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Aston Martin unveils AM 310 concept at Villa d'Este

Noah Joseph — Tue, 29 May 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Videos, Aston Martin, Misc. Auto Shows, Design/Style

Design language is a tricky thing. Err too much on one side and nobody will recognize your cars. Fall on the other and all your cars will look the same. Aston Martin, you might say, emerges more on the latter side than the former. Which isn't to say that we don't like how their high-end GTs look, mind you. But if any company is in need of a design shakeup, you could argue that it's Aston.

That's at least a little bit of what the British automaker shot for this weekend at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, the glamorous open-air auto show on the shores of Italy's Lake Como. There it presented the AM 310, a concept that ostensibly previews the replacement for the DB9 and DBS.

Said to be based on the same VH architecture that underpins the company's entire lineup (save the One-77, which has reportedly finished its production run anyway), the AM 310 packs a revised version of the same 6.0-liter V12 that was first developed for the DB7. It's packed into a shape that is distinctly Aston Martin, only in an updated form.

Gaydon has yet to release any official photos or press release on the new concept, so while you wait for them, you'll want to check out the videos below for a closer look - if only for the otherworldly sound the engine makes.

Continue reading Aston Martin unveils AM 310 concept at Villa d'Este

Aston Martin unveils AM 310 concept at Villa d'Este originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 May 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aston Martin DBS/DB9 successor caught at the Ring preparing for Villa d'Este debut

Noah Joseph — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Aston Martin, Misc. Auto Shows

As much as it pains us to say it, the current core range from Aston Martin has grown a little stale. But fret not: a new model is just around the corner.

Snapped undergoing testing at the Nürburgring in this latest batch of spy shots is what looks to be a new and nearly complete V12 GT from Gaydon. Code-named AM 310, it could be a successor to either the DB9 or DBS - or could carry a different nameplate altogether and replace them both.

While the engine and platform carry over as modified versions of the existing building blocks, sources anticipate just about everything else in the new sportscar will be new. The bodywork - styled as something of a blend between the current DBS and the top-of-the-line One-77 - is tipped to be made up almost entirely of aluminum and carbon fiber, reducing the weight for the 6.0-liter V12 engine - anticipated to come with a 55-horse boost over the current DBS for a solid 565 horsepower. That ought to be sufficient to propel the rakish coupe to highway speeds in under four seconds.

An even lighter version clothed entirely in carbon fiber is also said to be in the works, but we may not have to wait that long, as the AM 310 may debut as soon as this weekend at the prestigious and glamorous Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este.

Aston Martin DBS/DB9 successor caught at the Ring preparing for Villa d'Este debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 May 2012 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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