Autoblog

Such is the logic of luxury economics: charge tens of thousands of dollars more for the same product, sell fewer of them and boost the balance sheet and your brand's long-term viability. That is what Aston Martin's considering for the next phase of its business plan, which runs from roughly 2011 to 2019 and will see the launch of DB9 and Vantage successors, the Rapide, and the renewed Lagonda brand.

The Vantage and DB9 are big sellers for Aston, but the company might be unsure of how to sustain the momentum. One option is to move the price of the $113,000 Vantage closer to the $171,000 DB9, and move that latter car closer to the $265,000 DBS, sell fewer of them but make more money. The DB9 does strike us as a (relative) bargain – it's cheaper than a Bentley GT -- but pricing the Vantage closer to the DB9 would seem to wreck its business case as a 911 fighter. Another option could be to replace the Vantage or DB9 with a mid-engined sports car, which could be drool-worthy and well worth the price bump... but perhaps un-Aston-like.

AutoWeek also appears to report that the One-77 isn't sold out, writing "Although Aston has said that it would make a maximum of 77 cars, insiders privately say the market is closer to 25." We don't know how that could be, unless a bunch of the 100 people who applied to buy the car were just kidding...


[Source: AutoWeek]

Click pics for high-res gallery of the Aston Martin DB9 and Caparo T1

It's been a while since we heard anything about the Caparo T1 supercar. One of the most extreme applications of the "F1 for the road" theme, the project originally began independently under the name Freestream before being acquired by component manufacturer Caparo as a rolling demonstration of the latest in automotive technology. Part of that tech is now finding its way into another British sportscar: the Aston Martin DB9.

Reports now indicate that Aston Martin will be upgrading the brakes on its V12 sportscar with units developed for the Caparo T1. In the place of the 355mm front discs currently employed will be a set of 378mm discs, gripped by four-pot calipers each machined from a solid piece of cast aluminum. The new stoppers, developed by the 18-man team at Caparo AP Braking, promise to deliver a 24% reduction in fade while reducing peak temperatures by 18% in return for 30% less pedal force required. Interesting that Aston Martin decided to outsource a new set of brakes for the DB9 instead of adopting the carbon-ceramic units from the top-of-the-line DBS.

We've added some new high-resolution images of the DB9 and Caparo T1 to the galleries below. Check 'em out:

[Source: PistonHeads]

Click above for more desktop wallpaper-perfect photos of the V8 Vantage

The Aston Martin V8 Vantage continues to build on its advantages -- exclusivity, hand-stitching, and that winged badge -- to make it a full-bodied competitor to that other marque from Stuttgart. According to Car magazine, the Vantage will get some engineering tweaks and its engine capacity will grow by almost half a liter, to 4733-cc. A year ago Aston merely fiddled with the ECU on the N400 and found 20 extra horses. We hope an even more plump double digit number comes with this kind of growth in displacement. The cabin is also expected to receive a polish, with things like the Ford key -- and perhaps the Volvo switches -- being kicked out of the old boy club. A face-lifted range of DB9s is also expected. All of these changes leads us to our one request for Aston, please be careful with what is already perfection. We've selected the most choice high-res images of the V8 Vantage from Aston Martin's media website and assembled them in a gallery below. Enjoy and don't drool on your keyboard.



[Source: Car]

Click on above to view our 29-image high-resolution gallery

When Mansory hit us with its modified Aston Martin V8 Vantage, we bemoaned the lack of any serious performance upgrades. Unfortunately, although it's more visually pleasing than its stab at the Vanquish, Mansory's take on the DB9 adopts the same meatless approach.

The only real performance upgrade is in the rolling stock: 20-inch forged alloys hide 405mm discs clamped by six-piston calipers up front and four-piston calipers around back, hooked up to a lowered suspension. Wheels, brakes and suspension ain't nothin', but otherwise it's all poseur. There's a new front end with integrated lighting, side skirts and a carbon fiber rear diffuser with chrome exhaust tips. Inside Mansory has decked the interior out in maple, carbon fiber, Alcantara and available aluminum pedals.

The package is available for both the DB9 coupe as well as the DB9 Volante, so if you can't wait for the DBS roadster and aren't that interested in the increased performance anyway, your new clubbing accessory has arrived.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Click the image above for a gallery of high-res images of the DB9 LM.

It's obvious that Aston Martin's new owners are proud of the marque's racing heritage, particularly its recent outings in both the Nürburgring and LeMans 24-hour enduros. Like the N400, the DB9 LM is a tribute to Aston's victories, but this time, it's for an outright class win in the Le Mans race this past June. More a showpiece rather than an outright racer, the LM gets a revised exterior that includes a Sarthe Silver paint job, new mesh treatments in the front grille, and red calipers. On the inside, the Tertre Rough trim may be a bit much to discerning eyes, but we're sure it'll find favor with the nouveau riche. However, the individually numbered sill plaques and LeMans-track badging bring things back to class and let all who enter understand that they're sitting in something special.

There are more pics for you viewing enjoyment below, so click on.

Click image to enlarge

In addition to the European debut of the DBS, Aston Martin will use Frankfurt to introduce the V8 Vantage N400 and the DB9 LM special editions that pay homage to the marque's track exploits. While we'll have to wait to see what they look like in the metal, Aston has provided a pair of sketches that show us what to expect.

The N400 (above) is a celebration of Aston Martin and the Nürburgring, and its nomenclature breaks down quite simply. "N" is for -- you guessed it -- Nürburgring, where Aston Martin has contested the V8 Vantage N24 in the annual 24-hour endurance race held on the track. It's also where the automaker puts under-development road cars through their paces and where the N400 has recorded a sub-8-minute lap time. The "400" refers to the car's power. Its pumped-up 4.3L V8 produces 400 horses and 309 lb-ft of torque. The extra power (the standard car makes 380 hp/302 lb-ft) is further augmented by the standard Sports Pack, which adds a number of dynamic and visual enhancements to the car.

Too many trips to SEMA have left us immune to the shiny detritus that populates the pages of some of our favorite mags, but when Henrik Fisker, the man who penned the BMW Z8 and the Aston Martin DB9, gets into the wheel business, we take notice.

Beyond his newest coachbuilding projects, Fisker has released two new wheels, designed to fit within the arches of several BMW and Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The ten-spoke FL10 has a bit more of a competitive aura, while the FT5 gets away with the right amount of style and substance. Both are available in gunmetal or titanium finishes, with prices starting around $1,500. But if you ask nice and are willing to exercise your Black Card, they'll customize your wheels with the paint scheme of your choosing.

You can see if you can purchase Fisker's wheels for your own whip by following this link to their website.

[Source: InsideLine]

It looks like a more athletic edition of the Aston Martin DB9 may be hitting the streets soon. The 450 HP 6.0L V-12 reportedly remains under the hood, backed up a six-speed manual gearbox. Aerodynamic changes inspired by the DBRS9 racer and the upcoming DBS flagship show up in the front corners and the huge rear diffuser. The increased down-force will be accompanied by suspension changes and lighter body panels that will help the British GT get around corners faster and stop shorter. Additionally, a more driver orientated interior is expected to supplant the luxury setup of the current production DB9.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Ahead of their official unveilings, Aston Martin North America gave sneak-peeks at two upcoming models during a special event for 300 clients and dealers. The two models were the V8 Vantage Roadster and the DBS, and fortunately there were a handful of press invited to the event as well. Neither model, to be fair, is an all-new car. The Roadster is essentially a V8 Vantage coupe with the roof chopped off, and the DBS is a DB9 with more aggressive body panels. And we've previously brought you images of both cars.

The V8 Roadster on display featured a special paintjob that Aston Martin says is like looking at a fire, as the hue changes with the angle and the lighting conditions. The DBS on display was in full 007 trim, as the new model makes its debut in a few weeks in the James Bond film Casino Royale. This one had a host of switches and buttons inside that the production version obviously won't have, especially the pistol cut-out in the glove-box.

Follow the link for Forbes' images from the event.

[Source: Forbes Autos]

The idea of Ford selling off Aston Martin still strikes some as odd. The luxury marque has turned a corner over the past few years and has now become a successful jewel in the crown of FoMoCo. Regardless, the Blue Oval has made overtures that Aston may be up for sale, but as is the case with both Jaguar and Land Rover, one minute they're open to offers and the next they're not.

If the storied British automaker does find its way into the open market, a pair of Europe's most wealthy investors is gearing up to make a bid. Bernard Arnault, the French equivalent of Bill Gates, who made his money in luxury goods, is teaming up with Belgian investor Albert Frère, to form an investment group that could make a move to purchase Aston Martin. They have their eyes on several different ventures, but A.M. is on the top of their list.

With vehicles on the way, including the drop-top Vantage and four-door Rapide, sales at their highest level and a steady upward trajectory, it seems a shame for Ford to even consider such a sale. However, Ford's goal of becoming a svelte, adaptable automaker will be a great deal easier without excess brands hanging around their neck. Either way, it's safe to assume that Aston is poised to have an even brighter future in the years ahead.

[Source: Motor Authority]