Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Premier4509's V8 Vantage.

Veilside's luxury and exotics arm has already released body kits for the Lamborghini Murcielago and Bentley Continental GT, and now Premier4509 has turned its attention to the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Any attempt to improve upon the stunning sheet metal of the Vantage is a risky affair, but Premier4509 seems to have balanced a bit of bling with some measure of restraint. The kit includes a new front bumper, side skirts, rear bumper and spoiler that ties in nicely with the shapely lines of the coupe, and the forged, three-piece wheels compliment the aggressive body kit, but will surely compromise the Vantage's already stiff ride.

All the pieces are made up of fiber reinforced plastic and optional carbon fiber accessories will be made available, along with new exhaust tips. Sale will begin in the first quarter of next year and will be limited to 300 units, each with their own numbered serial plate.


[Source: Premier4509]

The noise of other sports car makers getting their lunches eaten sounds just like the twelve cylinder engine in the Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS. A single RS sheep was caught in Italy's Stelvio Pass, being shepherded by a DBS. This Vantage RS gets some shinier wheels and a coat of delicious black paint, but otherwise, it looks like it's ready for the showroom floor. If anything could be cooler than a 600 hp Vantage packing twelve hi-rev punches, it's the DBS... but frankly, the jury's still out until we drive both of them (hint, Aston Martin...). Follow the link to check out the spy shots, and check out the gallery of hi-res pics below. Thanks for the tip, Des!


[Source: GT Spirit]

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]