Aston Martin: Luxury Sportscars with V12 Performance

Aston Martin has been making automobiles for a little over 100 years after being founded in London, England back in 1913. The automaker has always had a reputation for creating world class luxury automobiles despite having its difficulties remaining financially solvent through the years. The British luxury car maker has been well known for producing sporty luxury cars through the years with powerful V8 and V12 engines.

Despite having a solid reputation as a luxury automaker, Aston Martin has struggled to realize a profit which has led to many different suitors through the years attempting to take on the task of turning the company around. After being acquired from Ford in 2007, the automaker gained worldwide acclaim by taking the V8 Vantage across the rugged terrain of the Asian Highway on a 12,089 kilometer journey from Tokyo to Istanbul. The two British drivers then went another 3,259 kilometers on the European motorway network to London. This feat precipitated the opening of two new dealerships in Shanghai and Beijing.

The automaker has a long history of racing since introducing cars to race in the French Grand Prix and for attempts at breaking the world speed and endurance records back close to home at Brooklands.

History of Aston Martin

Aston Martin was established in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. The two were no strangers to racing and selling cars, producing their first car in 1915. As they were ready to start production, the first world war broke out and halted their progress. Following the war, Bamford left the company and the company then produced three models of cars that all used a 16-valve twin cam engine. The specially developed Razor Blade race car was on track to beat the one hour speed record for light cars at Brooklands, but failed due to tire damage that was probably more a result of the speeds that were exceeding 100 miles per hour.

Despite such accomplishments, the company went bankrupt for the first time in 1924 and really had difficulties until acquiring Langonda in 1947. The launching the DB series of cars followed, helping put Aston Martin cars on the map. The 6-cylinder 2.6 liter Bentley designed engine helped power this series of cars that allowed the company to achieve a measure of success during the 1950′s and early 1960′s.

The V8 Vantage was introduced in 1977, modernizing Aston Martin’s lineup of cars. Ford came in to help with engine production and brought back the V8, and an Aston Martin racing division oversaw the introduction of the V12 engine that is now a major component of the lineup of cars it produces today.

Company Milestones

• The 18-inch wide Razor Blade was a breakthrough car for Aston Martin, proving it had the engine speed and capability of breaking the light car one hour speed record, if not for the limitations of its tires.
• The DB5, developed in 1963, was famous for establishing Aston Martin’s reputation of creating its identity of producing grand touring cars. The DB5 appeared in the 1965 James Bond movie, Goldfinger.
• Aston Martin was granted a Royal Warrant of Appointment by the Prince of Wales in 1982, a distinction that is still held today.
• The V8 Vantage was the first car to negotiate the east-west crossing of the Asian Highway, the 12,089 kilometer stretch between Tokyo and Istanbul.
• In 1999, the V12 engine was introduced with the V12 Vantage model leading to the production of the V12 Vanquish in 2001.

The Aston Martin V12 Vantage S

The all-new AM28 V12 engine supplies the Vantage S with 565 peak horsepower and allows it to achieve a top speed of 205 mph. The car can accelerate from 0-60 mph in a blistering fast 3.7 seconds. The V12 Vantage S is able to increase horsepower by 11%, while actually lowering the overall weight of the car by 15 kg.

The lightweight aluminum Gen4 VH architecture of the car is matched with a Sportshift III gearbox and its twin plate clutch and slave cylinder that keeps all the horsepower under the driver’s control. Advanced electro-hydraulic controls allow gear-shifts to take less than 70 milliseconds to accomplish. Paddle-shift controls keep the driver engaged with super fast shifting through the seven different gears. Three-stage active damping, new carbon ceramic brakes and delayed anti-locking braking technology contribute to added safety and even more driver control.

The car interior is luxurious with two different seat designs and the use of carbon-fiber materials throughout. There are many options for stitch designs, panels, stripe designs for the seats, and door panels along with Luxmill or semi-aniline leather plus Alcantara for the seats themselves. The quality, style and craftsmanship of Aston Martin is prevalent throughout.

Aston Martin Vanquish

Touted as their “best Aston Martin ever”, the Vanquish is a beautiful blend of speed, power and distinctive good looks. The aerospace engineered carbon-fiber body panels coupled with the ferocity of Aston Martin’s V12 engine combine to give the Vanquish a 4.1 second 0-100 km/hr acceleration, making it the fastest grand touring car Aston Martin has ever produced.

Even the interior speaks volumes about the performance Aston Martin has achieved with the car. The lightweight seats with carbon-fiber and Kevlar components are 17 kg lighter than before. A state of the art infotainment system keeps the driver and passenger in complete control of the cabin environment. The interior is as luxurious as it is sporty and functional for a car with so much power and urge.

Rapide S and Other Models

The Rapide S is a beautiful V12 4-door sports sedan that pairs outstanding performance with a luxurious interior offering first-class accommodations for four adults. Weighing under 2,000 kg and having its engine positioned 20 cm lower, the 4-door Rapide S manages to be even more of a sports car than a luxury sedan. The AM11 Gen 4 V12 engine produces 550 hp and gives the car the ability to go from 0-100 km/hr in only 4.9 seconds. The interior is available in several different trims and ranges of colors to personalize the cabin environment.

Aston Martin also has more Vantage models, with a few of them outfitted with their slightly less beastly 4.7 liter V8. The Vanquish Volante is a convertible that makes the Vanquish a truly hair raising riding experience. The DB9 is a sports GT with timeless elegance and a new design that incorporates over 50% of new parts in the current model.