Latest news with #Aston
Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- 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.
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Auto review: Driving alfresco in the 2026 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster
In a world where car design is increasingly held hostage by angry, dissonant design language, Aston Martin is an abiding reminder that the finest cars are timelessly beautiful, exquisitely crafted and intelligently engineered. The thought occurred as I approached this week's test car, a 2026 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster sheathed in carbon-fiber body panels painted California Sage, a shade-shifting green that shimmers like the automotive track star that it is, its hue changing with the light as you stole around it. Certainly, it's dressed to thrill, with bulging rear fenders and a soft shoulder mid-body, much like an old 911. Its handsome, distinct face has a noticeably larger grille, which aids cooling. The rear-end diffuser may denote sportiness, but it's visually louder than the rest of the car. However, the quad exhaust tips are beautifully integrated. With the top up, the Roadster resembles the Coupe. Top down, it's stowed beneath the sleek rear deck. Now, the Aston Martin faithful may wonder why this speed buggy is called the Roadster, and not a Volante, Aston's name for its droptops. Evidently that appellation is reserved for Aston's GT cars, which the Vantage is decidedly not. It's a sports car, one that delivers maximum thrills in a minimally sized package. The 2026 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster is the follow-up to the Vantage Coupe that debuted last year. Thanks to some body structure and driveline tweaks, the Roadster weighs a mere 132 pounds more and is no slower than its Coupe sibling. Its twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 produces 656 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque through a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. It's fast, with its Michelin Pilot Sport 5.5 tires providing a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds and a 202-mph top speed. Just as fast is the eight-ply fabric roof, which drops in 6.8 seconds at speeds of up to 31 mph. The driveline is fitted with Sport, Sport+, Track, Individual and Wet driving modes, but no Eco mode - thank God. As you might expect, it uses premium fuel and returns an EPA-rated 18 mpg in combined city/highway driving. Even though its exhaust note exhibits signals that it's ready for a raucous time, this is a sports car for gentlemen and gentlewomen. The driveline makes a sporting sound, but it's never overbearing, while the engine and transmission prove very responsive, remaining in gear longer than most rivals - especially in manual mode, where it indulges need to the gear and listen to it emote. And it plays the automotive athlete, unequal-length double wishbones up front; a multi-link suspension out back and Bilstein DTX adaptive dampers at each corner. Despite the slew of electronic driving aids, this remains an unrepentant front-engine/rear-wheel-drive roadster. Able to dance with an ease of control that makes it one fine party animal, the steering and brakes communicate to the driver as its taut handling voraciously gobbles up asphalt accompanied by a refined rumble. Driver and passenger are ensconced in a snug cabin for two that's beautifully finished, its carbon-fiber trim colored identically to the exterior color. Its center console features a 10.25-inch capacitive touchscreen with a user interface designed in house. And bravo to the designers, who have not insisted that all controls be banished to the touchscreen. They believe, and rightly so, that certain controls are better as physical buttons while driving at speed. As a result, finding the control you want is simple. It's accompanied by a 390-watt, 11-speaker audio system or an optional 15-speaker, double amplified, 1,170-watt Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system. That said, the Aston's cylinder symphony is the only music I listened to. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard. Any quibbles? Well, the car's beltline is very high, which may be a turn-off for some. And, being a sports car, its boot measures a modest 7 cubic feet. Neither should dissuade you from acquiring this lovely bit of rapid transit. Aston Martin remains a survivor, and the 2026 Vantage Roadster is proof of the company's value. Having survived bankruptcy seven times in its 112-year history, it's arguably never been better. Credit the money and guidance of Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, who has masterfully restored Aston Martin to the top of the automotive pantheon with cars that are among the rarest and finest in the world. The Vantage Roadster's performance, quality and scarcity define the essence of a true luxury sports car. 2026 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster Base price: $205,900 (estimated) Engine: Twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 Horsepower/Torque: 656/590 pound-feet EPA rating (combined city/highway): 18 mpg Fuel required: Premium unleaded Length/Width/Height: 177/81/51 inches Ground clearance: 3.7 inches Cargo capacity: 7 cubic feet Towing capacity: Not rated Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Birmingham Black Sabbath murals reaction 'unreal' says artist
An artist creating a 120ft (36.5m) mural depicting all four original members of Black Sabbath says the reaction so far has been "unreal". The street art is set to be completed in time for the heavy metal band's sold-out concert at Villa Park in July, with artist Mr Murals hoping it will also honour the "creative spirit of Birmingham".Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward will be immortalised on Navigation Street near Grand Central Station. "I can't even process how many people have stopped," the artist said. "I thought it was going to be busy but I didn't think it would be this crazy." Mr Murals added that more than 100 people had stopped him to take photos and ask questions in just one day, with many sharing their memories of Black Sabbath gigs in years gone by. "That's why I love painting outdoors," he added. "I think a lot of other artists love that as well."I'm probably exaggerating that I'm exhausted because of actually working, but I think it is more chatting."I've probably done more chatting the last five days than I have all year." The artwork has been commissioned by Central BID Birmingham with the support of Network Rail. Mr Murals, who has previously painted Osbourne in black and white, also spent more than 200 hours creating the Peaky Blinders mural on the walls of Digbeth Loc Studio. Black Sabbath formed in Aston in 1968. Their final gig will also features dozens of other heavy metal legends, including Metallica, Pantera and Anthrax. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Broadband project brings internet to 600 homes in Killingsworth Cove
MADISON COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — Killingsworth Cove is still recovering from the damage that an EF-2 tornado left behind last week, but a longtime project has finally been completed that could possibly help that community moving forward. 'To see the outpouring of support, the constant messages through Facebook and on my personal phone of people want to come out and help the organizations that have disaster relief supplies and money that want to donate that to the to the affected families, it's been awesome,' Killingsworth Cove Volunteer Fire Captain Nathan Aston said. City of Hanceville won't have police department until 2026, will sell off vehicles The storm damage cleanup process continues, but on Thursday, the community received an announcement: 600 homes in Killingsworth Cove will have access to fiber optic broadband internet. 'It just makes it more evident that how this underserved community, how important this broadband project is to them,' Madison County Commissioner Craig Hill said. In addition to a lack of internet resources, Killingsworth Cove has poor cell reception. Broadband means more access to services that could come in handy for future severe weather, like WIFI calling. 'A lot of family members could not get in touch with their family members, and we have generator power on all of our systems,' said New Hope Telephone Cooperative General Manager Daniel Martin. 'So, if they have a battery backup at the house or they have a home generator, those services will continue to work always.' 'Grateful to be alive, it's a miracle': Muscle Shoals woman paralyzed after tree falls on her car during storms The Killingsworth Cove Volunteer Fire Department has relied on dial-up internet, and Aston said this change will help them better connect with the community they serve. 'We've been trying get our department, as remote as it is, access to the broadband Internet so that we could get access to training materials, lifesaving things, even our AEDs have to update over Internet for their services and supplies, and we just weren't able to do any of that,' Aston said. This is Madison County's first public-private broadband partnership, and Hill said he hopes to see broadband availability spread to other communities like Maysville and Gurley. The two-million-dollar Killingsworth Cove project was funded by the American Rescue Plan and New Hope Telephone Cooperative. Hill said he has been working on this project for several years. The infrastructure is officially in place, and some living in Killingsworth Cove are already connected. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
TimesLIVE
5 days ago
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Verstappen a ‘pipe dream' until Aston build a better car, says Newey
Aston Martin's chances of signing Max Verstappen will be a "pipe dream" until they have a car good enough for Red Bull's four-times world champion, according to the team's design great Adrian Newey. Newey, whose cars have won many Formula One championships for three teams, joined Aston from Red Bull in March with speculation Verstappen might eventually link up with him again. Verstappen has won two of seven races this season and is third overall behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris while Aston Martin are seventh in the standings and far from the podium places. Double world champion Fernando Alonso, 43, has yet to score. In Monaco to attend a race for the first time since his move, Newey was asked the inevitable questions about Verstappen's future. "Max is clearly a phenomenal talent, and he's a supreme competitor and part of that means Max likes to break things down to a simple common equation," he told reporters. "That is, in this particular case, choosing the team he believes will deliver the fastest car. So if we're to ever attract Max, the first thing we have to do is make a fast car. "It's a pipe dream about anything else from there." The Briton said it had been easy to settle into his new surroundings and, while focused on next year's car, he had spent time assessing how the team worked and the strengths and weaknesses. He singled out the driver-in-the-loop simulator as requiring a lot of work, while the new wind tunnel was arguably the best in Formula One. "It (the simulator) is not correlating (to the track) at all at the moment, which is a fundamental research tool and not having that is a limitation," added Newey, who said fixing the simulator would probably take two years. Newey said Aston Martin, whose state-of-the-art Silverstone factory is on the old Jordan team site, had good people but needed them to settle down and work better together after a time of expansion. The designer said the 2026 rule change, the start of a new era for Formula One, offered "a reasonable amount of flexibility" and expected a range of different solutions. He said he was working at the factory "pretty much full-on". "My wife, she kind of says I go into a design trance," he said.
