Watch out because here comes the new James Bond film - Quantum of Solace. Oohs and aahs, ladies and gentlemen. Though we might have to qualify the reason behind those oohs and aahs. Is it the dashingly blond-and-blue-eyed Daniel Craig as 007? Would it be because of Bond girls Olga Kurylenko and Gemma Arterton? Or would it be because of the ever-sexy Aston Martin DBS?

I’d go for the babes but since this is a car blog, then Daniel Craig and Bond hotties would have to set aside. The sex-on-wheels Aston Martin DBS is reprising its roles as the Bond car for this new film and is expected to be featured in much more action compare to its record-breaking crash-and-roll scene in Casino Royale. Here’s a trailer of Quantum of Solace featuring the DBS.

It is always forgivable for a Bond movie to wreck a good car. Their last with the DBS and Casino Royale was quite okay, especially since they set a new record for car rolls on that one. And it would have really been forgivable for them to do it yet again for the new upcoming Bond movie.

Irony of ironies, this one DBS got crashed just before it reached the set of the new Bond flick (Quantum Of Solace) set. The DBS was happily on its way to Lake Garda in Italy driven by some Aston Martin technician when tragedy struck - the DBS careened of the road and into the lake.

The car’s pretty smashed. (Un)fortunately, the driver’s okay. Still, this is only 1 out of 5 DBS units to be utilized in the film. What’s the use of the other five? We might just have to wait and see why they need a quarter of a million quid worth of Aston Martin for the film.

Source: The Mail on Sunday

Aston Martins are the epitome of exquisite design and impressive performance. They might not pack as much punch as Ferraris or as flamboyantly designed as Lambos but drive one and you’d be the envy of all the Ordinary Joes out there.

One of the best things about these cars is that they very much have their own personality. Consider them a lucky band of brothers with each looking just as good as the other. Their genes give them pretty much the same attributes but they are, deep inside, unique in ways.

So if you’re an Aston, what are you? Take this quiz (after the cut) to find out.

Read the rest of this entry »

The James Bond of old always had a new car. Much to the chagrin of Q. While the James Bond reboot saw the Aston Martin DBS getting rolled and wrecked, we can expect to see James Bond driving the rabidly sexy DBS in the next franchise outing next year.

Quite interestingly, the DBS got quite a push by being the Bond car in Casino Royale. It fit the Daniel Craig gritty image while still oozing with appeal. These combined with Aston Martin engineering made the car popular among fans and consumers alike.

Anyway, the big news is that Bond isn’t changing cars for the next film. Makes me wonder whether it will have some fanciful upgrades aside from a gun compartment and a defibrillator.

Now I’m actually getting tired of this. So the first two releases were interesting, this one, I say “Blah.” It’s just like what I felt with that darned Subaru WRX STi pictures getting one teaser at a time. It just mocks you.

Anyway, here’s another color for the Aston Martin DBS that you can choose from. That is, if you can afford it. Hah! Just this week, Aston Martin showcased two other colors already - Racing Green and Infa Red.

So which paint job would you choose?

A couple of days ago, we saw the DBS in Dupont’s unique green paint made specifically for racing. So if Racing Green isn’t your thing for the DBS, how about this super sexy color - Infa Red.

Can’t really say much but I’m loving it. The deep red is just plain seduction. That combined with the sleek styling and power of the DBS underscores the sex in sex on wheels.

The DBS with this paint job is just one heck of a temptress. Only if I could afford the $265000 price tag to get me one.

So the Aston Martin DBS is one heck of a car. Definitely not a Veyron or even a Ferrari 599 in terms of performance but the DBS is really one sexy car. Sure blame it on the Bond stigma but this sex on wheels is a masterpiece.

It looks so good that you often forget that its got a 6L V12 under its bonnet that brings about 510 horses translating to naught to a hundred kilometers in 4.3 and a top speed of 191 mph. Some tough muscle to back that pretty mug.

So you’re thinking about how to make this thing a bit more spiffy? Dupont just made a unique Racing Green color for the DBR9 and this same Racing Green is now an option for the DBS.

If you’re planning to get an Aston Martin DBS (with the hopes of looking like James Bond and have an Eva Green lookalike riding shotgun) in the near future, you’re out of luck, buddy. 1,500 orders for the DBS have already been placed placed for the Bond car.

The complication? Aston Martin production can only accommodate 300 DBS units per year, meaning that it will take Aston Martin five years to finish filing in the orders. This has undoubtedly made an impact on their production plans for the next years.

Aston Martin is also set to release the four-door Rapide in two or three years’ time. However, the demand for the DBS urged the company to reconsider their production strategies which may include outsourcing Rapide’s production to free up lines for the DBS demand. Initial plans peg 1000-2000 units a year for the Rapide.

Source: eGMCarTech

If it’s just for the head-turning looks, Aston Martins are always too hard to ignore. We’ve all waited for the new Aston Martin DBS (ever since Casino Royale made us want it so bad) to be showcased in one of the grandest stages of European motoring and it finally did in Frankfurt.

But that’s not just what Aston Martin had in store because with the DBS came the new special edition V8 Vantage N400 (pictured) and the DB9 LM. The latter two, being testaments to the Aston’s successes in Nurburging and Le Mans, respectively.

On one hand, we have the new Vantage N400 now sports a V8 engine that brings an additional 20bhp to the old one’s 380 bringing the total usable horses to 400. It also features a new Sports Pack that brings a modified suspension and lightweight allows to the picture making the Vantage’s ride a lot more edgier than the last one. On the other, we have the DB9 LM which commemorates the Aston’s GT1 class win with the DBR9 at Le Mans. It features red brake calipers, a redesigned mesh grill and a Sports Pack.

Still, the big kahuna for Aston this time is the DBS which finally makes its European debut. It’s a dashingly handsome and very sexy set of wheels. Very Bond. And it’s no pussy either with its powerful 6.0L V12 engine under its bonnet that dishes out 510bhp that can propel the DBS to 191 mph and get to 100kph in just 4.3 seconds.

As far as the prizes go, the DBS is tagged at £160,000, the N400 starts at £92,000 and the DB9 LM costs £124,000. Got cash, will buy.

Aston will still be showcasing the Bond car - the Aston Martin DBS - but it’s not the only car with the Aston badge that we’ll be seeing in the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show. Word has it that Aston Martin will also be featuring a couple of other cars under the lights.

The added attractions? Road versions of the DB9 and the Vantage with a smaller V8 under the bonnet. Now, as production cars that will be hitting the market, they seem to be targeted to take on the Porsche 911 GT3 and the Ferrari F430 Scuderia. How the market would play out? Well we’ll know in time, wouldn’t we.

Source: Auto Express