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Aston Martin Could Offer Clients Endless Customization

Once upon a time, it was easy enough for a sportscar-maker like Ferrari or Aston Martin to offer unique variants with special bodywork and features for its most discerning customers. But modern production techniques have made that considerably more difficult. Aston Martin, however, is learning the process again.

From the arduous process of developing its seven-figure One-77 supercar, Aston has reportedly gained the competence it needs to offer paying (make that dearly paying) clients a virtually endless array of possibilities. We like the sound of that.

Gallery: Geneva 2009:Aston Martin One-77

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2010 Geneva Motor Show: The Anglo File

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

You'll have to search long and hard to find a British automaker that's still owned by Brits these days. Bentley? Volkswagen. Mini? BMW. Lotus? Malaysian state carmaker Proton. Land Rover, Jaguar? Indian automaker Tata. But don't think, not even for one minute, that the industry isn't still alive and striving in the UK. In fact some of our favorite automobiles come from there, even if the cashflow is traversing overseas.

With the major motor shows in the UK paling in comparison to the scope of Geneva, the annual Swiss auto salon is – much like it is for the other European carmaking nations – Britain's chance to show the world what they've got. And show us they did. Follow the jump to see how.

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Aston Martin establishes British Series for Gentleman Racers

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Sports

As well as Aston Martin is known to discerning clients around the world for their top-of-the-line sportscars, in the world of motor racing, the stoic British marque is renowned as a force to be reckoned with. Aston's motorsport activities, however, extend beyond their own factory teams to provide customers with competition machines of their own in various classes of GT racing. The starting point is the Vantage GT4 and the Vantage N24 that came before it. Now that Aston has sold these client racing machines to gentleman racers and privateers around the world, the company is establishing its own spec racing series to give its clients a chance to race against each other on some of Britain's finest circuits in similar machinery.

Following in the footsteps of such championships as the Ferrari Challenge, Porsche Supercup and Lamborghini Super Trofeo – to say nothing of Aston's own Asia Cup – the Aston Martin British GT4 Championship is kicking off its first season, consisting of five races across the UK and one in Belgium. About $20k will get existing owners of race-spec Vantages a full season of racing, including transportation, hospitality and specially-made racing suits. The company's experienced race engineers will be on hand at each event to provide service that reaches from simple tire-swaps to a complete engine replacement. At the end of the season, the winner will get a chance to test drive either a GT2 or GT3-level Aston Martin racing car.

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Tags: aston, aston martin, aston martin british gt4 championship, aston martin gt4, aston martin vantage, AstonMartin, AstonMartinBritishGt4Championship, AstonMartinGt4, AstonMartinVantage

Aston Martin Cygnet Spied on the Streets of London's Soho District

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Plenty has been written about the Aston Martin Cygnet, and much of it has been less than enthusiastic. After all, how does one connect the dots between a tiny, efficient and low-performance city car and the British sporting brand's super high-performance models? Apparently, that would be with Aston's signature front fascia along with an interior swathed in the requisite leather and unobtanium surfaces. Oh, and a suitably high price tag, no doubt.

Whether or not the Cygnet is a good idea, it certainly seems as if Aston Martin is pushing forward with the launch of the 3+1, which is based on the diminutive Toyota iQ. Proof of such can be seen in this series of spy photos, which show the Cygnet out and about in London's fashion-forward Soho district. The mini-mobile will be offered first to current Aston Martin owners, then it may see a limited release in select European dealerships later this year, assuming sufficient demand is found.

[Source: Secret New Cars]

Tags: aston, aston cygnet, aston martin, Aston Martin Cygnet, aston martin cygnet spy shots, AstonCygnet, AstonMartin, AstonMartinCygnet, AstonMartinCygnetSpyShots, cygnet

Aston Martin Takes Another Look at the Lagonda Concept

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Ever meet a pair of siblings and notice one excels at everything and the other's a bit of a deadbeat? That's Aston Martin Lagonda Limited. If you're wondering what the Lagonda part is for, you're on the right track. It forms the full name of the company best known for producing James Bond's automobile of choice, but while Aston Martins are some of the most beautiful and successful sportscars on the road or track, Lagonda is considerably less so.

The automotive marque originally founded in 1906 was acquired by Aston Martin in 1947, and though Aston's tried at several intervals to revitalize its sister brand, not much good has ever come from it. Most recently, the company announced the rebirth of Lagonda, unveiling the concept car you see above at the 2009 Geneva auto show. It was supposed to be a luxurious crossover, based on the Mercedes GL-Class and powered by a V12 engine. Reception was rather cold, and Aston pulled the concept after the first day. But now it's back, courtesy of a new batch of photos released by Aston Martin's PR department. What they're up to – and why they've brought the one project that failed back to light – is beyond us, but you can have a look for yourself in the fresh gallery below.

Gallery: Lagonda Concept

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Aston Martin Launches Revised V8 Vantage for 2010

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Aston Martin's V8 Vantage is already deemed one of the most proportionally perfect sportscars on the market, so the British automaker would be wise not to mess with it too much. Fortunately they've kept the revisions mild as reports surface of an update for the 2010 model year.

The 2010 Aston Martin V8 Vantage benefits from new tail-lights, side sills and mess inserts for the exterior vents, plus a new list of optional equipment: 19" forged aluminum alloy ten-spoke wheels, lightweight carbon-kevlar seats and a 1000-watt Bang & Olufsen stereo system.

They've also cut the car's carbon emissions (down to 315 g/km for the manual transmission and 300 for the Sportshift), and the order books are reportedly open now ahead of deliveries beginning early in the new year.

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Jaeger-LeCoultre AMVOX2 Racing Paris Chronograph for Aston Martin

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Cars & Autos

Between Panerai and Ferrari, Breitling and Bentley and the countless other watchmaker-automaker collaborations, few are as convincing as Jaeger-LeCoultre and Aston Martin. The former's timepieces are every bit as alluring and finely-crafted as the latter's sportscars, but this has to be the finest yet.

The second of two special edition racing chronographs, the Jaeger-LeCoultre AMVOX2 Chronograph Racing Paris honors Aston's considerable Le Mans racing prowess. It features JLC's own 751E movement, just five and a half millimeters thick and an innovative system that allows the wearer to lock and unlock the doors of an Aston sportscar right from the watch itself. Pretty trick, and while there are many editions of the AMVOX2 available, only 24 examples of this particular one will be produced, available exclusively from the Jaeger-LeCoultre boutique on Place Vendome in Paris.

Gallery: Jaeger-LeCoultre AMVOX2 Chronograph Racing Paris

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Aston Martin Rapide in Pictures

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Few automobiles on the road today are as breathtaking as an Aston Martin. But while the resurgent British automaker is known mostly for its two-door sportscars, the company's history isn't without its share of four-door models as well.

Aston introduced its return to the lucrative segment last month at the Frankfurt auto show, and has now followed up with a wide selection of photography, showing the new Rapide in all its glory and from every angle. We've placed all the images in the high-resolution gallery below for your browsing pleasure, so have a look and enjoy.

Gallery: Aston Martin Rapide

Tags: aston, aston martin, aston martin rapide, aston rapide, AstonMartin, AstonMartinRapide, AstonRapide, lagonda, rapide

Aston Martin Opens Advanced Driving Program to the Public

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Offering an advanced driving program is a great way for a performance-oriented automaker to show its customers how to get the most out of their vehicles on the one hand, and promote the brand on the other. Aston Martin chose to keep its program to the former. Until now, that is, as the British purveyor of luxury GTs has opened its Performance Driving Course to the paying public.

Similar to the courses which Aston runs in Belgium and in England, the American program has been running for four years at the Michigan Proving Grounds in Romeo, which it rents out from former parent company Ford on a periodical basis. The $2,500 program takes place over the course of a full day of one-on-one instruction with a qualified expert who can demonstrate for pupils just what a modern Aston is capable of.

Since opening the program to the public, it's already been booked pretty solid with 20 customers a month. In the winter months, however, Aston reportedly plans to take the program down south to various facilities in warmer climates.

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Aston Martin Preparing Cygnet City-Car for Launch Next Year

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Driving an Aston Martin sportscar along a twisting mountain road is our idea of a little slice of heaven. Driving one through downtown city traffic, however, is not. That's what Aston Martin themselves figure with the Cygnet project.

Announced back in June, the Cygnet takes a humble Toyota iQ city car and dresses it up in Aston Martin clothing, offering the British automaker's customers an alternative to driving their sportscars through the city, and saving them instead for a weekend romp through the countryside. Reports now indicate that the car could be ready to go as early as next year. With a price tag of $32,000 – roughly twice as much as the iQ on which it's based – Toyota will reportedly ship the cars pre-assembled from Japan to Aston's facility in England where they will be retrofitted with trademark Aston Martin luxury, only without the big engine up front.

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2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: Aston Martin Rapide

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

An Aston Martin is a beautiful thing. Several Aston Martins, however, start to look the same. At least, that's the objection that critics levy. They're all two-door GTs with the engine up front and the driving wheels in the back, with subtly different by largely the same styling. And while the new Rapide may share familiar design cues with the likes of the Vantage and DB9, it introduces a new body style into the Aston catalogue for the first time in decades.

The four-door coupe originally debuted in concept form way back at the 2006 Detroit auto show, and is only now ready to start production. Along the way a couple of small changes have been made, but by and large it's the same car that wowed the industry three years ago. Think of it as a DB9 with a couple extra doors and you're half way there. Check out the images in the gallery below to go the extra distance.

Gallery: Frankfurt 2009: Aston Martin Rapide

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Robb Report Limited Edition Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

If you're on the market for an Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster but looking for something a little more exclusive, the V12 version may be on its way, but the Robb Report can help you right now. The luxury lifestyle magazine has teamed up with Aston Martin to create this very limited edition of the two-seat convertible especially for the magazine.

The special edition is characterized by its all-black color scheme. The exterior is black. The fabric roof is black. The interior upholstery is black. Even the veneer trim panels are black. In fact the only thing that isn't is the deliciously contrasting white top-stitching on the black leather. Only seven examples will be made – individually numbered from 001 to 007 (very Aston Martin of them) – and sold at a $23k premium for $153,000 each.

Gallery: Robb Report Limited Edition Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster

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Elite LMV/R gives the Aston Martin Vantage an Attitude Adjustment

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

When Aston Martin turned its entry-level V8 Vantage into the top-of-the-line V12 Vantage, they went the decidedly understated route with the car's styling: a few extra air vents here, some more aggressive spoilers there.... And good thing, too, because the Vantage is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cars on the market. But some may be looking for something with a bit more visual attitude. So along comes Elite with the LMV/R. Starting with the base Vantage, the LMV/R adds a serious dose of testosterone with its widebody carbon-fiber panels. Only 30 examples will be made, with a handsome sticker price of $173,000...plus the cost of a stock Vantage.

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Aston Martin Reportedly Cancels the Lagonda SUV

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Kids growing too big for the back seat of your Aston Martin DB9? Fortunately the company's Rapide four-door model is just around the corner. But if you were holding out for something a little bigger, you may be waiting a little while longer, or else be advised to look elsewhere. Reports indicate that the British purveyor of luxury GTs has put its plans to relaunch the Lagonda marque with a new crossover utility model on indefinite hold.

The Lagonda name is part of Aston's corporate identity, but has remained dormant for years. A few months back at the Geneva auto salon, Aston Martin shocked members of the press with an ungainly crossover concept. Reaction was so cold that the company took it off the show stand by the second day, keeping it away from the public. Now the company's chief executive has reportedly confirmed that the model has been postponed indefinitely, meaning that it could come back in another form or it could never come back at all. Considering that Aston is known for more beautiful design work than it exhibited with the Lagonda concept, we're hard-pressed to mourn its passing.

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Aston Martin Opens its First Store at the Nurburgring

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Cars & Autos

If you're visiting the famed Nurburgring race track in Germany and looking for a souvenir or two, a recent expansion of the facility includes a shopping mall called the Grand Ring Boulevard. That's where Ferrari opened its new merchandise store – its first in Germany and its first track-side store – just the other day, and it's also where rival automaker Aston Martin has set up its very first shop.

Boasting the same 2,400 square meter space as the Ferrari Store, the Aston Martin Store Nurburgring is stocked with all manner of merchandise from clothing and accessories to models and artwork. Aston brought in the first production model of its upcoming One-77 million-dollar supercar for the grand opening, but if you couldn't make it then and aren't planning a trip to Germany any time soon, you can always check out the full Aston Martin Collection at astonmartin.com.

Gallery: Aston Martin Store Nurburgring