Is there a more beautiful grand touring car on the planet? Certainly the all-new DB11 will be high on auto enthusiasts’ lists, but for many sports car aficionados the more classic GT lines of Aston…

Aston Martin Vanquish S makes a brilliant GT even better

Is there a more beautiful grand touring car on the planet? Certainly the all-new DB11 will be high on auto enthusiasts' lists, but for many sports car aficionados the more classic GT lines of Aston Martin's Vanquish still rule supreme.

The Vanquish might hail from Aston's earlier design language, but it hardly looks dated. Its second-generation redesign arrived on the scene in 2012 for the 2013 model year after all, so it's still fairly fresh as far as super GTs go, and now the new Vanquish S builds on appearances while upping performance for one of the most enticing new models to hit the road so far this year.

"From the moment the original Vanquish was launched it became a modern icon. It propelled Aston Martin from an era of hand-built cars to one where craftsmanship and technology combined to create a new kind of great British GT," said Dr. Andy Palmer, Aston Martin President & CEO.

"In its second generation the Vanquish maintained that momentum with Read Full Story
Witness the birth of an entirely new Aston Martin platform and design language; the 2017 DB11 a completely fresh creation from the ground up. Even the 600-hp 5.2L V12 is new, and developed in-house. It…

2017 Aston Martin DB11 Launch Edition Road Test Review

Chances are if you're an Aston Martin fan you tend to lean more toward classic styles than the latest trends, and I'm not just talking about your rolling stock. Your clothing is probably more along the lines of Brioni, Burberry or Ralph Lauren than Poyz & Pirlz, your feet are more likely covered by Florsheim or Franco Sarto than Asos Monk or Giuseppe Zanotti, you wear a Patek or Lange on your wrist rather than a Franck Muller or Harry Winston, your glass is filled with a 25 year old Bowmore single malt or Beefeater 24 and tonic rather than a Liquid Currency, Long Strange Trip, Winnie Cooper or Zombie. I respect your choices. Really, I love Don Draper and Joan Holloway too, but let's face the reality that the times they are a changin'.

If Aston Martin has a weakness, its various designs and the engineering behind them rely too heavily on past achievements. Others, however, will see adhering to tradition as the British brand's greatest strength. All I can say to those in the Read Full Story
Some will try to compare Aston’s Rapide S to lesser German four-door coupes, but the 552-hp V12-powered DB9-based four-seater is truly one of a kind as no rival is anywhere near as exotic. Starting…

2016 Aston Martin Rapide S Road Test Review

Aston Martin wasn't the first to arrive with a modern-day four-door coupe, but through its Lagonda division it could certainly be considered inspiration for Mercedes' CLS and others that would follow.

The ultimately angular, incredibly luxurious Lagonda sedan was produced from 1976 to 1990, long before the term four-door coupe was coined, but it certainly met all criteria. It was long, wide, low, powerful, and opulent, much like the original DB4-based Lagonda Rapide sold from 1961 to 1964, but of course neither can compare with today's Rapide.

Its forerunners were handsome in their own unorthodox ways, the original elegantly penned except for its controversial Ford Edsel-like horseshoe-shaped grille, and the second car's unique "folded paper" design outrageously exotic for the era and still a jaw-dropper today (I especially like the slightly rounded 1987–1990 Series 4), if you're fortunate enough to see one in the metal (aluminum to be precise), but the thoroughly Read Full Story
Cars don’t come more beautifully designed than Aston Martin’s stunning V8 Vantage Roadster, nor more opulently equipped. It’s all handmade excellence, even down to its base 420-hp 4.7L V8. Today…

2016 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster Road Test Review

The first thing to understand about driving an Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster is it's not about you. Sure your hair looks fabulous, that pair of tortoiseshell Persols shading your eyes couldn't be more en vogue, your professionally pressed tailor made shirt is ideally fitting, the Piaget Altiplano elegantly poised on your wrist is the perfect accessory, but sorry to burst your bubble regarding all the stares from passersby, it's all about the car.

Cruising around in a Vantage drop-top on a sunny afternoon could go to anyone's head, making an accomplished albeit otherwise little known business mogul feel like celebrity, but the car is definitely the star. This modern-day classic attracts flocks of reverent followers where ever it goes. The rasping bark from its twin tailpipes might initially cause a disgruntled turn of the head, but that's immediately followed by a softening expression, easy smile and cheery acceptance. Unlike some upper echelon sports cars there's something Read Full Story
Sports cars don’t come more beautifully designed than the recently updated DB9 GT Volante, so how could we resist testing it in all its sleek, sexy aluminum and plush leather and suede? Obvious we couldn’t,…

2016 Aston Martin DB9 GT Volante Road Test Review

Let's start out on the right foot. First, I won't bore you with a description of the DB9 GT Volante's styling. Let's just agree it's stunning from every angle and leave it at that. Second, with respect to this Aston's other attributes, I'll try to keep the superlatives to a minimum if you go easy on me in the comments section when I get carried away and wax poetic.

New for 2016, "GT" lettering gets added to the DB9's derriere to signify some minor styling enhancements, a new instrument panel, and 30 additional horsepower resulting in a very agreeable 540. That, combined with 457 lb-ft torque makes the hardtop zip past 100km/h in 4.5 seconds and the 59-kilo (130-lb) heavier drop-top Volante do so a notch slower, albeit with roof lowered it feels faster, and that's what really matters right?

Not if you overhear a gathering of university aged kids comparing specs on the latest supercars. I'm not judging, because I did much the same with my friends when I was 20-something Read Full Story