Kobe really jumped (his leaping ability is not in question) as the car simply drove by beside him. Watch it for yourselves below the fold and tell us what you think.

[Source: KB24.com]