It’s not like we didn’t know this already but Aston Martin confirmed today that the Toyota iQ based compact Cygnet will go into production in 2011 at the company’s Gaydon headquarters in Warwickshire.

“It is time to think differently. Aston Martin is honest and we don’t make compromises” says Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez. “Whatever we do, we do right. If we do performance, we do performance; we don’t downsize or compromise our sports cars. The Cygnet needs to satisfy the demands of emissions and space. It is a car without compromise, just like every other Aston Martin. Our customers need a small car for urban and city use, and they want the right tools for the right job, to downsize creatively without compromising intelligence, artistry and personality.”

It was recently reported that Aston Martin is planning an electric-only version for the Cygnet scheduled for 2013.

Source: egmCarTech

The stylish Masonry Cyrus was unveiled in Frankfurt and it makes nice use of carbon fiber.

When Mansory wants to give it to us good, they know how. This is the Mansory Cyrus (Khouresh Mansory told us that Cyrus was the first king of Iran), and – even though every other colleague here disagrees with us – we feel it the best use of carbon fiber we’ve seen since we’ve been here. The car is DB9 based and has been redone in aerospace, pre-preg carbon fiber, and gets 28 extra horses.

Well, all except the rear fenders because they couldn’t shape the carbon fiber accordingly, so the carbon fiber — extended in width by two inches from the original car – is glued to the standard panels with adhesive bought from Lamborghini. Otherwise it’s all CF. No, the roof scoop isn’t functional – but beauty makes no promises to functionality. You can also get the DBS done up thusly, and although we don’t know what that car is called, we hope it’s Xerxes. The Cyrus will run you €380,000 on top of a DB9. We won’t call it money well spent… but we’d spend it.

Source Autoblog

We found the Aston Martin One-77 tucked between hospitality tables like a manta ray brooding within a coral reef — as if it were grudgingly consenting to being looked at. With a roofline that sits about four inches lower than a DBS, the minimal height and exceptional girth combine with a slew of pronounced features to create one angry car.

Yet it does possess its moments of soft beauty: the engine bay is a case of stupendous craftsmanship and the carbon fiber rear suspension weaving its way through leather-trimmed panels is nothing short of delicious. Inside, the car is minutely detailed, and everything other than the white-backed center console gauges elicits a “Yes” from our hearts. Even better: there’s still time to get one. You can place a call to Aston Martin for an order, or feel free to simply admire the One-77 in the gallery of high-res photos below.

Source Autoblog

A scanned rendering of the Aston Martin Rapide’s interior, claimed to be taken from an official brochure, has slid onto the Internet, and judging by the images, occupants will get the full GT experience no matter where they’re seated.

Assuming there’s room to get comfy, back-seaters should have a fine time of it. Screens in the headrests will entertain while controls on the center tunnel keep the climate in check. We aren’t sure what the features in the seatbacks are, but we look forward to finding out.

And in a first for recent Astons, the packaging appears to have left room for a properly capacious trunk. Stay tuned for shots of the real deal from the Frankfurt Motor Show.

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 treatment.

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 is building a pre-production version of the One-77 supercar that will take on the Nurburgring, reports AutoCar. Sources say that the unit you see at auto shows is just a running prototype and the next stage of the car’s development is to build a pre-production version for fine tuning at the Nurburgring, where Aston Martin has a facility.

Chris Porritt, One-77 program manager, said that the One-77 will go into production in the spring of 2010 with the first customer deliveries to begin in mid-2010.

Porritt said that 40 confirmed orders have been taken so it’s apparently not sold out, each of which will take the folks at Gaydon three and a half months to build.

Refresher: Power comes from a 7.3L V12 producing more than 700-hp. The engine is mated to a new 6-speed gearbox that allows the One-77 to go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds with a top speed of over 200 mph.

Source Egmcartech

Buyers of Aston Martin’s new Cygnet will be able to customise their city car in the same way as the company’s most expensive models, it has been revealed. 

In an exclusive interview with Auto Express, Aston boss Dr Ulrich Bez confirmed there would be “no compromise” for customers opting for its new runabout. He said they could expect an interior finished in the traditional top quality leather, wood and carbon fibre. 

Under the bonnet, however, the iQ-based Aston will keep Toyota’s 1.0-litre unit – which will return 65mpg and CO2 emissions of only 99g/km – as the perfect contrast to the firm’s potent 6.0-litre engines.

Dr Bez also explained that he believes the Cygnet could pioneer a new era of luxury small cars. “Until now, small cars offered a message that people are buying something cheap,” he said. “The Cygnet will show that small cars can also make a statement. It will be an intelligent purchase for people concerned about the environment, but who also want to enjoy all the luxury associated with a premium brand such as Aston Martin.”

The maker believes it could sell around 4,000 Cygnets a year across the world, with sales to start next year.

When the Aston Martin DBS Volante made its debut at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, Aston released only a couple of studio shots. In between, the Aston Martin Rapide and the Aston Martin Cygnet, the folks at Gaydon have found a little time to take some real-life shots of the DBS Volante.

Refresher: Power comes from the same 6.0L V12 from the DBS Coupe producing 510-hp and a maximum torque of 420 lb-ft. 0 to 62 mph time of 4.3 seconds with a top speed of 191 mph. The engine can be mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox or the Touchtronic 2 6-speed gearbox with electronic shift-by-wire control system. The motorized retractable fabric roof comes down in 14 seconds and can be activated at speeds of up to 30 mph at the touch of a button.

Source Egmcartech

As expected, Toyota’s youthful Scion division will indeed get a version of the diminutive iQ for the North American market, possibly by either the end of 2010 as an ‘11 model or in early 2011 as a ‘12 model. According to Motor Trend, the car will cost about the same as the Yaris and get the usual modifications for the American market, such as slightly extended bumpers and recalibrated airbags.

Fortunately, the Big Wheels body kit fitted to the conceptual Scion iQ shown off at the New York Auto Show won’t come to the States as standard equipment. We’re not entirely sure what powerplants Toyota plans to use in the American iQ, but in other markets it’s available with three engines displacing between 1.0- and 1.4-liters, and no hybrid iQ is currently planned due to cost and packaging considerations.

Interestingly, MT also reports that the Toyota FT-EV electric car concept from this year’s Detroit Auto Show, based on the iQ minicar, will hit the market by 2012. At this time, the Japanese automaker may still be deciding between tried-and-true nickel metal hydride batteries or more powerful but unproven lithium ion units. Regardless, Toyota’s aiming for a 50-mile range and an eight-hour recharge from a standard wall outlet.

Source Autoblog

Luxury carmaker Aston Martin has forged an innovative alliance with Toyota to develop what could be the world’s first luxury city car.

Aston Martin released today a photo of the Cygnet, which is a Toyota iQ with restyled front sheetmetal.

Although officially billed a concept, reports in Britain say that Aston Martin will put the Cygnet on sale next year. At first, it will be offered to current Aston owners or those who have a car on order. But it will be offered to the public later.

The price is about 23,000 euros. That’s a step up from the iQ’s base price, which is 12,700 euros in Germany.

Aston says a key part of the Cygnet is a new grille design for the automaker. There also are slight changes to the shape of the headlamps, and the addition Aston’s signature vents on the hood and front quarter panels.

Aston won’t make mechanical changes to the iQ. Toyota will build the cars and ship them to Aston’s assembly plant in Gaydon, England. There, Aston will trim out the car’s interior with leather.

Reports say that Aston will build up to 2,000 copies of the Cygnet a year.

One important note: The addition of the Cygnet to Aston’s vehicle fleet will improve the automaker’s emissions ratings.

Toyota launched the iQ in Europe in January.

ASTON MARTIN PRESS RELEASE: The Innovative Commuter Concept Car; ‘Cygnet’ by Aston Martin

Gaydon, Monday 29 June 2009. Aston Martin has developed a new luxury commuter concept; the ‘Cygnet’ which will offer customers a distinctive, intelligent and exclusive solution for urban travel in style and luxury.

The concept will offer Aston Martin trademark design in a commuter car package based on the critically acclaimed Toyota iQ with a Euro NCAP 5-star safety package.

The ‘Cygnet’ concept represents a creative, environmentally conscious solution, being small, yet with presence – and highly fuel efficient, now combined with the prestige of Aston Martin’s luxury brand ownership.

Aston Martin, the world leader in exclusive niche engineering is collaborating on this concept with Toyota the world leader in volume, quality and reliability. Although vastly different in size, Toyota and Aston Martin share the philosophy of engineering excellence and innovation underlined by a strong passion for cars.

Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez said: “Now is the right time for Aston Martin to take this first bold step to embark on this special project – made possible with the support of an organisation of Toyota’s stature and capability and the intelligent design and perfect city car package of the iQ.”

“Much work is still required, but I am confident that this project could become reality in the not too distant future. This concept – akin to an exclusive tender to a luxury yacht – will allow us to apply Aston Martin design language, craftsmanship and brand values to a completely new segment of the market.”

“The offering of a ‘Cygnet’ with a DBS, DB9 or Vantage is a unique combination of opposites and a novel transport solution allowing intelligent and sensitive mobility on an exclusive and innovative level.

Three years after its debut at the Detroit Auto Show, the Aston Martin Rapide was finally spotted and is nearly ready for production.

It’s been nearly three years since we first caught a glimpse of the Aston Martin Rapide at the Detroit Auto Show.

During that time, Aston has expanded its lineup to include the DBS, a refreshed DB9 and a new V8 Vantage, each of which was strictly an evolution of an existing model. However, the Rapide will be the first all-new Aston in years, and judging by these recent spy shots, a production version is right around the bend.

Unlike earlier prototypes that lacked door handles and production-ready side glass, this newest mule actually allows occupants to get in all four doors and nixes the vented plexiglass panels. The character line that stretches from the fender vent into the rear doors is a new development that wasn’t included in the concept, and we finally get a clear view of the upkick in the rear window, along with the bumper-integrated dual exhausts. Expect the Rapide to make its production debut sometime next year and hitting dealers in late 2009 or early 2010.

Source Autoblog

The 2009 Vantage GT4 was unveiled by Aston Martin Racing at the Dubai Autodrome.

DUBAI — Aston Martin Racing has unveiled the 2009 Vantage GT4, the successor to the Vantage N24. The GT4 features Aston’s latest 4.7-liter V8.

The new racing car was revealed late last week by chairman David Richards at the Dubai Autodrome.

The Vantage GT4 is an evolution of the 4.3-liter Vantage N24 with a larger-displacement engine, a retuned suspension and larger brakes. It can be ordered with a six-speed manual gearbox or a Sportshift automatic with paddle shifters.

Hand-built by Aston Martin Racing and aimed at professional and semipro racers, the Vantage GT4 is built to FIA GT4 regulations.

The Vantage GT4 is 660 pounds lighter than the production Vantage and rides on Yokohama A048-R tires mounted on cast magnesium wheels. Recaro competition seats are fitted with Sabelt six-point safety harnesses.

Aston says it is the only manufacturer producing cars in GT1, GT2, GT3 and GT4 classes.

Prices start at $145,000, with deliveries beginning in January.

Source Edmunds Inside Line

The most expensive supercar ever bult by Aston is fully revealed in these first official full photographs of the new Aston Martin One-77. Predictably in this internet age, these pictures of the One-77 have leaked online ahead of Aston’s planned debut. This is the first full view of the £1.2 million special after a string of carefully silhouetted and covered-up teaser shots.

More official details will be announced soon, but we know that this most exclusive of Astons will be powered by a 7.3-litre V12 producing some 700bhp. Black polo-necked marketing types talk of the One-77 as a ‘work of art’ and they vow that customers will be able to tailor the car to their exact whim.

Fancy exquisitely tailored seats in the back? Certainly, sir. An extra large luggage rack in lieu of rear pews? Why, of course. Paint colours, trims, equipment – you name it, and Aston will personalise your One-77 for you.

Aston Martin One-77: finally a different Aston design!

Yes, it is about time that we saw a fresh design direction from Aston Martin. While we can hardly criticise some of the most beautiful cars ever built, the current Aston V8 Vantage, DB9 and DBS do share a tad too much dress sense for CAR’s liking.

The One-77 introduces a fresher, more muscular look – although the racy scoops, scallops and ducts won’t be to all tastes. It uses a carbon chassis to keep weight down, although this hypercar is hardly svelte at 1500kg.

Official sales won’t begin until 2009, but Aston Martin claims to have already taken around 100 ‘firm expressions of interest’ in the One-77. Which means – despite the financial woe gripping the world’s economy – the One-77 has sold out, as Gaydon plans to build just 77.

Source: carmagazine.co.uk

A global credit crunch and slumping car sales have not slowed Aston Martin. Today they announced the news that the world’s most expensive car in the world, their forthcoming new One-77, has its order book packed with customers. Limited to a run of just 77 examples and partially uncovered only last week in Paris, Aston have been able to secure in excess of 100 orders – the first deliveries for the 1.2 million pound 200 mph supercar expected to begin in autumn to those who’ve already put forward their cool £200,000 deposit.

Details are scarce, but the One-77 is expected to have a carbon fibre chassis, aluminium body panels and boast a 7.3-litre V12 block. The One-77 designation is however no reference to any of the car’s workings, chief designer Reichmann explaining: “The number 75 just seemed way too obvious and normal; the number 77 was just two lucky sevens.”

The announcement follows warnings over slowing European car sales in September, usually the hottest month for new registrations. Sales dropped most in Britain, down a fifth, while Western European sales saw a 9.3 percent decrease over September last year. With the release of the One-77, the £800,000 Veyron, presently the world’s priciest new car, slips to second place.

Source : worldcarfans

A fan bought a crashed Aston Martin DBS after having been plunged into a northern Italy lake during the filming of Quantum of Solace. There are fans and then there are obsessive fans.

According to 007 Daniel Craig himself, the crashed DBS was brought by a collector for a total of £200,000 – that converts into $350,364. That’s about $120,000 more than a new Aston DBS sells for.

The DBS was one of the 6 used during the filming of the James Bond sequel.

Source : egmcartech

Reminder : Picture from the day of the crash.

Aston Martin Released another teaser – this time a video, a “must see”.

Aston Martin Director of Design, Marek Reichman put it extremely well – a must see for Aston Lovers.

2008 Paris Auto Show: First Picture

Pricing:
A standard Project One-77 car is priced at £1,050,000 plus taxes and delivery.

CONFIRMED: Aston Martin’s codenamed Project One-77.

Power, Soul Beauty. The ultimate expression of everything Aston Martin stands for: Project One-77. Combing modern technology and design with exclusivity, Project One-77 creates the world’s most desirable automotive art form. As the name suggests, production is limited to a maximum of 77 individually numbered units and deliveries are anticipated to
commence in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Specification
Project One-77 is the ultimate Aston Martin and will incorporate all of the design,
craftsmanship and engineering know-how that the company has developed to date.
It is therefore an expression of what the team are capable of.
With dramatic styling and blistering performance it will be a landmark in the history of a
legendary marque
· Powertrain
o Front mid-mounted 7.3 litre V12 engine with dry sump lubrication system
o Naturally aspirated
o Power – over 700bhp
o Torque – over 750Nm
o Rear mid-mounted 6 speed ASM/SSM Automated Manual Transmission
· Body
o Dramatic 2 door/2 seat sports coupe.
o All new carbon fibre monocoque body structure
o Hand crafted aluminium exterior body panels
o Active aerodynamics with deployable rear spoiler
o c.1500kg vehicle weight
· Suspension and brakes
o Pushrod actuated adaptive ride height suspension
o Carbon Ceramic Matrix braking system
o Dynamic stability control and traction control

A snapshot of the stunning new One-77 was released by Aston Martin, showing the ultimate creative interpretation of the renowned British marque.

One-77 fuses advanced technology with stunning Aston Martin design to create possibly the world’s most desirable automotive art form. Based on a sophisticated carbon fibre chassis with a handcrafted aluminium body, this 7.0 litre V12 super car will deliver exhilarating performance for a strictly limited number of discerning customers.

Aston Martin let all of their fans know that the British manufacturer is in the works on a brand new supercar positioned to be a direct competitor to the Mercedes SLR and Bugatti Veyron. Dutch designer, Sabino Leerentveld unveiled its vision of how the new supercar will look like. His renderings made a good impression on the internet forums but the problems could be another one…Is Aston Martin going to build mid engine supercar or it will reconsider a front-engines V12 coupe in order to challenge cars like Lamborghini and Ferrari? More photos after the jump!