Aston Martin Vanquish Centenary Edition Shines in Geneva

The 2013 Geneva International Motor Show was the venue chosen by Aston Martin to show off a limited edition model of their new Vanquish. Called the Centenary Edition, it has been made to celebrate the British sports car builder's 100th birthday. And just in case you were wondering, the number of examples to ever be built is limited to just 100 units.

So, what sets it apart from the regular Vanquish? Well, its main standout feature is the two-tone graduated paint scheme – the top part of the silver car's bonnet is black (or very dark grey) and it looks like a visual continuation of the black roof. However, the darker part does not simply stop somewhere, as it blends seamlessly with the car's base color the further down the bonnet you go.

The car's badging is also special, and each piece is made out of solid silver.

Step inside its plush interior features swathes of black leather stitched with contrasting silver thread – similar to what you'd find on the One-77 supercar. Finishing off unique interior features are the embroidered headrests and special metallic scuff plates not found on any other model.

The lucky hundred who will be able to afford this car will also be treated to a gift box which includes useful Aston Martin-branded accessories – we found the inclusion of a "silver polishing cloth" which will "help owners ensure the silver centenary wings badges and sill plaques on their car keep their lustre.”

Articles Source : Carscoop

Category › Aston Martin , Aston Martin Vanquish , Geneva Motor Show , News

IED's Alfa Romeo Gloria is a Concept for a Sporty Looking Sedan

As far as static concept cars go, there is only one thing they have to do, and do well: look good and attract attention, in order to consolidate a particular brand's image.

One such example is the Instituto Europeo Di Design or IED-designed Alfa Romeo Gloria Concept, which was revealed today at the Geneva Motor Show. It shows a possible future styling direction for a sleek sedan with coupe-inspired lines.

It was designed by a group of 20 students for their thesis project in order to receive their Master of Arts in Transportation Design degree.

Now, while not directly designed by Alfa Romeo, the Italian automaker did participate in its creation, possibly with their own agenda of previewing a proposed four-door model. The official press blurb states that the concept was designed to accommodate turbocharged V6 and V8 engines, undoubtedly referring to those found under the bonnet of the new Maserati Quattroporte. If so, then all-wheel drive is most likely also in the books.

If this is a preview for a future model, the 4.7-meter long concept is a glimpse at what a possible rear-wheel drive mid-size Alfa could look like.

In addition, the car has apparently been design to be an appealing prospect mainly for the Asian and North American markets, where Alfa plans to build on its image as being a premium manufacturer of sporty cars, with the irresistible allure of Italian style.

Articles Source : Carscoop

Category › Aston Martin , Concept , Geneva Motor Show , News

New Rapide S Takes Center Stage at Aston Martin's Geneva Motor Show Stand

Don’t let the “S” designation fool you: the Rapide S, which made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, is not a sportier version of Aston Martin’s sole four-door model but its revamped replacement.

The jury is still out on that pedestrian-friendly, huge one-piece grille (the rest of the bodywork is mostly the same) but under the skin Aston’s engineers have done a lot of work.

The 5.9-liter V12 now sports 550HP (565PS) and 620 Nm (457 lb-ft) of torque compared to the outgoing model’s 470HP and 600 Nm respectively. The 17 percent more powerful AM11 unit has gained dual camshaft timing, hollow cam shafts, knock sensing and fully CNC machined combustion chambers and has been placed 19 mm lower in the chassis.

Thus, the Rapide S is 0.3 seconds faster to the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint, which is dispatched in 4.9 seconds, and its top speed exceeds 305 km/h (190 mph). At the same time, despite being more powerful, it cuts CO2 emissions from 355 to 332 g/km.

The VH platform may be 10 years old now, having debuted in the 2003 DB9, but constant updates by Aston Martin mean that it's now in its fourth generation. The new Gen4 VH architecture forms the basis of the revamped saloon, which is also fitted with a new dynamic stability control system and the ADS adaptive damping with three modes (Normal, Sport and Track) calibrated especially for the Rapide S.

Articles Source : Carscoop

Category › Aston Martin , Geneva Motor Show , News

2013 Geneva Motor Show

If we are nearing the end of February, then it must be time for the Geneva Auto Show that takes place each year in March. This is the 83rd time that automakers will gather in the Swiss city to display their latest models; the Palexpo center will open its gates on March 5 for the press and two days later for the public and will last until March 17.

In spite of all the fuss about “green” transportation, the 2013 Geneva Auto Show’s most anticipated new models are sports cars.

First and foremost, there’s the Alfa Romeo 4C – a two-seater, rear-wheel drive coupe with a carbon fiber chassis that heralds the Italian manufacturer’s new era and its long-anticipated return to the U.S. market.

Then there’s the Formula 1 duel that has been taken to the streets: Ferrari will unveil the Enzo successor, code-named F150, and rival McLaren, the production version of the P1. Interestingly, both hypercars will be powered by hybrid powertrains and despite putting out in excess of 900-horses, they promise ultra-low CO2 emissions.

Other sports car that will make their premiere in Geneva are the open-top versions of the brand-new Corvette Stingray and the Toyota GT 86 (Scion FR-S in the U.S.), the Aston Martin Rapide S and Vantage SP10 and, of course, a special Lamborghini to celebrate the Sant’ Agata-based company’s 50th anniversary.

Naturally, the show won’t be only about sports cars: BMW will launch the 3-Series GT, China's Qoros its 3 Sedan, Volvo its updated range and the VW Group the electrified Audi A3 and VW Golf models.

That’s far from a full description of the cars that will debut at the 2013 Geneva Auto Show, but you can scroll down and view the provisional list in detail.

As always, it will be updated constantly so watch this space.

Acura	Alfa Romeo	Aston Martin	Audi
BMW	Bentley	Bugatti	Cadillac
Chevrolet	Chrysler	Citroen	Dodge
Ferrari	Fiat	Ford	Honda
Hummer	Hyundai	Infiniti	Jaguar
Jeep	Lamborghini	Lancia	Land Rover
Lexus	Lincoln	Maserati	Maybach
Mazda	Mercedes	Mitsubishi	Nissan
Opel	Pagani	Peugeot	Pontiac
Porsche	Renault	Rolls-Royce	Saab
Seat	Skoda	Subaru	Suzuki
Toyota	Volkswagen	Volvo	Concept

Articles Source : Carscoop

Category › Acura , Alfa Romeo , Aston Martin , Audi , Bentley , BMW , Bugatti , Cadillac , Chevrolet , Chrysler , Citroen , Dacia , Dodge , Geneva Motor Show , Infiniti , Lamborghini , Maserati , Maybach , Mazda , Mercedes-Benz

Bertone Revisits Aston Martin Vanquish Jet 2 for the Geneva Moto Show

Next up on Bertone's Geneva Motor Show menu after the announcement on the one-off shooting brake-style Rapid Jet 2+2 is an updated version of the Italian design house's 2004 Vanquish Jet 2 concept car.

Bertone says it used the running gear and 210mm (8.2 inches) longer platform of the original 2004 study, dressing it up in a newer body with styling elements from the latest Vanquish coupe, while also adding a second pair of seats at the back.

In a press statement, the coachbuilder said the new Aston Martin Vanquish Jet 2 was created for the company's president, Lilli Bertone.

"The exposed model in Geneva was especially set up for the president of the Company, Mrs Lilli Bertone, with trimmings personalized by Foglizzo Leather (a prestigious Italian Brand founded in 1921) and special paint," said Bertone.

More details on both cars are to be released at the Swiss show next week.

Articles Source : Carscoop

Category › Aston Martin , Aston Martin Concept , Aston Martin Vanquish , Geneva Moto Show , News

Wheels-And-More for New Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe

Would you be happy with the new Aston Martin Vanquish just like it comes out of the factory? We thought so; but if the answer to that question happens to be negative, then one of the many options that will soon become available on the market is a tune up from German brand "Wheelsandmore".

The tuner avoided making many changes to the exterior, limiting its touch to a pin stripe that runs across the body and wheels, lots of them to be precise.

True to its name, Wheelsandmore offers a wide selection of rims, in terms of styling, colors, sizes and even materials, with available options including 20" and 21" regular wheels, three-piece forged rims and customized carbon fiber wheels.

A software upgrade and a sports exhaust system will add an extra 40PS and 90Nm of torque to AM's stock 5.9-liter V12 engine, lifting total output to 613PS (605hp) and peak torque to 710Nm (524 lb-ft).

The company's current offerings are rounded out by a sports suspension kit.

Articles Source : Carscoop

Category › Aston Martin , News , Vanquish