Are hybrid drivetrains befitting of a premium luxury and performance brand? Well, that depends on who you ask. According to such diverse automakers as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Rolls-Royce and even Ferrari and Lamborghini, the answer is ‘yes’. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez, though, reportedly believes otherwise. “The current hybrid technologies are not suited to the character of Aston Martin sports cars,” explains Bez.

We’re not so sure we agree, especially since Aston’s long-planned Lagonda revival – which may or may not come wrapped in an ungainly SUV package – is rumored to be equipped with a hybrid powertrain. After all, the torque-rich nature of electric motors certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing for a luxury tourer.

A few branches up on the green tree, Aston Martin’s tiny Toyota iQ-based Cygnet minicar could quite possibly get a fully electric drivetrain, which would seem to make sense given that car’s stated mission as an urban runabout for those times when a V12 Vanquish could be considered overkill. Beautiful, sonorous, splendid overkill…

[Source:Autoblog]

Besides talking to the cute blond at the Audi booth, your Autobloggers spent the most time at this year’s Frankfurt show arguing in front of the Mansory booth. Why? Some of us simply loved the all carbon fiber Cyrus, while others thought reskinning an Aston Martin DB9 in unpainted CF wasn’t the best possible use of all that sci-fi plastic. Also (of course) there was the matte pink Vitesse Rose, which… no comment.

Anyhow, Mansory just released a plethora of images showing the world what the Cyrus looks like when it’s on the road. The naysayers among us will no doubt be forced to admit that the Cyrus does look better at speed, though we’re still quite anti- fake roof scoop, as well as the glued-on rear quarter panels. Is $600,000ish too much to spend on top of a DB9’s based price for all that baked plastic goodness? You be the judge.

[Source:Autoblog]

Reports from the British Isles and a new batch of images from the manufacturer indicate that Aston Martin has quietly prepared a few minor revisions for its entry-level V8 Vantage for the 2010 model year.

Among those changes are clear tail lamps (like those on the V12 version), side sills borrowed from the N400 edition and “magnum silver” mesh for the hood and side vents. There will also be some new optional equipment, including the ten-spoke, 19-inch forged, diamond-turned alloys pictured on the car above, carbon-Kevlar seats that trim 17kg off the curb weight, and a 1000-watt Bang & Olufsen stereo.

Along with the mild visual upgrades and the new optional equipment, Aston has cut the V8 engine’s carbon emissions, the manual-equipped model dropping from 328 g/km to 315 g/km, and the Sportshift model dropping to 300 g/km. The changes are applied equally to the coupe and Roadster, with order books reportedly open now with deliveries beginning early in the new year. Check out the updated model in our high-resolution image gallery below.

[Source:Autoblog]

Aston Martin is used to success. Its road cars are some of the most coveted in all of auto-dom, and its race cars have mastered Le Mans like Yo-Yo Ma has the cello. This year’s planned rebirth of Lagonda, however, didn’t go as well.

The oddball crossover concept that debuted at Geneva earlier this year was received with such ire that the company yanked it after the first day, before the public could ever see it… save through our camera lenses. So you can imagine the surprise when the Lagonda Concept popped up again on the Aston Martin media website, complete with a new batch of photos.

We’ve placed said photos of the Mercedes GL-based concept in the gallery below – complete with some very strange interior trim – for your browsing “pleasure,” if you can call it that. But we can’t help but wonder what Gaydon’s up to.

[Source:Autoblog]

A couple of days after announcing U.K. pricing for the the new Rapide, Aston Martin has now also priced the North American version of its slinky four-door. When Aston starts deliveries of its newest model next spring, U.S. customers will have to pony up a minimum of $199,950. Aston Martin dealers will doubtless provide clients with the opportunity to substantially elevate that price tag via costly personalization options. After all, when you’re dropping that kind of coin, you don’t want to see yourself coming and going all the time.

The Rapide will be the first Aston Martin produced outside of Great Britain once cars start rolling off the line in Graz, Austria. The special factory was set up in cooperation with Magna Steyr prior to the global financial collapse, back when the Gaydon factory that makes the other Astons was running at full capacity. In these post-meltdown days, the decision about where to produce the car may have been very different. If you have the means, your local dealer is taking orders now. Official press release available after the jump.

PRESS RELEASE

Aston Martin Announces Rapide Pricing for the United States

Irvine, 5th December 2009. As the eagerly awaited Aston Martin Rapide four-door sports car goes through final engineering and testing phases before being launched in early quarter two 2010, Aston Martin confirms US pricing.

The price of the Rapide will start from $199,950 in the US which features an impressive level of standard specification including: Bang & Olufsen Beosound audio system tailored specifically for Rapide, heated memory seats, dual cast brakes and Adaptive Damping System.

The Rapide is Aston Martin’s first production four-door sports car encapsulating the practicality of a car with extra doors and fusing it with the trademark sports car dynamics synonymous with modern Aston Martins.

Customer deliveries will commence in spring 2010, and it will be the first sports car to be hand-built at the Aston Martin Rapide Plant (AMRP) in Graz, Austria. The new 17,000 m2 building has been designed to reflect the quality levels established in Gaydon since 2003 permitting the fusion of modern technology, advanced manufacturing processes and handbuilt craftsmanship. Each Rapide will take approximately 220 man hours to build and will benefit from timeless craft skills just like the existing range: DBS, DB9, V12 and V8 Vantage do at Gaydon.

It is anticipated that +/- 2,000 Rapides will be built in the first year attracting a high proportion of new customers to the brand. Core to this trend is the mix of huge attention to detail throughout the car, ample accommodation for up to four adults and the spacious trunk while maintaining Rapide’s elegant beauty and sports car profile.

The Rapide is on sale now available to order from the Aston Martin dealership network across North America.

[Source:Autoblog]

£1.25 million. That’s Brit-speak for $1,800,000, give or take. A staggering amount of money. More than a Bugatti Veyron, more than a Lamborghini Reventón. Quite simply the most expensive new car, well, ever. Er, well, it would have been if not for the $2.2 million Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport. And for what? Before last night, we would have said nearly two million smackeroos gets you a widened DB9 with a large 7.3-liter V-12. Yes, there will be only seventy-seven hand built Aston Martin One-77s made, but so what? That’s just way too much lucre, filthy or otherwise.

Aston Martin was good enough to invite us down to a post-Pebble Beach showing of its new hypercar in the impressive vault room at Los Angeles’ Galpin Motors. Curtains circled the display, the car was draped with a cloth and many of the city’s wealthiest citizens (most had previously purchased an Aston Martin from Galpin) enjoyed gratis cocktails mit snacks.

Before the covers came off they fired up and then revved the engine. Whoa. This was different. This was something special. The massive motor rapidly climbed through the range not like a normal big-bore V12, but more like an F1 car. Totally impressive. Finally the big Aston was revealed, and you know, it was still a nice looking car, but massively overpriced. And then they popped the hood.

[Source: AutoBlog]

The Aston Martin Vantage GT4 might be worthy on the track, but what if you want a lightened, hardened Vantage for the street, à la Lamborghini’s Gallardo Superleggera and Ferrari’s F430 Scuderia? Then you have Elite to thank for this, the LMV/R. The car is lightened with the use of carbon fiber body panels and interior kit, widened with bespoke fenders, and given a Galpin Motorsports-esque wheel and tuning treatement.

They don’t get any extra power, however. If it’s any consolation, there will only be thirty of them – but each one will cost a fortune: $173,000 plus the cost of a Vantage. You can read all about the Florida-built car after the jump, and check it out in the gallery of high-res photos below.

[Source: AutoBlog]

Aston Martin has grown accustomed to success. Since the DB7, its sports cars have only gotten better, while on the track the British automaker continues to rack up trophies. The Lagonda SUV concept which the company unveiled this past March in Geneva, however, was another story. The awkwardly-shaped crossover got a cold reception at its unveiling, and Aston pulled it off the show stand before the public even got there. Now reports indicate that the entire project has been put on hold.

Chief executive Ulrich Bez reportedly proclaims that the decision to axe the Lagonda venture was purely financial. And in this economic climate, that’s a reasonable claim. But other sources suggest that the automotive media’s reaction to the concept dictated its demise. Will Aston give it another shot? Aston Martin Lagonda chairman David Richards reportedly wants to get a new concept on the stands before the end of the year. We wouldn’t be surprised if he gets his way.
[Source:Autoblog]

Aston Martin makes some of the most visually appealing cars on the road today. Their latest offerings, the DBS Volante and the V12 Vantage, continue the company’s tradition of elegant styling combined with V12 power. We generally can’t get enough photos of either car, and fortunately for us, Aston has released a plethora of new pictures of both cars. Check out both high-res galleries below.

[source:Aston Martin]

With a nod to our current global economic and environmental issues, super GT maker Aston Martin has reportedly announced the world’s first super luxury supermini. Having blown their development budget on the V12 Vantage RS, Rapide and One-77 hypercar, they turned to an unlikely partner for some help: Toyota. Aston Martin has taken the Toyota iQ 3+1 commuter and given it a tailored suit from Saville Row. The result is the new Aston Martin Cygnet you see above. In case you’re wondering, a “cygnet” is a baby swan, not to be confused with an ugly duckling.

Although technically just a concept, word has it that the vehicle will be put into limited production and sold exclusively to existing Aston Martin owners, at least initially. There’s a full press release after the jump, but the Cygnet should sell for around £20,000 (around $33k USD) when it goes on sale late next year. The car will retain the iQ’s unique 3+1 seating but will be tailored to the individual customer’s needs when it is assembled in Gaydon. Think of it as a move to “1-down” BMW’s MINI brand. We only have the one photo for now, but from what we can see it doesn’t look as unfortunate as we might have expected with Aston’s distinctive grille, hood cutouts, side vents, and of course, the winged badge. Still, you have to wonder what this sort of thing might do to the Engish company’s brand equity, no? Follow the jump for the presser. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

Press Release:

New Aston Martin “Cygnet” inspired by Toyota’s iQ
Collaboration marks critical step in plans to expand ‘iQ world’

Toyota’s revolutionary iQ platform is about to reset traditional thinking, with plans that the world’s
smallest four-seater will serve as the basis for a new luxury commuter car to be exclusively built for and
sold to Aston Martin owners. Toyota Motor Europe (TME) today announced that the new “Cygnet” would
pair Aston Martin’s trademark design flair with the Toyota iQ’s highly compact and low-CO2 city driving
package. The commuter car will be tailored specifically to customer requirements at Aston Martin’s
global headquarters in Gaydon, the United Kingdom.

‘It’s a great compliment that the Toyota iQ has been hand-picked by one of the world’s most prestigious sports
car brands, a company with whom we also share a strong friendship. This collaboration represents a natural
pairing of strategies: a small yet spacious package, perfect for the city driver, finished off with Aston Martin’s
iconic design language,’ said Tadashi Arashima, CEO and President of TME. ‘The Cygnet is a good choice for
the Aston Martin owner looking for that second or third car, which is luxurious and eco-conscious,’ he added.

Although radically different in size and customer base, Aston Martin and Toyota are united in their corporate
philosophies of delivering superior quality, engineering excellence and innovative technology. The collaboration
is also fortunate to benefit from a strong relationship underlined by a passion for cars.

The Toyota iQ is considered a breakthrough in intelligent design. Less than three metres in length, its flexible
package can accommodate up to four people, providing owners with a new dimension of versatility. Featuring a
range of design innovations – such as its flat under-floor fuel tank and asymmetric dashboard – the iQ is
positioned as the “no compromise choice” with CO2 emissions starting as low as 99 g/km. It also offers
outstanding levels of passive and active safety equipment resulting in a Euro NCAP 5-star rating.

Despite tough market conditions for the automotive industry, the Toyota iQ has proved appealing to a wide
variety of city drivers with a taste for style, driving performance and low CO2. The Toyota iQ made its European
sales debut in January 2009. It continues to perform in line with expectation, with over 25,000 units sold to-date.

The planned collaboration with Aston Martin is a timely endorsement of the iQ’s superior packaging. The
announcement marks a critical step in Toyota’s longer-term planning to expand the ‘iQ world’ – that is, to bring
new versions of the Toyota iQ to market globally and expand the company’s eco-friendly line-up.

[Source:Autoblog]