2009 Coventry University graduate James Trim sent in his idea for a new luxury sports car. The automotive designer drafted this, the Aston Martin Volare concept, and sent us the sketches. His idea is a two-seater vehicle that runs on a center-mounted "high-power fuel cell stack," also working with a rear-mounted battery pack. The energy powers the front wheels via a coaxial electric motor. Fuel is stored in two separate hydrogen tanks over the rear axle. Trim argues that this layout provides an optimum weight distribution for the Volare.

He also says that, despite the use of alternative fuels, the car would still maintain the brand's "fantastic sound and outright performance."

Clearly, the car maintains some influences from the Aston Martin DBS, including a plunging roofline but with a rounder rear. The bulging front wheel arches look more Corvette than Aston, and Trim says his solid front grille is derived from a classic V8 Vantage. We don't see the relation to older vehicles here, as the solid look is more futuristic than old-timey.





[Source: jamestrim.co.uk]

In an interview with Car and Driver, Bez said US homologation is currently underway. While he declined to say when the model will be available, he stated that the car's initial production run of 1,000 units could be expanded.

Boasting a 6.0-liter V12 engine, with 510 bhp (380 kW / 517 PS) and 570 Nm (420 lb-ft) of torque, the Vantage can run from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in just 4.2 seconds. If you keep your foot planted, the car will eventually top out somewhere in the neighborhood of 190 mph (305 km/h).

In other Aston Martin news, Bez said the company is targeting 2,000 Rapide sales a year. He also confirmed the Cygnet will be launched in early 2010, 50 One-77 supercars have been sold, and the hideous Lagonda SUV concept is being "further developed" for production.

As if your average, run-of-the-mill Aston Martin wasn't special enough, the folks that regularly rifle around in 007's garage have now put together a pair of limited editions of their DBS and V12 Vantage sports coupes. As you might guess by the Carbon Black name, the special versions have decidedly noir paint schemes. The metallic black finish is formulated to flip around depending on how the light hits it, giving a different look at different times. Applying the new finish will require 50 hours of handwork per car, and as you might expect, those labor rates don't come cheap. Oh, and on the Vantage, the strake in the fender vent is also fabricated out of carbon fiber for an extra special touch.

The midnight theme continues on the inside, where the cabon-fiber-and-Kevlar seats are covered in Obsidian black leather with silver stitching. Other model-specific items include anodized black tread plates, "carbon themed" door sill garnishes, and the dashboard and center console trims are finished in piano black. Given the number of border-line econoboxes using piano black these days, we think it might have been nice for Aston to have considered something different for that last element. If this bothers you, no doubt Aston would do something more unique for a "nominal" fee. It's not all pure appearance however – the new chairs save 37 pounds.

Aston Martin dealers are taking orders now, but the final price won't be set until early 2010. Aston also hasn't said how limited these editions will be, so you might want to hurry and get your deposit in.





[Source: Aston Martin]

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: Aston Martin via CAR magazine]

We know that most of you would rather forget about Aston Martin's conceptual nightmare endeavor to revive the Lagonda nameplate with the aptly named Concept at the 2009 Geneva Show Concept, but new images of the luxury crossover have popped up on the automaker's site. Q67JA9WA82WC

The four-seater Lagonda Concept is based on the mechanicals of the Mercedes GL-Class with power coming from a V12 engine - apparently the same one found in the DB9. Aston Martin has not made any new announcements concerning the future of the Concept crossover.











[Source: Aston Martin , Via: Egmcartech]