Aston Martin

2009 was a tough year for the auto industry to say the least. Not only did we witness massive government bailouts, epic bankruptcies and a precipitous plummet in sales, but over 1,500 dealerships shuttered their doors. When I was back in my hometown of Cleveland, OH over the holidays, I notice at least 6 large dealerships throughout the city that had closed up shop, with all of the remaining ones seemingly relegated to the ubiquitous "Auto Mile" of car lots mostly owned by large conglomerates. A sad state indeed.

Current estimates peg the total number of new cars purchased last year at just around 10.5 million, which is about 7 million shy of the high reached in 2000 and 2 million below sales in China (yes, we're no longer numero uno). The Cars Allowance Rebate System (CARS) program, aka Cash for Clunkers, dolled out $2.8 billion in $3,500 - $4,500 rebates and supposedly resulted in 700,000 new car sales.  According to several leading analysts, this was just enough to keep the industry on life support while everyone scrambled to figure out how to infuse more cash into daily operations. Even though many hailed the program as a success, it had its detractors as well, and for good reason. Edmunds concluded that really only an additional 125,000 cars were sold that wouldn't have sold otherwise, resulting in a taxpayer burden of $24,000 per vehicle.

A few weeks ago we brought news of the Aston Martin Cygnet concept. It has now been reported that these petite luxury commuters will only be available to current owners. The Cygnet is essentially a plush and upgraded version of the Toyota iQ and will use the same 1.33-liter engine good for 97 hp and 91 lb-ft of torque. Surprisingly, a top speed of 105 mph is attainable.

Aston Matin's head honcho, Ulrich Bez, has been quoted as saying, "This concept is akin to an exclusive tender for a luxury yacht." The company has decided to go this direction now that environmentally friendly city cars are top of mind.

For the last couple of years, CAR magazine has challenged designers from major auto manufacturers to come up with designs that upgrade Santa's sleigh to the toy-delivery vehicle of tomorrow. In 2008, the likes of Bentley, Ford, Nissan and Rolls-Royce all delivered spectacular creations. This year Vauxhall, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Audi and Land Rover came through with some crazy cool concepts. 

Land Rover has created transportation for Kris Kringle that follows their brand aesthetic remarkably well. The particle accelerator propulsion system is a nice touch and we dig the optional CRS (Chimney Recognition Software) technology. But we're not sure how Santa is supposed to see over the big dome of the reindeer in front of him and it looks like every time the animal swivels its head, it would skewer ole Saint Nicholas, but these are just minor quibbles.

The all carbon-fiber Manory Cyrus may be a little too much for some folks, but Aston Martin definitely recognizes the strong draw for blacked-out supercars sporting exotic materials. Aston Martin has introduced Carbon Black Special Editions for their DBS and V12 Vantage coupes, each rocking a metallic black finish.This magnificent paint is formulated to glimmer differently from various angles and requires 50 hours of additional labor.

In the case of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage, the strake in the fender vent is made out of carbon-fiber with black mesh for an added touch of flare. Gloss black 10 spoke diamond turned alloy wheels complete the ominous look. A bright finished grille and front parking sensors provide a nice bit of contrast.

As competition increases and additional revenue streams are sought by automakers, many companies are forced to make compromises that seemed highly unlikely several years ago. Just look no further than Porsche and their Cayenne SUV to see a perfect example of a vehicle that everyone baulked at until its release, which actually ended up a resounding success, both financially and for the brand itself.

Aston Martin is no different in its pursuit of attracting new markets. The company has just released the first images of their new Cygnet concept, a tiny commuter that at first glance seems to go against everything the company stands for - lavish supercars capable of breakneck speed. But the green movement is here to stay and eco-consciousness is now a part of every OEM's lexicon.

Making its world debut at the 63rd Frankfurt Motor Show this year, the Mansory Cyrus, based on the Aston Martin DBS or DB9, is pretty breathtaking. The body panels are made entirely out of aerospace grade carbon fiber, replacing the original metal sheeting. The Cyrus has a redesigned front skirt with bigger inlets and a carbon hood with two power domes. In the rear, there is a revised rear skirt with integrated diffuser and an extended rear wing.

Aston Martin is inundating the Internet with tons of amazing photos of their upcoming 2010 models. After earlier teasing us with only a couple of images here and a few more there on Facebook, the proverbial floodgates have let loose. First, the company provided tons of great shots of the Aston Martin DBS Volante Convertible and now we have a full gallery of the V12 Vantage Coupe.

We first got a look at the Aston Martin DBS Volante at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show back in March and were pretty wowed. This drop-top version of James Bond's preferred mode of transportation is a fantastic addition to the DBS family. The name Volante means 'moving with light rapidity' according to Aston Martin and this is an appropriate moniker. The car mostly shares everything with the standard DBS except for the roof.

Both have a hand-built 510 hp, 6.0-liter V12 engine that cranks out 420 lb-ft of torque and is mated to either a six-speed manual or six-speed Touchtronic automatic gearbox with paddle shifters. The performance specs are identical with both variants able to reach 62 mph in 4.3 seconds and hit a max speed of 191 mph. Stopping power comes from carbon-ceramic brakes with 6 piston calipers up front and 4 piston calipers in back.