Aston Martin DB4 Reviews

The V12 Vantage S is the combination of everything Aston Martin knows about making a car fun to drive behind the wheel.

Aston Martin is reportedly looking at building an even hotter version of its current-fastest V12 Vantage S, with much of the performance boost coming through weight reduction.Speaking with Autocar, Aston Martin engineering boss Ian Minards suggests that significant weight loss is possible from the existing 1665kg V12 Vantage S. "It would be relatively easy to lose 100kg from the current car," he says. “That much could be saved by removing the air conditioning, simplifying the interior and fitting lightweight seats."Following a similar approach to Porsche with its 911 GT3, such a car would build on Aston’s significant experience with racing the Vantage in production-based categories. Beyond weight loss, Aston CEO Ulrich Bez suggests there’s more to be squeezed out of the 6.0-litre V12 than the current 421kW/620Nm outputs. "We could get more power than we have now even if we made the engine smaller to help with economy and emissions."Such an improvement to the V12 Vantage S’ power/weight ratio could exceed the current 911 GT3 and approach that of the Ferrari 458, and could see the Vantage S’ 0-100km/h figure of 3.9 seconds drop significantly.The project is still yet to be given the go-ahead from Aston however, which would make any production debut before 2015 unlikely.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn 

You can't see around corners, but you could be able to see through the traffic in front of you in the future. We've all experienced being stuck behind a truck on the highway, not able to see around them to check if it's safe to overtake -- wishing vehicles could be made as invisible as James Bond's Aston Martin Vanquish in Die Another Day.Researchers at a Portuguese university have the answer -- a system that projects an image of the road ahead of that truck onto your own windscreen. Called the STS (for See-Through System), it uses a set of cameras and vehicle-to-vehicle communication to display the image as a 'virtual windscreen'.The team from the University of Porto says STS uses low-latency video streaming and dedicated short-range communication to transmit the imagery swiftly, allowing the driver to see 'through' the vehicle blocking their line of vision.It depends on the vehicle in front of you having the system's cameras installed, which then wirelessly sends the footage in near real-time to a transparent monitor fitted on your own windscreen.However, an increasing push is being made into vehicle-to-vehicle communication and the extra safety it offers -- with carmakers testing systems that warn following traffic of accidents and other problems. So invisible cars may not remain the stuff of 007 daydreams.Watch the See-Through System video here.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Christmas is just a couple of pages away on the shopping calendar. And for those of you already struggling with the task of finding that special gift -- and likewise struggling with the weight of your wallet -- the Neiman Marcus fantasy gift list is here to help. The Dallas department store's annual catalogue always kicks off its fantasy selection with a car, and this year it's one fit for a future king: a special edition Neiman Marcus 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante convertible. A descendant of the car that Prince William and Kate drove off in from their wedding (a vintage 1969 Aston Martin owned by Prince Charles), only 10 will be built, which of course makes it a collectible steal for US$344,500 ($364,360) -- although you'd likely be stung for at least another $100,000 to bring it here. Perhaps a smaller vehicle would fit better under the tree, and if you're happy with just two wheels there's Indian Larry's Wild Child chopper. For US$750,000 you can easy rider away on the Harley-Davidson based bike that the renowned fabricator handbuilt in New York to win the 2003 Discovery Channel "Biker Build-Off" series. That might seem a lot for a set of secondhand wheels, so perhaps you could go for the single brand-new one of the US$11,000 of the Ciclotte exercise bicycle. Looking more like an abstract sculpture than a piece of gym equipment, the Ciclotte promises its "dynamic design is rivaled only by its effortless performance". And if it can truly make getting fit effortless, the asking price will seem a bargain compared to pre-dawn boot camp torture. But there are also a few non-wheeled gifts, of which the most extravagant is an outdoor entertainment centre with a giant 201-inch screen that rises from an underground storage bunker, yours for US$1.5-$2.6 million (depending on where you want to install it). Perhaps something tiny as a stocking stuffer? How about a 25-carat diamond, which will set you back US$1.85m but at about the size of a large sugar cube will save you some money on wrapping paper. And the price includes a trip to the London HQ of the De Beers diamond house to oversee the cutting and polishing of the stone, plus a side-trip to the African country of Namibia where it was mined. And for true silliness, there's a US$150,000 falconry set ... with everything but the falcons. You get a set of matching luggage to carry your birds and personal knick-knacks, folding furniture, a 20-karat gold-plated perch, leather hoods and other falcon wardrobe items, plus all the bits and bobs needed for a spot of backgammon, whisky-imbibing and cigar-puffing while your pets are off hunting small animals. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott Watch the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalogue video here

Innovation, many hybrids and all-electrics, some high-powered models and a couple of striking retro-inspired coupes are the highlights of this year's Frankfurt motor show. Throw in some staged antics and the world's biggest car show becomes even better.Volvo set the pace with an unveiling of its Concept Coupe, a technologically advanced number of exceptional grace reminiscent of its iconic P1800 of the 1960s. It embodies what Volvo calls its 'human centric experience' and apart from a host of safety electronics, has the new 2.0-litre four-cylinder motor that will soon replace the brand's five and six-cylinder engines.The engine has turbo and supercharging plus a plug-in electric motor, resulting in V8-like performance, but with minicar fuel consumption. However, the classy coupe is not scheduled for production in the near future. Instead, it marks the capability of Volvo's new architecture and elements of its design will feature on all future models, starting with the new XC90 in about a year.Frankfurt was also used to display a growing trend towards compact premium SUVs. Mercedes-Benz showed its cute new GLA-class SUV with new generation 4matic all-wheel drive, and Infiniti unveiled its Q30 concept, which it said was in a unique class, being a blend of coupe, hatch and crossover. A surprise was the appearance of F1 racing camp Sebastien Vettel, who said he helped sort the Q30's handling.Minutes later, Lexus trumped that by having a couple of giant animated creatures, seemingly from outer space, whip the covers of its new LF-NX, another smallish Crossover concept. It, too, had a hybrid powertrain and despite an enthusiastic description of how it's brushed metal finish made it look as if carved from a single billet of solid metal, it was just plain ugly.Then there were the glam cars: Ferrari, Maserati, Jaguar, BMW, Aston-Martin and lots of specially-bodied creations from Brabus and similar outfits, scores of Fiats and Smarts, Hyundais and Kias and about 50 more brands. Spread through about a dozen vast halls, they added up to sore feet and bewildered looks as people did their best to absorb the techno and visual overdose of tomorrow's dream machines. 

We’ve seen some clever 3D printed things, but so far they’ve all been small items – and some of them smaller than small, such as the microscopic 3D printed race car. But a New Zealand 3D fan is thinking big. Car-sized big, and a 1961 Series II Aston Martin DB4 to boot. Auckland-based computer programmer Ivan Sentch is spinning up a replica DB4 piece-by-piece on a 3D printer that costs around $500. His blog, Replica DB4 Project chronicles the process – and the problems and pitfalls he’s faced – since starting the build late in 2012. Sentch says he’s completed about 72 per cent of the body printing, which will then be used to create a fibreglass mold, and build the final body onto a custom-built spaceframe with power coming from Nissan Skyline GTS innards currently being used in his Ferrari 250 GTO replica. The Ferrari, by the way, will get a BMW V12 engine as consolation. Sentch says his decision to do the Aston Martin was prompted by family needs. “It was partly because I need four seats, and the 250 GTO kit car I've got hardly gets used as it's only a two-seater and I can't take the kids in it,” he says. “But also because an old Aston Martin is very very cool and a DB4 over a DB5 or a DB4 Zagato because I just like the look of the DB4 more -- I'm going for the no bumper GT lightweight look, though. He says the wheel track of the Skyline made it the ideal donor car for the Aston Martin DB4 project. “It had the right wheel track to fit in the body -- wheelbase doesn't matter as you can get a custom propeller shaft -- it's a six-cylinder like the DB4, and the Skylines are very cheap. The printing has so far gone smoothly for him, but the project hasn’t been without hurdles – the biggest being the glass. “Sourcing the glass has been difficult,” he says. “There's plenty of ways to make the body, and making a spaceframe chassis doesn't represent too much of a challenge, but it falls over if you can't get the glass. “I finally found a place online that can supply it relatively cheaply and I've yet to contact Pilkingtons classic car division in the UK who have the moulds for the DB4, and who probably supply the other places selling the glass.” Sentch says the Aston Martin won’t be his only project. “I have many I want to do… if I do another one of these (from scratch) type builds I would think about a 300SLR, Ferrari 250 GTO SWB or one of the DB4 Zagato Sanction 3 recreations. The Sanction 1 and 2 Zagatos were what Aston Martin re-made a few years ago with some spare DB4 chassis they had lying around, then someone made a Sanction 3. It’s not officially an Aston Martin but it looks really good.” Are we seeing the start of being able to DIY our own cars at home? An Aston Martin DB4 is an ambitious project, but Sentch is showing it’s achievable. Which leaves Carsguide.com.au wondering how hard it would be to do a 1955 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing. Somebody call the stationery suppliers: we urgently need to upgrade the office printer...  

Aston Martin’s CC100 Speedster is a concept built to celebrate the British automaker’s centenary this year and whose design draws inspiration from past greats like the DBR1 race car of the 1950s but also points the way towards the future by previewing the styling of Aston’s next generation of cars.It was widely expected that Aston Martin would build two examples of the concept, one to keep in its collection and the other to be sold to one very loyal customer.According to Autocar, two CC100 Speedsters have been built, though both have been sold, at a price of roughly 500,000 British pounds (approximately $830,000) each.The first version to be sold is said to have been the original concept that took part in several of Aston Martin’s centenary celebrations, the most recent of which took place last weekend in London. The second is said to have been commissioned by another customer, who will be receiving it later in the year.  Interestingly, the owner of the original concept is said to be keeping his or her car in a collection while the owner of the second car plans to get regulatory approval so it can be driven on public roads. Sadly, Aston Martin does not plan to build any more examples so that the car’s exclusivity is preserved. The CC100 was designed and constructed in fewer than six months at Aston Martin’s global headquarters in Gaydon, England. It is based around the chassis of a V12 Vantage but comes with a unique carbon fibre body and sequential manual transmission with paddle shifters. According to Aston Martin, the setup is good for 0-100 km/h acceleration in just over 4.0 seconds and a governed top speed of 290 km/h.The real significance of the car is that its styling previews that of next generation of Aston cars. Key among the concept’s design features is a new take on the Aston grille and fender vent, and a completely new design theme for the rear.www.motorauthority.com 

Aston Martin, celebrating its centenary this year, has confirmed it has signed a Letter of Intent to form a wide-ranging technical partnership with Mercedes-Benz tuner AMG. A formal alliance deal is yet to be made though both parties are confident a definitive agreement can be reached before the end of the year.The proposed deal will provide Aston Martin with access to AMG’s vast array of performance technology, namely its bespoke engines, but also to certain electrical systems. The firms confirm that their respective engineering teams will also work together to optimize the implementation of this technical partnership.For the privilege, AMG’s parent company Daimler will receive a stake of up to five percent non-voting shares in Aston Martin, joining existing shareholders in the British sports car manufacturer such as Investment DAR, Adeem Investment and Investindustrial.Rumors of such an alliance date back several years but heightened recently when it became known that Italian firm Investindustrial, which has ties with AMG from a marketing deal with its former subsidiary Ducati, was investing in Aston Martin.Interestingly, the two firms have only mentioned V8 powertrains, even though AMG also manufactures some of the best V12s on the planet and already supplies them to rival firms, one of which is Pagani. It may mean that Aston Martin’s V12 engines could continue to be sourced from Ford.In a statement, Aston Martin production development boss Ian Minards said, “Aston Martin sources cutting-edge technology from key suppliers around the globe and the opportunity to include content from AMG in our next-generation sports cars is, clearly, good news.”Those next-generation sports cars Minards is referring to will be a new range of Aston Martins, whose styling has already been previewed by the CC100 Speedster concept unveiled earlier in the year. The first of the new models is expected to be a replacement for the V8 Vantage.AMG CEO Ola Källenius said of the alliance, “This is proof of AMG’s technological and performance expertise and a real win-win situation for both sides.” Further details will be announced in the near future.www.motorauthority.com 

And they're stunning. Rather like the progeny of Brad and Angelina, you couldn't expect offspring from Zagato and Aston to be anything less. For the famed Italian design house Zagato, intimately linked with Aston Martin for over half a century, it’s only natural to mark the centenary this year of the historic British automaker, and what better way than to roll out a new Aston Martin Zagato creation.We can confirm that Zagato will build two examples of a new Aston Martin centenary special, one based on the 2013 DB9 Volante convertible and destined for a customer in the U.S. and the other on a 2013 DBS coupe.The DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial was conceived for American car collector Peter Read, a longtime enthusiast and collector of Aston Martins. The DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial, meanwhile, was developed for a young entrepreneur based in Japan.Their designs draw inspiration from 2002’s DB7 Zagato, which proved so popular that all 99 examples allotted for sale were snapped up before the car had even made its debut at the Paris Auto Show of that same year. The same team responsible for the DB7 Zagato, led by Andrea and Marella Zagato together with Read, also worked on the latest centenary special.Looking at the renderings, it’s hard to recognise the modern Astons underpinning the cars but there’s no missing the signature of elements of both Zagato and Aston Martin. The double-bubble roof, clean surfaces and squared-off tail all scream Zagato while the grille, fender vents and fastback body tell you you’re looking at an Aston Martin well before the winged badge comes into view.You’ll also notice that there are clear influences from the V8 Zagato of the 1980s, particularly at the front of the cars. The design team’s vision is best expressed by Read, who said, “the DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial perfectly merges Aston Martin and Zagato’s DNA by combining the elegance of design, typical of Zagato, with the soul, power and prestige of Aston Martin, all developed over the last 100 years."No changes were made to the mechanical package of either car, so they both come with Aston Martin’s venerable 6.0 litre V12, good for 380kW. Zagato has been called upon by Aston Martin to develop special bodies for its cars for more than half a century, with the partnership starting with the legendary DB4GT Zagato first shown in 1960. The cars, though expensive, have always been stunning and as history has shown they’ve all become highly sought-after collectibles.www.motorauthority.com 

Aston Martin has a rich and prestigious heritage and that the company is now 100 years old is one of the more remarkable feats of automotive longevity. Despite near death financial experiences on numerous occasions and more owners and investors than you and I have had hot dinners, Aston Martin is still there. Other UK marques, such as Austin, Morris, Riley, Hillman, Singer, Humber, Sunbeam, Alvis, Jensen, Armstrong Siddley, Standard and Triumph have all disappeared, but Aston Martin lives on. Founded in 1913 by Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin as ‘Bamford & Martin Ltd’, the company has developed into a global brand synonymous with speed, luxury and elegance. The name ‘Aston Martin’ came about when Lionel Martin successfully raced at the Aston Hill Climb in Buckinghamshire, England. Financial problems plagued the company over the next decade (nothing new there) with the business forced to close in 1925. It was rescued by a group of investors in 1926. The business was soon producing a range of sports cars and had an increasing reputation for engineering and design. Now remember, we are talking about a small niche player here, not some huge manufacturing conglomerate. A mere 140 cars were sold in 1937, the highest in the pre World War 2 era. In 1947 a new owner took over, Sir David Brown, and it was during his watch that the most iconic Aston of all time was produced. I speak, of course, of the car frequently acclaimed as the most beautiful car in the world, the Aston Martin DB5-the one James Bond drove in Goldfinger. Released in 1963, which means it's celebrating its 50 anniversary, the DB5 has come to personify everything that Aston Martin is today. Mind you, I think the most striking Aston Martin of all is the 1976 four door Lagonda. Designed by William Towns, it is an aggressively styled automobile. Long of hood and short of tail, with a cutting edge computerized digital instrument panel, the Lagonda created a huge wave of publicity for the company. Nothing worked properly, of course. All those complex electronics just refused to operate as intended. Some folk unkindly suggested that an essential part of the car's tool kit was a multi-meter, O scope and jumper leads. With an initial production rate of just one a week only 645 cars were built before the end of production in 1989. There are one or two still roaming this sunburnt country and about 80 in the UK. David Burrell is the editor of Retroautos.com.au