[Video] Aston Martin Returns to Endurance Racing with the New Vantage GTE

This year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans will see Aston Martin’s return to endurance racing.

Aston Martin has just officially announced their return to FIA World Endurance Championship racing and they are doing so with a new racecar. The Vantage GTE is a stunning and fitting replacement for their Vantage GT2, of which it is based.The new Vantage GTE marks the first time since 2008 that Aston Martin will field a racer in Le Mans racing. Decked out in Gulf Livery, the new Vantage model features upgrades and improvements in the areas of handling, drivetrain, engine and suspension.

Running on a 4.5-liter V8 engine, it features new cylinder heads, valves, camshafts, connecting rods and a racing-spec exhaust. The engine is paired to a six-speed sequential gearbox.

"It's great to be returning to our core motorsport activity; production-based GT racing. It formed the basis for Aston Martin's return to competition when the DBR9 GT1-racer was launched in 2004, and it was in GT racing that we achieved our famous victories at Le Mans in 2007 and 2008," said Aston Martin Lagonda Chairman David Richards.The new Aston Martin Vantage GTE will make its competitive debut in the 12 Hours of Sebring in March before tackling the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Three drivers have been named so far, being Stefan Mucke, Adrian Fernandez and Darren Turner.

[Video] Aston Martin Returns to Endurance Racing with the New Vantage GTE

Facelifted Aston Martin Vantage to be Released at Geneva

Visually the facelift has been minor, but major changes to handling and performance have taken place. 

Ahead of its unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show, Aston Martin has announced some of the engineering updates and refreshed styling that have been made to the 2012 Vantage range. The facelift itself is relatively minor but changes to handling and performance are significant.The company has described this as the biggest range overhaul since 2008, with the base 420hp 4.7-liter V8 Vantage benefiting from upgrades that were first seen on the Vantage S, such as quicker steering, bigger brakes and wider tires.
More feedback and agility comes from the installation of a new steering column, revalved power steering and a quicker ratio (15:1 from 17:1).New 380mm, two-piece ventilated cast iron front discs and six-piston calipers enhance braking at the front, resulting in "significantly increased stopping power and pedal feel." Tires are now 10mm wider and a brake-holding Hill Start Assist set-up comes as standard.The standard six-speed manual transmission has been kept although Aston is offering the new seven-speed Sportshift II automated manual transmission as an option.

With the extra gear, closer ratios and refined shift quality, the specially designed gearbox will provide faster and more precise shifts and thus optimize acceleration.Styling changes inspired by both the Vantage S and limited edition Vantage N420 will characterize the 2012 V8 Vantage, which gets a new lower front bumper and air splitter, restyled sculpted side sills and a diffuser-equipped new rear bumper.Both the V8 Vantage Coupe and Roadster will benefit from these technical and styling enhancements, with entry-level models priced at £84,995.
The 430hp Vantage S comes in£99,995 and gets the news Sportshift II gearbox as standard in addition to a sports exhaust, an aerodynamic styling package described as "motorsport-derived and carbon-fiber detailed," and a hand-stitched leather interior.Also standard is the new integrated Garmin satnav, cruise control and Bluetooth. No changes have been made to the V12 Vantage, while the range-topping V12 Zagato, limited to just 150 units, will be priced at a shade under £400,000 with deliveries to start in Q4 of 2012.

Facelifted Aston Martin Vantage to be Released at Geneva

New Aston Martin V12 Zagato Exclusive Pictures

First production photos of the supercar emerged last week via an online PDF brochure, and now Autocar have released exclusive pictures of the Zagato road car. 

With a week to go before the 'baby One-77' debuts in showroom-ready trim at the Kuwait Concours d'Elegance, Aston Martin has put the finishing touches to the V12 Zagato.In early 2010, the project was agreed between Aston boss Ulrich Bez and Zagato's top man Andrea Zagato. Their respective designers were set the task of developing a production theme and it didn't take long for the British design to be chosen.

By March of the same year the main elements of the V12 project were finalized and as a result it became the first Zagato-badged car to have been designed entirely in the UK. Aston Martin design boss Marek Reichman revealed the design is '100 percent British,' although the Italian coachbuilder has worked with them closely on the production.Highlights of the V12 Zagato's design include a fresh interpretation of the double-bubble roof and a convex full-faced grille. "Zagato's Astons have always had a slightly bulging quality," said Reichman, "as if the T-shirt was a little too tight for the muscles beneath."Many of the construction methods used on the One-77 have been adopted by Aston's engineers who have been refining its aerodynamics and structure since June. Taking 2,000 hours to build, the Vantage's aluminum VH chassis will be clad with a hand-finished hood, roof and door panels, while front & rear wings, door sills and boot surround will be carbon-fiber.Recapping the important stuff, the V12 Zagato will use the Vantage's powertrain: a 510hp normally-aspirated 6.0-liter engine mated to a manual six-speed. Standstill to 62mph is timed at 4.2 seconds and top speed is estimated at 190mph.

Aston Martin V12 Zagato to be Unveiled at Kuwait Concours

In just a couple of weeks, Aston’s long-awaited limited edition V12 Zagato will finally take a bow. 

Aston Martin is finally ready to unveil the stunning V12 Zagato road-car. Back in August it was announced the car would debut at Frankfurt, but for whatever reason it didn't materialize.Now the automaker's CEO Ulrich Bez has declared it will take a bow at the third annual Kuwait Concours d'Elegance on February 15th."We are excited to show the new V12 Zagato for the first time in production form at the 2012 Kuwait Concours d'Elegance.
"Over 50 years since the introduction of the iconic DB4GT Zagato, Aston Martin and Zagato have collaborated to create this modern interpretation which remains true to the original focus of craftsmanship, performance and exclusivity."Hand-built at Aston's headquarters in Gaydon, England, the V12 Zagato is based on the 6.0-liter V12 Vantage, but with a custom aluminum and carbon-fiber body molded by Zagato engineers.The drivetrain is left untouched so delivers 510hp and 420lb-feet of torque, but the interior has undergone some modification. Only 150 copies of this mean looking car are planned, priced at £330,000.

1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Coupe in Paris

Bonhams’ Paris Sale is shaping up quite nicely with this classic Aston Martin. 

A 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Coupe is going up for auction at the Bonhams' Paris Sale next month. This classic Aston previously won the Tour Auto Regularity Class in 2005 and should turn plenty of heads in France.The Aston Martin DB4 Coupe was launched at the London Motor Show in 1958 and a year later, the British company came back with their GT version. The DB4 GT included a new-at-the-time steel platform chassis with disc brakes. 

It featured a racing-developed twin-cam 6-cylinder powerplant. Its aluminum body was designed by Carrozzeria Touring from Milan. The beautiful GT was meant to show the Italians just how far British engineering had come and that they could match them at their own 'Gran Turismo game.'Back then, the DB4 GT put out a serious 302hp. This was a big increase over its standard variant's 240hp and with the added power, could hit a top speed of 153mph. It was timed from 0-60mph in 6.1 seconds and set a world record at that time for a 0-100mph sprint back to stop in just under 20 seconds.

Video: Mansory Aston Martin DBS Given Some Dartz Treatment

Dartz and Mansory combining forces? Not exactly, but it'd certainly be interesting if they officially did.

While something like this may not be to everyone's personal tastes, we still appreciate it for what it is. What is it exactly then? Well, it's simple: Tuning specialist Mansory started off with this Aston Martin DBS Volante by adding a body kit along with an upgraded interior and sound system.They finished it off with a set of their own wheels that feature a painted red stripe. And then our favorite (and likely only) Latvian auto company stepped in to do their usual dose of flamboyance.
Dartz has proceeded to finish the DBS off with a complete Satin/Matte Red vinyl wrap that's once again a bit over the top. Too bright for the eyes? Well, yes, that's the whole point. In the past, both Mansory and Dartz have enjoyed going the extreme distance in terms of styling/color coordination by simply just not caring about the so-called rules.

Report: 2012 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster Confirmed for Geneva

The 2012 version of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage will be getting a roadster variant, according to GTSpirit.

According to a report by the guys at GTSpirit, one of their sources was able to confirm with Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez that a roadster version of the highly-acclaimed V12 Vantage is on its way in 2012. The good Dr. is banking the new variant to replicate the recent successes of the V8 Vantage Roadster and the V12 Vantage Coupe.The V12 Vantage Roadster should be able to hit a top speed of almost 190mph and can launch from 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds.
Using the V12 Vantage's 6.0-liter V12 engine, it will be able to put out 510hp and 420 lb-ft of torque.The 2012 Aston Martin V12 Vantage roadster is expected to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.Photos displayed are of the 2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage and 2012 Aston Martin V8 Vantage S Roadster