Aston Martin DBX S Photo Gallery
We've already stated we think the Aston Martin DBX 707 is the most high-performance SUV made, so what does Aston do? They used turbo technology transferred directly from the upcoming Valhalla supercar, including its larger compressor wheel and other internal improvements, to make the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 an even more potent performer in the DBX S. The changes add 20 hp on the top end to a new peak of 717 hp, dropping 0-62 mph times to 3.3 seconds. Bloody hell!
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Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Revealed: Aston Martin's F1 issue forcing Fernando Alonso to 'invent' overtakes
In Fernando Alonso's first Formula 1 season with Aston Martin, 2023, he claimed six podiums in the first eight races and was running third in the championship. The pickings have been more barren since then and in the Spanish Grand Prix – the ninth round of 2025 – he picked up his first points of the season. Lance Stroll had scored all of Aston Martin's points until then – a humble 14, drawn from the first two rounds. Advertisement Read Also: Adrian Newey: Lance Stroll is 'much better than people give him credit for' Heads have already rolled in Aston's technical department last season and the AMR25 car has not started the season well, seeming to have a fundamental problem with race pace. Stroll's tendency to qualify poorly and then pick up positions partially masks a trend of the car being slower on Sundays than it is on Saturdays, though the only time this season he qualified inside the top 10 (at Imola) he finished 15th. Alonso, though, has reached Q3 three times and only just got a return in the form of two points (and it would have been one but for Max Verstappen's penalty). A notable feature of the first and last rounds of this latest triple-header has been his tendency to overtake at unconventional points on the track, usually via a sneak attack. Advertisement 'We lacked top speed, so on the straights we were losing a lot,' he said in Barcelona. 'I didn't make a single overtake under DRS. They were all made in Turn 3 on the outside, which is not a normal place to overtake, but we have to invent these kinds of moves. 'Also in Imola I was out of Turn 7 when I made three overtaking [moves] in the last few laps. So we need to solve this situation and start overtaking on the straight with the DRS like everyone [else] does.' Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images via Getty Images 'We need to improve a little bit our straightline speed and also the [tyre] degradation. As I said, Saturdays are quite competitive and Sundays we seem to take a step back. Advertisement 'So happy for today for sure, first points, good Safety Car at the end, good timing and things. But if we go back on Thursday and we redo the weekend, we need to change something on the car to be a little bit more Sunday-biased than Saturday-.' Alonso can be relied upon to highlight his own contributions to a result with the enthusiasm of a carnival barker. But both he and chief trackside officer Mike Krack alluded to the car being under-balanced, with too much understeer. It's common for teams to set up their cars to have an understeer balance at circuits such as Barcelona because the rear axle is the critical one, and some understeer can help protect the rear tyres. But when asked by if the problem was caused by dialling in too much understeer, Alonso's answer was an unequivocal 'no'. Among Aston's challenges last year was that most of the performance upgrades added to the car didn't generate the expected result. While the AMR25 is the product of the previous design leadership, at Imola a new floor and bodywork package represented the first definitive output of the latest regime and the new wind tunnel. Advertisement It was never going to be worth half a second a lap, but CEO and team principal Andy Cowell talked about it in terms of a lab experiment to enable to stress-test its tools and procedures. What's becoming apparent is that the car has a weak front end – i.e. understeery – but it isn't doing a great job of thermally managing its rear tyres either, and at the same time it is relatively drag-inefficient. The combination of slow straightline speed and indifferent tyre management is a killer on Sundays. Lack of aerodynamic efficiency is killing the AMR25 on two fronts: it's slow in a straight line, but the team can't just cut downforce because the car will slide more, making tyre performance worse. 'The difference between the qualifying and the race is quite simple,' said Krack after the Barcelona race. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images Advertisement 'In qualifying you put new tyres, new tyres, new tyres, new tyres. You mask a lot of the problems that the cars are having. 'This is not only for our car, this is for all the cars. That is also why you see the small gaps in qualifying. Because all the weaknesses the cars are having are being covered by the new tyres, by the new rubber. 'As soon as the tyres become two laps, three laps, four laps old, the weaknesses become more and more. That is why you see that the cars in the front are just going. That is why the field is spreading so much.' Noticeably, Aston Martin has been 'scrubbing' its race tyre sets – essentially giving them a short run, usually during practice, to put a heat cycle through them. The process of bringing the tyres up to working temperature and then cooling them again changes the visco-elastic properties of the rubber. Advertisement It would be overly simplistic to say this improves grip and life characteristics on a linear scale, but there is a belief it can make the tyres less sensitive to graining and thermal degradation. Peak grip is lower, but the aim is to make the duration of the peak longer. Aston Martin's chief tyre performance engineer Jun Matsuzaki has been regarded as a key asset for many years and has been with the team since its Force India days, when he helped Sergio Perez become a 'tyre whisperer'. Before that he worked for Bridgestone. It was Matsuzaki who first worked out that Pirelli's rear tyres in 2013 could run longer stint lengths when mounted in the opposite direction they were designed to rotate. So it's unlikely that Aston's performance deficit is being caused by not getting the best out of the tyres in terms of trackside operations. It's a question of mechanical and aerodynamic design. Alonso, for one, seems to believe the team now has a handle on the problem: 'I think we know what is happening…' Read Also: F1 Spanish GP analysis: Red Bull forced McLaren to unleash its full potential To read more articles visit our website.
Motor Trend
2 days ago
- Motor Trend
2025 Aston Martin Vanquish First Test Review: Big Performance From One of the Most Beautiful Cars Ever Made
Pros A rolling work of art 824 hp ain't nothin' to sneeze at Great to drive Cons V-12 soundtrack a bit muted by turbos Desperately needs a nose-lift system Feels big on a winding road There's a moment when first-date jitters transform into the joy of possibilities. It's when you realize an emotional connection can be so much greater than you originally expected. The automotive equivalent of that experience is the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish, one of the most beautiful cars ever designed. The coupe is this close to epitomizing the perfect front-engine V-12 grand tourer, a classic formula Aston's Italian rivals have iterated on for more than half a century. 0:00 / 0:00 Forget Ferrari for a second. This Aston's real good, and not only in the way you think it would be. Rolling Work of Art With the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish, beauty is everywhere you look. The best part about the Vanquish's design is that there isn't a best part. Every angle reveals a new visual delight, and you don't need to be a design nerd to appreciate it. The proportions are perfect, from the short front overhangs to the way the roofline is low but not too low. It's so much more, though, like the stunning rear treatment. Or the surfacing of the doors. Take a close look at the carefully sculpted hood, and you'll see six holes in each of two hood vents, one for each of the 12 cylinders. Whether viewed on a phone screen or in person, the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish is one of the most beautiful cars ever designed. 824 HP and 12 Cylinders at the Track Although the 2025 Vanquish is the latest in a long line of exotic GT cars, there's nothing nostalgic about its powertrain. A 5.2-liter twin-turbo V-12 producing 824 hp at 6,500 rpm and 738 lb-ft of torque at 2,500 rpm makes every trip a special occasion. Bursting from 0 to 60 mph in only 3.3 seconds should catch most lead-footed Teslas by surprise. The quarter mile is done in 11.2 seconds at an excellent 132.5 mph. On the track, the car just keeps pulling and pulling until you run out of dragstrip. Surprising no one, however, this isn't a stoplight drag-racer. You have to be in it for the experience. So as much as Aston may have been pleased to learn its baby has 6 hp more than the new Ferrari 12 Cilindri, you don't have to look far to find cars that match its impressive straight-line performance. And we don't mean electric cars like the MotorTrend-record-setting Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Weissach. Try the Audi RS 7 Performance, which beats the Aston to 60 (3.0 seconds) and matches its trap speed in the quarter mile (11.2 seconds at 123.7 mph). Then there's the new Bentley Continental GT Speed, a plug-in hybrid that hits 60 in 2.8 seconds and rips onto a 10.8-second quarter mile at 130.7 mph. These really are exciting times to be a car enthusiast. 'Way Better Than I Expected' The biggest surprise was when we ran the Vanquish through our figure-eight course, which evaluates braking, cornering, and acceleration as well as the transitions in between. The Aston finished the course in 23.3 seconds at 0.94 g (average), more than a second quicker than that Bentley. Just listen to associate road test editor Erick Ayapana: 'Way better than I expected. Turn-in is so fast and crisp. I expected this to be front heavy, but this is a very balanced car.' On and off the track, we found the Aston is at its best with delicate steering and pedal inputs. Finesse the car, and it will deliver world-class performance and rotate the tail out if that's what you're after. At the same time, it never feels as small as Aston's own Vantage. Some cars hide their weight remarkably well, but that's not the case for the 4,334-pound Vanquish. The V-12 GT car weighs 456 pounds more than the eight-cylinder Vantage, another Aston with just about perfect 50/50 weight distribution front to rear. The Vanquish is a thrill to drive, but on tight switchbacks it feels as wide as a Range Rover Sport with its mirrors folded in. Because it is. Vanquish as a GT Car For an occasional-use exotic, it seems like you couldn't ask for much more than a design for the ages, a solid driving experience, and a classy interior with fine attention to detail. But we will. No car that costs $560,700 should make its owner feel uncomfortable on a sunny day. The optional glass roof lacks a simple roller shade or an electrochromic dimming function, the kind you find on some glass-roofed cars these days. Aston tells us the tinted glass shields occupants from UV-A and -B rays and is tinted to allow 6 percent light transmission. That works most of the time, but we'd like more control when the weather is especially hot and sunny. The other feature every Vanquish needs is a nose-lift system. Imagine pulling up to the raised entrance of a busy hotel valet. While everyone gawks at your Aston Martin, the car's low front end loudly scrapes on the pavement. That wouldn't happen in a Corvette or a 911. In those cars, the feature is even connected to the navigation system so you can mark frequently visited locations, and the car knows exactly where to lift. Finally, we wouldn't argue with an even more comfortable Comfort drive mode to have the option of occasionally selecting a cushier ride. V-8 or V-12? Yes. Awaken the V-12 engine, and its sound immediately communicates power and exclusivity. Very few V-12 engines remain in production, and this one propels the Vanquish to become the most powerful front-engine Aston in history, as well as the fastest with its 214-mph top speed. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all during our time with the Vanquish was how we started daydreaming about a Lexus LC500. What makes an engine sound like beautiful music is subjective, just like actual music. And for me, the naturally aspirated V-8 of the Lexus LC500 is a treasure. The Aston's V-12 is mighty, but it's also turbocharged. The Ferrari 12 Cilindri manages its 800-plus-horsepower experience with no turbos. That translates to an even more stirring aural performance. As we said, it's subjective, and we'll gladly drive them all through our favorite tunnels anytime. A Worthy Flagship The best cars deliver a natural high during your first experience with them. What happens next is the real test of automotive goodness. Do you still see its value after realizing that every car has flaws? In the case of the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish, the answer is a resounding yes. This classic GT car has a few drawbacks, but its true beauty is in the way it simultaneously looks good and inspires you on the road. We hope Aston won't get complacent with this flagship car, as reputations aren't solidified overnight. But the hard work is done, and what a gorgeous way to honor the classic tradition of gas-powered 12-cylinder front-engine GTs.
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Miami Herald
Aston Martin Celebrates Summertime Cruising with One-Off DB12 Palm Beach Edition
A drop-top in a warm state like California or Florida is never a bad recipe for a good time. Make that drop-top an Aston Martin, and the good times increase tenfold. The British automaker seems to have taken note of this and recently revealed the one-of-one "Palm Beach Edition DB12 Volante," a special edition of their powerful V8 sports car created in collaboration with Aston Martin's Q division and Aston Martin Palm Beach. "This extraordinary DB12 Volante model perfectly encapsulates the understated elegance of both Palm Beach and Aston Martin," said Pedro Mota, Regional President of Aston Martin The Americas. "Through a collaboration with Q by Aston Martin and Aston Martin Palm Beach, we have created an exceptional sports car that merges stunning performance, artistry, and luxury." The Palm Beach Edition DB12 Volante sports a unique Frosted Glass Blue paint job with ample shimmer in the topcoat to remind you of the sun at your favorite South Florida beachside spot. Word around town is that Aston Martin hand-sprayed the paint onto the car to get the effect, and that's the kind of attention to detail we can't be mad at. The interior carries a matching Aurora Blue scheme with Ivory Leather and contrasting Spicy Red stitching. Here's where it gets better, though. The dash, center console, doors, and seatbacks feature book-matched Linear Light Olive Ash wood trim for that perfect beach cabana vibe anywhere you are in the car. The last few special touches include Palm Beach's latitude and longitude coordinates embossed onto the leather dashboard, as well as a palm-leaf motif spread throughout the cabin. All of this isn't to say that the Aston Martin Palm Beach Edition DB12 Volante is all show and no go. Underneath that gorgeous, long hood is a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 making 671 horsepower through an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. Aston estimates that the DB12 can sprint from zero to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and has a top speed of 202 mph, so we'd hold on to our hats if we were you. Yes, we know, the V12 of the DB11 is gone, but hey, at least it's not electric. Aston did not reveal a pricing figure for the bespoke one-off, nor who commissioned it, but given that the regular DB12 Volante starts at $271,825, we'd rather not know its price tag. It's always fun seeing what automakers' bespoke divisions can create for their most distinguished clients. If you want the most opulent vehicle that money can buy, you'll likely go to Rolls-Royce's bespoke department. If you want a sports car with a color that pops, Porsche's Paint-to-Sample program would likely be pretty high on that list. Aston Martin's Q department doesn't often make headlines, but if they keep making cars like the Palm Beach Edition DB12 Volante, we can see how that would easily change. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
