Aston Martin Reportedly Cancels the Lagonda SUV
Posted by admin on Aug 2, 2009
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.
Tags: Aston Martin DB9, Aston Martin Reportedly Cancels the Lagonda SUV, AstonMartin, autos, Corporate identity, Geneva, GenevaMotorShow, Lagonda, Recreation
2009 Aston Martin DBS
Posted by admin on Mar 30, 2009
There are luxury cars and there are sports cars; and surprisingly few that can be called both. Mostly this is the result of luxury items being a detriment to a vehicle’s weight. This explains the spartan interior of a Lotus or the plastic-like cheapness that dogged Italian sports cars for many years. Besides being one of the most iconic cars in the world, the Aston Martin DBS manages to straddle the line between both characteristics and is truly worthy of being called a luxury sports car.
What is essentially a $100,000 option to the DB9, the $270,000 DBS offers more than just a gussied up face to the roughly 300 owners lucky enough to own one. Althought the DBS does share its lightweight aluminum chassis with the DB9, the heart of the DBS beats with a 6.0 liter V12 engine that produces, quite angrily, 510 horsepower. This power translates into a 0-60 mph time of 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 191. Not that it should matter with this sort of car, but a byproduct of this power is a 12 mpg rating. However, unlike other high-end sports cars that scream their speed out to the world, the DBS projects a grownup, almost conservative British visage that is extremely attractive without being obnoxious about it.
Tags: 2009 Aston Martin DBS, Aluminium, Aston Martin DBS, AstonMartin, Automobile, GenevaMotorShow, Luxury vehicle, sports car, V12 engine
First official Aston Martin Rapide image comes online
Posted by admin on Nov 27, 2008
It’s only one image, but it’s supposedly the real deal. Or so says CAR Magazine in the UK, which published this rendering of the upcoming Aston Martin Rapide today. The publication claims the computer-generated rendering comes straight from Aston and previews the final form of this über four-door coupe. They apparently have another image in hand but are saving that for the January 2009 print issue of CAR. From what we can see, it appears that the Rapide will remain very true to the concept version. CAR notes the front end has changed a bit with the concept’s quad air intakes being replaced by an upper and lower grille, and there’s now a more creased character line running down the length of the vehicle. The rear has supposedly changed a little as well, but is not viewable from the angle we get in this rendering. The mag is also claiming the Rapide will be powered by a big 6.0L V12 producing 500bhp and 420 lb-ft of torque, which should be enough to keep the large sedan, err… coupe, moving briskly.
Tags: Aston Martin, aston martin rapide, AstonMartin, AstonMartinRapide, First official Aston Martin Rapide image comes online, rapide