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Filed under: Coupes , Sports/GTs , Etc. , Supercars , Aston Martin , Lifestyle The era of the luxury exotic with a so-so sound system is nearly over. Bang & Olufsen worked with product developers at Aston Martin to create the BeoSound DBS audio system that is specifically tuned to 007's cabin. Thirteen speakers -- five tweeters, five midrange, and three woofers -- are located in ten places around the cabin. Of course a sound system for the DBS is not just about sound -- it is just as much about looks. Two of the tweeters are mounted on the dash and ascend when the car is started. Loudspeaker grilles are finished in contoured aluminum. And all that hardware is controlled by B&O's Digital Signal Processing system that is matched the DBS interior and adjusts to changing acoustic conditions. All of this means you'll be able to hear the next Bond theme song, "Another Way to Die," like never before... [Source: Aston Martin ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: China , Etc. , Aston Martin click above to view a hi-res gallery of Beijing 008 China, that's what. Artist Qin Yufen has just unveiled Beijing 008 with the help of Aston Martin chieftains Ulrich Bez and Kenny Chen. The art installation brings together a ginormous tape measure, a quote about disorder, a statuary tribute to Stephen Hawking that hangs from the ceiling, and a V8 Vantage in a way that ambiguously represents the mystery held by the 21st century. That is, according to artist Yufen. We think the fuzzy meaning will make the work more accessible to the public at large, as any statements made by Yufen's work is deliberately soft-spoken and open to interpretation. It is a wine-and-cheese set kind of way to commemorate the opening of an Aston Martin dealership in China, too. Aston Martin is a strong supporter of artistic endeavors, and this is one way to celebrate the brand's entrance into the Chinese marketplace. It's not necessarily the way we would've...
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Filed under: Time Warp , Etc. , Lifestyle Even "normal" Aston Martin DB5's are priced in the stratosphere, but Mr. Bond's up-armored version would likely command a premium, were the provenance verifiable. Just like foam, clay, and dynoc make very convincing styling bucks for automakers, cardboard in the right hands can take a pile of Two Buck Chuck shipping vessels and create '60s Aston gold. Creating rather than destroying, perhaps someone should tip off the dude who's smashing musclecars together in pursuit of some kind of artistic expression? Replicating something of great value and pop culture weightiness out of essentially worthless material without the help of any wooden or metal frame is a skillful trick. Even more skillful is the bang-on accuracy of artist Chris Gilmour's renderings. Toss a coat of paint on that thing, and you's swear that Q Branch built it. There's even a full complement of machine guns, Ben-Hur knockoffs, and a big ejector...
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Filed under: Coupes , Hybrids/Alternative , Sports/GTs , Etc. , Green , Aston Martin , UK , Celebrities Prince Charles is not new to the environmental debate. His blue, 38-year-old Aston Martin, however, has had nothing to do with being environmentally friendly. Until now. The car, a gift from the Queen on Charles' 21st birthday, has joined the growing fleet of cars that run on bioethanol, having been converted to run on surplus British wine. The wine comes from an English vineyard in Wiltshire, and the EU limits how much wine a vineyard can produce, so the vineyard sells the overage to Green Fuels, which turns it into biofuels and supplies it to the Palace. The Aston can go ten miles on a gallon of gas, which would equate to 45 bottles of wine to go the same distance. The wine, though, puts out 85-percent less CO2 and costs £1.10 per liter, which is slightly less than the cost of gas. However, Charles only goes 300 miles in the car every year, and it's not like he's worried...
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Filed under: Coupes , Sports/GTs , Etc. , Marketing/Advertising , Supercars , Aston Martin , Lifestyle , Celebrities We have to admit, when we heard the next Bond film was going to be called "Quantum of Solace," we kind of scrunched our faces a little bit. Still, Casino Royale was so good that we figured we'd give it the old innocent-until-proven-guilty treatment. Well, now we've seen the trailer, and it looks so bloody good we're all verklempt . We clapped at the end. And then we watched it again. There's so much action in the trailer that we don't know how there's going to be room for story unless it's as long as Ben Hur , but right now we don't much care. There's only a brief glimpse of the DBS in the trailer at the very end, but whatever it's doing it looks suitably Bond-ish. We'll even admit that the 2-minute clip is good enough to forgive wrecking this Aston DBS , this Alfa , and another Aston DBS during filming. Now you'll...
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Filed under: Etc. , Aston Martin Despite a couple of disastrous and debilitating setbacks , filming of the next Bond flick, the Quantum of Solace , is back, with production continuing in the mountains of Carrara, Italy. Unfortunately, these newest shots from the set are further proof that the writers and producers have absolutely no regard for the hotness that is the Aston Martin DBS. To their credit, the death of the DBS was deliberate, as 007 is chased through a rock quarry by a handful of villains piloting Alfa Romeos. The 15-minute scene will make up the pre-credit sequence that is the staple of any good Bond film (they're always our favorite), right before they cue the cheesy retro-pop and cut to blacked-out babes wielding heavy artillery. Thanks for the tip, Miguel! [Source: MI6 ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Etc. , Videos , Aston Martin , Dodge , Volkswagen , Ferrari Click the image above for more classic movie car pics It's no secret that we're passionate about cars, and we're pretty sure you feel the same way. We're also big fans of the silver screen, especially when a great car or truck is a big part of the plot. The movie mavens over at Rotten Tomatoes feel the same way, and they've compiled a list of the top 50 movie cars in the history of motion pictures. The list is chock-full of classics from movies like Bullitt and Vanishing Point , but there are also a lot of hidden gems, like Pepe the Little Mule from Romancing the Stone, or the 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT Coupe from Mad Max. One omission that we would have like to have added was Gary's red Ferrari Mondial from Weird Science , but while we could argue forever which vehicle should rank where, we'd say this is a pretty darn good list. We've posted Rotten Tomatoes' top five movie cars after...
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Filed under: Etc. , Aston Martin , Alfa Romeo , Celebrities Filming of the latest Bond flick, Quantum of Solace , has been put on hiatus after two stunt drivers were injured during filming. The crash apparently took place while performing a chase sequence where one driver in an Alfa Romeo crashed into a wall while chasing Bond's Aston Martin DBS along the Gardesana, a curvy road that lines Lake Garda. The man behind the wheel of the Alfa was flown to the hospital in a helicopter and is in serious condition, while his passenger sustained only minor injuries. This news comes within days of the previous crash that put one of the DBSs used for filming into the same lake , and despite the fact that filming was about to be wrapped today, the set remains closed until an investigation takes place. Thanks to all who tipped in. [Sources: CNN , MI6.co.uk ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Etc. , Aston Martin , Celebrities At 6:30 this morning, a stunt driver shooting a scene for the upcoming James Bond flick, Quantum of Solace, lost control of an Aston Martin DBS while filming a chase scene and plunged into Lake Garda in Italy. The film's executive producer, Anthony Waye, said that the scene was being shot in the pouring rain, and although the DBS didn't survive it's unplanned excursion into the water, the driver sustained only minor injuries and was released from the hospital earlier this afternoon. MI6 declined to comment on the incident, but a spokesperson for the agency remarked that the submersible kit for the Aston was under development. Too little, too late Q. Thanks for the tip MaTTia. Gallery: 2008 Aston Martin DBS [Source: Reuters.it - translated] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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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...
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Filed under: Etc. , Aston Martin Click image to enlarge Seeing as they spend a lot of time testing vehicles at the Nürburgring, Aston Martin has decided to set up shop with a permanent test/engineering facility at the famous circuit. The automaker has obtained an existing structure and is busy preparing the facility for a May 2008 opening. All new models go through a final long-distance shakedown on the track, and having their own shop next to the Nordschleife gives them a handy base at which they can also host customer-focused events that use the 'Ring as part of the draw. Aston Martin loves the track, and has used it as the inspiration for the V8 Vantage N400 road car, itself inspired by the exploits of the company's N24 factory racer . The above rendering of the facility has been released, giving a great idea of what the new facility will look like... if it was to be part of the online world in Second Life. Gallery: Aston Martin N400 V8 Vantage [Source: Aston Martin] Continue...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Sports/GTs , Etc. , Euro , Aston Martin Faulty economy or not, top-end luxury purchases are on the rise, and the new owners of Aston Martin are looking to capitalize on the trend. Plans are in place to increase Aston production from 7,000 units in 2007 up to 8,000 in 2008, but the top-luxury automaker's new owners want more. DAR (owns 50% of Aston) business development manager Adham Charanoglu has met recently with Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Daimler with regards to leveraging the Aston Martin brand with high end luxury products. While increasing merchandising revenue from $100m to up to $300m by whoring out the Aston name is nothing to sneeze at, we're mostly interested in the British automaker's conversations with Mercedes. Charanoglu told Reuters that the two automakers could one day collaborate on everything from platforms to powertrains. It makes sense that Aston is looking to buddy up with another high-end automaker since minority owner Ford will...
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Filed under: Etc. , Aston Martin , Lifestyle Click to view in high resolution Chances are unless you were a character in an Ian Flemming novel, you've never spent time in the trunk of an Aston Martin DB6. That could change for a lucky few customers thanks to the master craftsmen at Aston Martin Heritage Designs, who have crafted this unique couch. The two-seater is built into a replica of an Aston DB6 rear end, and while each of the limited editions is available in the customer's preferred color scheme, we're partial to the Silver Birch and red leather combo in the pictures. It could very well be the ultimate living-room accompaniment for your Porsche 917 couch , but only if you've got $7,300 to spare. [Source: Aston Martin Heritage Designs via Winding Road ] Gallery: Aston Martin DB6 sofa Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Coupes , Sports/GTs , Etc. , Supercars , Aston Martin Click image for our Aston Martin DBS hi-res gallery When the good ship Lotto comes into port for us, one of the items very high on the shopping list is the Aston Martin DBS, which adds a dash of toughness to the slinky lines of the DB9 and generally causes the car-aware to trip over their tongues. Thanks to some recent updates over on Aston Martin's media site, we now know what color we're ordering ours in after Yolanda Vega pulls that crucial sixth matching number out of the lottery contraption. The color is Racing Green -- specifically, Aston Martin Racing Green. This is the same shade developed by DuPont for Prodrive's Le Mans-winning Aston Martin Racing DBR9 , and with those dark gray wheels, all that's missing is the yellow or orange "lipstick" around the radiator grille for maximum effect. Incidentally, the other colors announced for the DBS are Lightning Silver , Infa Red , and Casino Royale...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Coupes , Economy , Sedans/Saloons , Sports/GTs , Wagons/Estates , Etc. , Euro , Crossovers/CUVs , Supercars , Aston Martin , Audi , BMW , Lamborghini , Lexus , Maserati , Mazda , Mercedes Benz , Nissan , Volvo , Renault , Opel , Peugeot , FIAT Click the image above for a hi-res gallery of the Reventón The Lamborghini Reventón has been named L'Automobile più Bella del Mondo. Translation: The World's Most Beautiful Automobile. It earned this honor in the Special Models category of this annual automotive fashion show, recently held for the fifteenth time at the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, Italy. There are eleven categories in all, though the Special Models category is generally considered to be the big winner. Other cats include your various sizes of sedans, coupes, convertibles, station wagons, crossovers, sports cars and concept cars. The judging panel included artists, architects, designers, a historian, and a journalist. We like...
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