Aston Martin Vanquish News

Aston Martin is making up for lost time with the return of its iconic Vanquish label, the firm's most powerful combustion engine to date. After a six year hiatus, the front-engined Vanquish will return with a huge 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 that is capable of pumping out a staggering 614kW/1000Nm.

Aston Martin's new trio of mid-engine models are close to being handed over to customers, but it was the digital world of Gran Turismo that helped bring the Valkyrie, Valhalla and Vanquish to reality.Speaking to CarsGuide, Aston Martin chief creative offi

Think of any Aston Martin from the past decade and Marek Reichman designed it, but did you know he's also done a boat, a submarine and an apartment block for the brand?

Delivering 433kW/630Nm from a 5.9-litre V12, the Aston Martin Vanquish S Volante will put lots of wind in your hair.

Buoyed by the enthusiastic response from the unveiling of the Zagato-bodied concept of their new Vanquish flagship, Aston Martin has announced that they will be putting their Vanquish Zagato concept i

There are exciting new releases planned across the board; from budget hatches to practical SUVs, to exotic supercars. We’ve broken them down into segments and likely price categories to help you. We've based our price estimations on the current market, but some estimations could change in the future, and some model ranges span across price categories, so be sure to check our other stories...New cars for 2014 | less than $20,000New cars for 2014 | $20,000-$40,000New cars for 2014 | $40,000-$59,000New cars for 2014 | $59,000-$100,000LUXURY CARSAudi A8: Audi will refresh its A8 flagship sedan lineup by mid-2014, with subtle styling tweaks and interior details, along with shuffled drivetrain options. (Approximately $188,000-$249,000)Audi RS7 Sportback: Essentially a five-door hatch version of the existing RS6 Avant, the RS7 will arrive in February with sleeker Sportback styling than the wagon, and the same 412kW/700Nm 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. 0-100km/h is the same 3.9 seconds too. (Approximately $240,000)Bentley Continental GT S: While Bentley prepares its first SUV model, there’s not much else in store for 2014 from the legendary Brit aside from powered-up new S models added to the V8 Continental GT lineup. (Approximately $380,000)Jaguar XJR: Jaguar will add the new XJR to its XJ big sedan lineup in the first quarter, with the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 performance flagship to sit above the existing Supersport range-topper. (Approximately $350,000)Lexus RC: Lexus’ new RC coupe should arrive before the end of 2014 to take on the BMW 4 Series and Audi A5, with a choice of petrol V6 and hybrid drivetrains likely to expand to include a high-performance 5.0-litre V8 RC-F soon after. (Approximately $70,000-$130,000)Maserati Quattroporte and Ghibli: 2014 is set to be a big year for Maserati, with the new Quattroporte (Approximately from $250,000) arriving in V6 form in January, and V8 form in February, with the return of the smaller Ghibli sedan ( Approximately from $150,000) in March.Mercedes-Benz S-Class: Mercedes will cap its local S-Class sedan lineup in January, with the arrival of the $385,000 S63 AMG high performance model. The 430kW/900Nm twin-turbo V8 S63 will sit above the existing S350 and S500 models, and be joined by the diesel-electric S350 BlueTec hybrid and twin-turbo V6 S400 variants by June. (Approximately $250,000-$385,000)Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe: Mercedes’ upcoming S-Class Coupe is expected down under before the year’s end, with the yet to be officially revealed new model replacing the existing CL coupe models. A drop-top version is also planned, and a V8 and V12 petrol-only lineup is expected with an entry price north of $300,000 likely.Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid: The plug-in Panamera E-Hybrid is also due early in the year, with a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 and 70kW electric motor to enable 3.1L/100km fuel use with 0-100km/h acceleration in 5.5 seconds. (Approximately $296,900)SUV/4WDLand Rover Range Rover: Before mid-year, Land Rover will add a range-topping lineup (Approximately $250,000) with new hybrid versions of it and the Sport expected before the end of the year. (Approximately $102,000-$182,000)Porsche Macan: Porsche will add the new sub-Cayenne Macan SUV to its Australian lineup from June, with the cheapest diesel model forming a new entry point to Porsche ownership at $84,900. Twin-turbo 3.0 and 3.6-litre V6s will sit further up the price scale, with the 294kW top-spec capable of 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds. (Approximately $84,900-$122,900)SPORTS/PERFORMANCEAston Martin V12 Vantage S: Aston will add its fastest model this side of the ultra-exclusive One-77 in the first quarter of this year, in the form of the track-ready V12 Vantage S coupe. (Approximately $450,000)BMW M3 and M4: BMW’s new M3 and M4 mid-size performance heroes are set to arrive after mid-year, with the move to twin-turbo six power resulting in the fastest M3 to date, and matched by the renamed M4 coupe. (Approximately $124,000-$180,000)BMW i8: The i8 plug-in hybrid sports car is expected to arrive before the year’s end, blending grand tourer luxury with 4.4 second 0-100km/h acceleration and 2.5L/100km fuel economy. (Approximately $200,000)Ferrari 458 Speciale: The first of 60 Australian examples of Ferrari’s hardcore 458 Speciale are set to arrive before mid-year, with the lighter, more powerful track-focused special able to lap Fiorano 1.5 seconds faster than the old Enzo flagship. (Approximately $550,000)Jaguar F-Type Coupe: Jaguar will add the recently unveiled Coupe version of its stunning F-Type in the third quarter, with the 20kg lighter V6, V6 S and V8 S variants also expected to slightly undercut their soft-top counterparts on price. The Coupe-only F-Type R will sit at the top of the hardtop range, with the 404kW/680Nm spec V8 promising 0-100km/h acceleration in the order of 4.2 seconds. (Approximately $125,000-$200,000)Lamborghini Huracan: With the Gallardo now officially out of production, Lamborghini is keen to follow with its Huracan replacement to sit beneath the V12 Aventador models before June. The V10 Huracan is set to challenge Ferrari’s 458 with an uprated version of the Gallardo’s 5.2-litre V10 and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. From $428,000Nissan GT-R: Nissan will bring its latest incarnation of the GT-R performance coupe down under from March, with cosmetic upgrades the key changes for 2014. New LED headlights and taillights are changed for the first time since 2007, and mesh wheels keep Nissan’s giant-killer a fresh opponent for Porsche’s new 911 Turbo models. (Approximately from $170,000)Porsche 911 Turbo and GT3: Porsche will launch several key hi-po versions of the 991 911 to its Australian lineup in the first half of 2014, with the $359,800 Turbo and $441,300 Turbo S arriving first in coupe and convertible ($29,000 premium) guises, with the $294,000 track-oriented and now PDK-only GT3 soon after.Porsche 911 Targa: The new semi-convertible unveiled in Detroit will touch down in Australia before mis-year, with a new folding roof mechanism and all-wheel drive 4 and 4S versions. Both manual and PDK auto will be available, and prices will sit $2,300-$3,300 over existing Cabriolet models. (Approximately $247,900-$291,050)CONVERTIBLESAston Martin Vanquish Volante: For those who prefer their V12 Astons roofless and with a back seat, Aston will bring the Vanquish Volante to Australia in the first quarter of 2014. (Approximately $510,000)Bentley Continental GTC S: Like the hardtop GT, the soft top Continental GTC is set to score a powered up S model in 2014. (Approximately $420,000)BMW 4 Series convertible: The folding hardtop version of BMW’s 4-Series coupe is expected by March, and echo its hardtop sibling with 420d, 428i, and 435i drivetrains. (Approximately $85,000-$120,000)   

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

Meet the world’s sexiest convertible; the all-new 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante. Yes, Aston Martin has finally taken the covers off the convertible version of last year’s Vanquish coupe, and we must say the car’s seductive lines look even better with the roof removed.Beautiful surfacing and incredible attention to detail really set the Vanquish Volante apart from the competition, and that’s before taking a look at the car’s technology.Thanks to the latest generation of Aston Martin’s bonded aluminum VH platform (generation four for those counting), the Vanquish Volante is expected to retain its coupe sibling's full breadth of dynamic character and sporting capability. The car also benefits from a full carbon fibre body, which helps to keep weight down while increasing rigidity. Torsional stiffness is up 13 per cent on the DBS Volante, which the new model replaces.Power comes from the automaker’s latest 6.0 liter V12, which rates at 422kW/620Nm of torque and has a beautiful exhaust note as evidenced in the video above. It promises 0-100km/h acceleration in 4.1 seconds and a top speed of about 290 km/h.Drives goes to the rear wheels only, via Aston Martin’s a Touchtronic 2 six-speed automatic gearbox. The dynamics have been tuned precisely, with new springs and damper settings calibrated to deliver the same crisp handling yet compliant ride as the coupe.Also unique to the Vanquish Volante is its roof structure, naturally. The car's triple-skin lightweight fabric roof can be operated at speeds of up to 50km/h and takes just 14 seconds to fold. The windscreen, meanwhile, is now full height--a first for Aston Martin--which means that the glass runs up to meet the fabric roof, thereby reducing visual 'clutter'.Aston Martin is once again offering the choice of 2 or 2+2 seating, though we should warn, if you opt for the latter you’ll find it near impossible squeezing anyone older than 12 in the back.The rest of the cabin gets full grain Luxmil leather with optional quilting, Alcantara and satin accents, and a modern centre stack inspired by the version in the One-77 supercar. The facia trim now stretches down the whole centre stack and is manufactured from a single piece of material giving a uniform finish.Other tech features the Vanquish Volante benefits from include an adaptive suspension damping system with three different settings (Normal, Sport and Track), speed-sensitive power steering, and carbon ceramic brakes from Brembo.Sadly, the first Aston Martin Vanquish Volantes won’t be delivered until early next year, priced from US$297,995. Australian availability is yet to be confirmed.Announcing the arrival of the Vanquish Volante, Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez said: "This car is what luxury super GT driving is all about--great performance, fantastic style and exhilarating Volante motoring in one superb package.”www.motorauthority.com

...At the Nurburging before it follows the coupe onto the world's roads.It's mechanically identical apart from Aston's usual folding canvas top, and is expected to go public at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.