Filed under: Tuners, Coupes, Videos, Aston Martin, Ford
Click above to view video after jump
For decades, the Ford Mustang has been a symbol of affordable performance. While the average GT will still run you less than $30,000, for many that is merely the starting point. Next is the booming Ford Mustang aftermarket business, where you can beef up every square inch of your ponycar. One item not commonly found in a Ford Racing catalog is an Aston Martin Vanquish V12 engine, but after hearing one in the engine bay of a beautiful blue stallion, we think that problem should be corrected.
Hit the jump to view video of a very well-modified Mustang that has the face of a GT500, the butt of a Saleen, and the heart of an Aston. If you thought the throaty V8 of a stock GT was music to your ears, the silky smooth symphony coming from the Vanquish V12 is better than Bach. The best part of the video comes about a minute in when the snugly-packed V12 reveals itself for the first time. Is it just us or is a real Mustang with an Aston motor a hundred times better than a ‘Stang with a Vanquish body?
[Source: Streetfire]
Continue reading VIDEO: Mustang gets Aston Martin Vanquish V12
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Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Lifestyle, Celebrities
Video posted after the jump
No, Kobe Bryant did not throw caution (and the Los Angeles Lakers playoff hopes) to the wind by leaping over a moving Aston Martin. If you don’t know what we’re referring to, don’t feel bad. We were in the dark until emails began flooding in this morning.
Nike has unveiled its new Hyperdunk basketball shoe, which is endorsed by Kobe and will go on sale this July. To help ramp up awareness, the company filmed a new viral video in which Kobe shows off the new kicks and, in a demonstration of their lightness, wows teammate and observer Ronny Turiaf by jumping over an Aston Martin convertible that’s driven directly at him.
Kudos to Nike: if our email inbox is any indication, you’ve created the buzz you’re looking for. And if any of you were still wondering if the video were real, Kobe told a local news reporter, “Hollywood, baby!” when asked how he did it. We agree with the speculation offered up by the Bleacher Report: Kobe really jumped (his leaping ability is not in question) as the car simply drove by beside him. Watch it for yourselves below the fold.
[Source: KB24.com]
Continue reading Nike Hyperdunk goes hyper-viral with Kobe Bryant/Aston Martin “stunt”
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Filed under: Sports/GTs, Plants/Manufacturing, Supercars, Aston Martin, Mercedes Benz
According to Autocar, rumors of Mercedes-Benz purchasing a major stake in Aston Martin don’t hold water. Aston’s current owners are reportedly not interested in selling all or part of their British sportscar marque to anybody at this time. The possibility still exists that Aston will go public within the next five-or-so years, meaning that just about anyone could own a piece of the tasty Aston Martin pie in the future.
Dreams of a beautifully styled Aston Martin powered by a glorious AMG engine are still possible, though, as Aston’s current owners have been in talks with multiple other automakers over parts-sharing opportunities. Major technical components could be bought or developed in collaboration with a company that’s got plenty of R&D acumen, and MB/AMG certainly qualifies as such. Although a possible synergy does exist between the two brands, nothing beyond collaboration and the sharing of technical know-how seems likely.
[Source: Autocar]
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Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Supercars, Aston Martin, Mercedes Benz, AMG
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Aston Martin N400 V8 Vantage.
What began as a rumor that Mercedes-Benz would begin supplying Aston Martin with engines has evolved into a full-blown partnership that may include both automakers co-developing platforms and technology. The newest report comes courtesy of Autocar, suggesting that M-B is considering purchasing a stake in Aston Martin and the Kuwaiti Investment Authority would in turn receive a seven-percent slice of the Daimler AG pie.
The partnership would make sense on several levels. Aston Martin, which is a small fish in a very large pool, will need to purchase major components from mainstream suppliers once its ties with Ford are officially severed. Imagine AMG-levels of power nestled inside Aston’s sensuous sheet metal. Yum. But the partnership wouldn’t be one sided. Recent reports coming out of Germany say that M-B is looking to employ a lightweight aluminum platform for the next generation SL. Aston Martin has the technology to help develop such an architecture, and with Mercedes stepping away from McLaren next year after production of the SLR ends, M-B needs a new supercar manufacturer to join the party.
Thanks for the tip, Mike!
[Source: Autocar]
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Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedans/Saloons, Aston Martin
Click above for high-res gallery of new Aston Martin Rapide spy shots
The latest four-door Aston Martin (remember the Lagonda?) has been spied lapping the famed Nurburgring in Germany, which is a far cry from the frozen lakes of Sweden where it had previously been caught testing. Spy photographers, however, have noticed something different with this Rapide prototype now that all the snow’s been brushed off: a glass roof. The transparent canopy extends from the windshield all the way to the back hatch, which is some impressive acreage considering the length of this car’s wheelbase. Wearing hardly any camouflage, it’s apparent that the Rapide is progressing nicely from concept to production with nary a tweak to dull its sexy shape. It will likely be the first all-new car debuted under the brand’s new ownership, though much of the development work was performed when it was still owned by Ford.
[Source: KGP Photography]
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Filed under: Car Buying, Gadgets, Tech, Aston Martin
Aston is working with its agency, Splendid, to create the DBS of car configurators, and by the looks of it, the site must have cost a lot more to build than a DBS does. Splendid started off by creating a 3D render of the car that actually looks photorealistic and not like a virtual representation that gets lost somewhere in the uncanny valley. When you change the color — to any of 2.5 billion combinations, according to the DBS designer — you aren’t simply tinting a model of a car, you’re looking at a car in that color.
Inside, the configurator is detailed enough to let you zoom in to see individual stitches on various interior surfaces. And each part of the car is highlighted, so you can choose your wheels with full-screen images and get complete specs on the wheels alone. And when you need a break from deciding on the red brakes or silver, you can watch videos and create your own video channel.
After you’ve configured the car you want, the fun continues at the dealership. Dealers will be provided with Samsung UMPC’s that allow further configuration — even matching the color of an item you bring in for the paint job on your DBS. It’s a setup worthy of Q himself, although they didn’t mention whether you could install a defibrillator in the glovebox. Click the link to check out a demo of the keynote video that explains it. (Note: you need Silverlight to view it.) Thanks for the tip, Ben!
[Source: Mix]
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