Aston Martin

Water wings ASTON MARTIN DESIGN TEAM HELPS CREATE AM37 ‘SPORTS SUPER YACHT’

AM37 SPORTS BOAT / WORDS Jethro Bovingdon / IMAGES ASTON MARTIN / #Aston-Martin-AM37 / #Aston-Martin / #2016

It doesn’t get much cooler than pointing the long, elegant bonnet of your Aston Martin south and not stopping until you get to Monaco on a warm summer’s evening. Maybe you’ll stay at the Hotel de Paris, spend an evening on the tables at the Casino de Monte-Carlo. The next day? A short amble down to the Hercules Port and then a day on the yacht, I guess. And it would be only natural and fitting for the yacht to be as effortlessly stylish as your Vanquish or One-77. Which is where the AM37 comes in, a collaboration between Quintessence Yachts and Aston Martin.

And just about the most ridiculously desirable object on planet Earth. Aston Martin’s design department is obviously incredibly highly regarded even beyond the usual automotive boundaries. So much so that it has a three-person team under the banner ‘The Art of Living’ that’s dedicated to projects away from car design. They’ve produced fabric collections with renowned couture fabric and lace maker Emilia Burano, exquisite furniture with Formitalia and now the jaw-dropping AM37 with Quintessence.

Marek Reichman, chief creative officer and design director, explains what made them take on such an ambitious project and what makes this 11.28-metre (37ft, hence the name) sports superyacht unique. You have to imagine him smiling broadly as you read, because he really is fired-up about the AM37. ‘Quintessence were coming with a blank sheet,’ he begins. ‘They were saying: “This is going to be your design, with some practical input from our naval architect.”

‘We clay-modelled it here, we did the surfacing here, every piece of data to create the boat came from here. So that was part of the attraction – they were not coming with a perceived view of what AM37 should be.’

Even so, Reichman’s vision wasn’t easy to execute and there were plenty of heated debates with the naval architects, the Dutch firm Mulder Design. ‘It was harmonious after we’d had our struggles!’ he laughs. ‘What I learnt is that different disciplines apply the same techniques but at different times. It was like when I first got here. You have to prove your knowledge. Now the relationship is good – we’ve both learnt a huge amount and they’re saying: “We’re glad we didn’t force you away from those ideas.”’

So it’s a luxurious, sporting yacht available with two 370bhp Mercury diesel engines or twin 430bhp #Mercury petrol engines, or in S form with twin 520bhp petrol engines and a top speed of 52 knots (60mph). It has a composite hull and carbonfibre structural strengthening, beautiful teak decking and accommodation consisting of a small galley kitchen, sofa/double bed, dining table and toilet (because even the superglamorous produce waste). Each AM37 will be built in Southampton and, while pricing hasn’t been confirmed, we’d bet on not getting much change from £1 million. But what makes it Aston Martin?

‘It’s always based around beauty. It has to be,’ explains Reichman. ‘In itself that creates longevity. The hull is very sharp – you look at the front view and many powerboats have a bluff front these days, whereas AM37 is quite traditional. I wanted this look so that when seen in profile AM37 has a very defined point at the front. Stemming from that is the teak cabin, the greenhouse flowing up from it with that unique concave glass. The metal strips that run from the tip of the yacht and sweep up the glass create a very cab-rearward look, so even when it’s static it looks like it’s powering away.’

Beyond the simple beauty there’s innovation driven by the aesthetic, too. An electrically operated three-piece deck made from carbonfibre completely covers the cabin when the boat is moored and then retracts below the aft deck, where it joins the carbonfibre Bimini cover that can be raised to provide shade from the sun. Marek loves this feature. ‘When you’re moored you get this beautiful deck – and that came from the inspiration of seeing stunning Thames River cruisers: beautiful wooden cruisers that are so simple.’

Of course an Aston Martin can’t just look right and Marek and Quintessence were at pains to ensure the AM37 was suitably effortless. ‘We wanted AM37 to feel like it’s planing, smooth and controlled,’ he recalls. ‘So you can only hear the sound of the water, not the boat interrupting it, fighting the surface. An incredibly serene ride, easy and comfortable to go fast in and therefore confidence-inspiring. It’s not an out and out speedboat, it’s a pleasure powerboat that has all the power that you need when you need it. Just like a DB11, absolutely. When you see AM37 moored beside one of our cars I’m certain you’ll see the shared philosophy, the shared authenticity. They’ll impart the same feelings and sensations.’

‘It has all the power that you need, when you need it. Just like a DB11, absolutely’

Left, from the top Aston design themes continue into the cockpit; top speed will be 52 knots; carbonfibre deck slides forward to cover the cockpit when moored.

SHOWROOM STARS #Aston-Martin-One-77 / #2016 / #Aston-Martin / #2016-Aston-Martin-One-77 / £1,800,000

Aston Martin Works, UK. +44 (0)1908 610620, www.astonmartinworks.com

The economics of buying a brand new car outright still make little sense in general – the AA reckons that the average new car is worth just 40% of the purchase price after three years – but in recent times several hypercars have demonstrated that not everything loses value the moment it is driven away from the showroom. Defying the depreciation curve with particular belligerence is the Aston Martin One-77, a £1.2-million machine when delivery began in 2011, and even more expensive in the UK once Her Majesty’s Government had added VAT at 20%.

It was easy to understand why the price tag was so large, though: each of the 77 cars built was completed to the buyer’s specification inside and out, and beneath the handcrafted aluminium body was an awe-inspiring 750bhp V12, then the most powerful naturally aspirated petrol engine in the world. (That title now belongs to the 6.2-litre 770bhp unit in the Ferrari F12tdf but, if the factory figures are to be believed, the One-77 is nonetheless the quicker car, topping out at a tyre-shredding 220mph.)

It was devastatingly attractive, too – very recognisably a post-DB9 Aston, but with a don’t-mess, all-business aesthetic of its own. Unsurprisingly, in the years since 2011, those who were unable to secure a One-77 when new have been prepared to pay handsomely to acquire a used car. Handsomely enough, in fact, that values are already far north of the new price.

‘Used’ is probably the wrong word, for there are not many One-77s in the world that are driven regularly. Indeed, the car currently available through Aston Works has done just 900 miles, and presents in correspondingly pristine condition.

Its first owner picked a combination of Pearl Black paint over a silver-and-black interior. That wouldn’t have been our choice, but we needn’t worry about that: not only do we not have £1,800,000 to spend, but the car is also unlikely to be available for long. The market shows that the world’s car enthusiasts have conferred classic status on the One-77 already. Getting hold of one will only get harder.

Aston Martin’s future is here. As important as the DB4 and the DB9 once were – perhaps even more so – the DB11 pioneers a new seven-car range. Words David Lillywhite. / #Aston-Martin-DB11 / #Aston-Martin / #2016

We make no apologies for featuring the DB11 again. This is the first full drive of a production car, a car that brings in a critical new era for Aston Martin. It’s arguably the most important car in the company’s history, because the design and technology behind it will form the basic of another six new models, and – assuming it’s successful – it will financially support the last three of those new models.

Everything has gone into this. It’s still pure Aston Martin in looks but a clear step forward – and in technology terms it’s a massive move on from the current range. The new all-alloy sub-structure uses more pressings than the outgoing VH architecture, with added alloy castings to further enhance its strength and versatility. Within virtually the same exterior dimensions as the DB9, an extra 65mm in the wheelbase and more efficient use of space means there’s significantly more leg and head room both front and rear. The engine is an all-new 600bhp twin-turbo V12, the transaxle the same ZF eight-speed auto, and the electrical architecture is sourced from Daimler.

Aston wants there to be more distinction between each model in the range, which meant enhancing the DB11’s GT characteristics. So improved comfort, more relaxed behaviour at high speed and a better ride at any speed were all high on the wish-list. That it’s more civilised is clear from the first push on the ‘crystal’ key starter, because there’s now a soft-start pushand- hold option to mute the exhaust on startup. Fear not, however: the neighbour-baiting exhaust flare is still there on a standard start.

It’s equally clear that the ride is smoother than the DB9’s, less prone to jiggling over rough surfaces, while the exhaust rumbles subtly above the faint whirr of the transmission. Definitely quieter than the DB9. The steering feels more fluid, though ironically it’s now electrically assisted rather than hydraulic, and the brakes are wonderfully progressive.

Through the corners it’s precise but not razor-sharp in the softest ‘GT’ mode, a trade-off of the GT character, and every now and again the test car would lurch slightly mid-corner as if the rear dampers were overwhelmed. It was such a subtle effect that five seconds later you’d wonder if it really happened – but it did, and ex-Lotus handling guru Matt Becker said later at the press launch that software engineers were on their way to tweak out the behaviour.

A flick of the suspension mode switch into Sport mode eliminates the ‘lurch’ with only the smallest compromise to the ride, the engineers deliberately avoiding the tooth-rattling firmness of previous Sport settings. If you want that, there’s Sport-Plus, best left for the track.

There’s nothing about the DB11 that’s not an improvement on the DB9, and that includes the interior, which is even more exquisite. And of course the DB11 is quicker: 200mph and 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds. Retailing at £154,900, it signals an exciting new era for Aston Martin.

Top and above. No rear spoiler to corrupt the lines thanks to new AeroBlade aerodynamic technology; interior is a huge step on from DB9’s; all-new aluminium structure.

Viewpoint / Why #Aston-Martin-DB11 has to deliver / #Aston-Martin / #2016 /

Such is the pace of development at Gaydon these days, it’s genuinely hard to keep up. Witness another issue of Vantage and another raft of exciting new Astons. Whether it’s the welcome – and surprising – decision to offer the V12 Vantage S with a manual transmission, the equally welcome – but perhaps more predictable – announcement of a trackinspired Vantage GT8 and Vanquishbased #Zagato , or the frankly astonishing (no pun intended) news of a collaboration with Red Bull that will see an all-new Adrian Newey-designed hypercar, Aston Martin is making headlines.

Ridiculous though it sounds, with so much going on, it would be easy to forget about the DB11. Fortunately, Aston provided us with the perfect reminder of its most important new model in a decade by granting us an early drive of a ride and handling development prototype. Though it’s far from a definitive appraisal – we’ll bring you that in our next issue – our time at a private test facility near Rome offered a fascinating and tantalising glimpse of what the signed-off car will feel like.

If impressions from this early ‘engineering’ drive are accurate, Aston’s all-new GT unashamedly refocuses its emphasis on refinement and luxury. With a sporting twist, naturally.

The importance of those special qualities was brought to the forefront of our minds in the making of another story for this issue. Comparing one of the first DB9s with one of the last was a valuable exercise. Not just because it graphically illustrates just how much the DB9 has evolved, but because it highlights what an achievement that car was when it was launched.

The GT8s and Zagatos and hypercars are enormously exciting of course, but successfully replacing the DB9 is more important than all of those projects combined. Aston Martin needs a new landmark car. DB11 needs to deliver.

Hardcore V8 Vantage: catch it if you can

TRACK-INSPIRED LIMITED - EDITION GT8 SELLING FAST / WORDS RICHARD MEADEN PHOTOGRAPHY / / #Aston-Martin / #Aston-Martin-Vantage-GTE / #Aston-Martin-Vantage / #Aston-Martin-Vantage-GT8 / #2016

It might be getting long in the tooth, but the V8 Vantage is showing no signs of losing its bite if the GT8 is anything to go by. Following in the slipstream of its big brother the GT3-inspired GT12, the GT8 is Aston’s road-going interpretation of its #Aston-Martin-Vantage-GTE-World-Endurance-Championship contender.

Developed by Aston’s Special Projects team, the £165,000 GT8 is a strictly limited-edition model with a production run of 150 cars. Powered by a slightly more powerful iteration of the familiar 4.7-litre naturally aspirated V8, the GT8 has 440bhp and 361lb ft of torque and is available with a choice of six-speed manual or seven-speed Sportshift II paddleshift gearbox. Performance? Well, it’ll hit 60mph from a standstill in 4.4sec and storm on to a top speed of 190mph. Presumably on the Mulsanne Straight. So far as suspension and brakes are concerned the GT8 keeps things simple, with fixed-rate dampers (with a suitably track-focused set-up) and cast iron discs, 380mm at the front, 330mm rear. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s and a mechanical limited-slip diff complete the package.

In keeping with its road-racer vibe, the GT8 focuses on reducing weight to increase performance. Savings come from extensive use of carbonfibre, though to achieve the claimed 100kg saving and 1510kg kerbweight you’ll need many of the cost options. These include a carbonfibre roof, centre-lock forged magnesium wheels, polycarbonate rear screen and side windows, a titanium centre-exit exhaust and carbonfibre sports seats.

If you go for that little lot you may as well go for the optional aero package and ‘halo’ paint scheme. The former adds a large wing to the rear decklid and an additional lower element to each corner of the front splitter, while the latter gets you brightly coloured accents mimicking those on the GTE race-car. As you can see, it looks the part. Sounds the part, too, according to those who’ve heard it. But then it should do for what amounts to a near-£200k car when optioned to the hilt.

How will it drive? It won’t have the borderline lunatic performance of the GT12, but experience of that car’s noseheavy weight distribution and limited traction suggest the lighter, less powerful but better-balanced GT8 will be a more biddable machine. We also like the fact you can have it with a manual gearbox, and the old sweet-shifting six-speed unit at that, even though the paddleshift transmission is perhaps more in keeping with a 21st century quasi-racer.

By the time you read this the chances are all will be sold. If you’re one of the lucky 150, bravo! If you’re not, console yourself with the fact we’ll bring you a full test of the GT8 in the next issue.

Above and below. Optional aero package adds the large rear wing and the lower elements to the front splitter; ‘halo’ paint scheme adds race-car-style accents.

EDITOR’S WELCOME. #Aston-Martin / #2016

A celebration of British spirit. Imagine the scene, as two photographers attempt to herd nine Aston Martins into formation at Millbrook Proving Ground while five over-excited journalists insist on breaking ranks to try the cars around Millbrook’s tricky and twisty Hill Route.

As you can see from the front cover, we managed to stay sensible for just long enough to photograph all the cars together. But for the rest of the day we were able to drive and compare each of the cars, which was absolutely fascinating, even though most of us had driven most of the Aston DB range before.

In this case ‘we’ means long-term DB5 owner Andrew English, Aston Martin expert and Vantage magazine’s managing editor Peter Tomalin, supercar tester and Vantage contributor Jethro Bovingdon, Octane associate editor and Vantage sub-editor Glen Waddington - and me. The cars came via Aston Martin Works at Newport Pagnell and Aston Martin Lagonda at Gaydon, to see them arrive together was spine-tinglingly exciting.

We’ve said many times before how different good and bad examples of the same model can be, and 1950s and ’60s Aston Martins seem to suffer from this more than most. But with these cars having come from Works, we had the great advantage of being able to compare top-quality machinery, which was a huge pleasure. To start off in the charming DB2 and work through to the high-tech new DB11 was a rare privilege.

Favourites? Well, I won’t spoil it for you other than to say that my personal choice wavered between the perfect style of the DB4, the sublime DB6’s more practical compromise of looks and useability, and the ‘so wrong it’s right’ feel of the playboy DBS. And I have to add that the DB9 represents the absolute bargain of the overheated Aston Martin market.

As for the DB11, I reckon Aston has nailed it. It’s clearly an Aston Martin, its clearly a step on. We’ve had a funny old time here in the UK (more on that on page 220) but Aston Martin still makes us proud to feel British. Read our 20-page extravaganza, starting on page 76.

Aston and Red Bull plan ‘world’s fastest car’ AM-RB 001 HYPERCAR

COLLABORATION WITH RED BULL F1 DESIGNER WILL SET NEW BENCHMARKS FOR ROAD CAR PERFORMANCE

Words Richard Meaden / Photography AML / #Red-Bull / #Aston-Martin-DP100 / #Aston-Martin / #Aston-Martin-Red-Bull / #AM-RB-001 / #2016

Aston Martin is building a hypercar. Not a track-only follow-up to the Vulcan, but a fully fledged road-legal machine that promises to set stratospheric new performance benchmarks. The project, known internally as Nebula, is the first fruit of the partnership between Aston Martin and the #Red-Bull-F1 Formula 1 team. Hard information remains sketchy, but, from what we’ve been told and whispers we’ve heard, all indications are that it will stand alongside the McLaren F1 – itself built by an F1 team and conceived by Gordon Murray – as an era-defining car and a truly remarkable Aston Martin.

Led by Red Bull’s genius designer, Adrian Newey (a long-time Aston owner), the AM-RB 001 will be a rolling thesis in cutting-edge aerodynamics and packaging. The challenge for Aston Martin’s director of design, Marek Reichman, will be to marry this purity of function with a form that retains the essence of Aston Martin. This is a mouthwatering prospect, but, such are the claims made about the AM-RB 001’s performance, it’s hard to imagine exactly what the car will look like.

Clues are out there, though, for both Red Bull and Aston Martin have indulged flights of fantasy in the pixelated world of the PlayStation game, Gran Turismo. First, #Adrian-Newey created his and Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamouchi’s vision of the ultimate no-limits racing car with the X2010 (pictured over the page).

Then Aston’s Martin’s DP100 Vision Gran Turismo concept (below) celebrated the marque’s centenary by looking to the future. It’s not so far-fetched to imagine both virtual cars influencing the design and technology of the AM-RB 001.

According to Aston, the car will be capable of lapping a circuit at the pace of a modern F1 car, yet be perfectly useable on the road and, more crucially, perfectly drivable by mere mortals. No road car has ever managed to strike this balance, or come close to approaching such rarefied lap times, yet the claims are serious.

Newey’s involvement means the car will generate unprecedented levels of downforce, most likely provided by equally unprecedented reliance on underfloor aerodynamics so that the bodywork remains clean for Reichman to achieve the smooth, fluid surfaces for which modern Astons are renowned. Little is known about the powertrain, but some kind of hybrid system is likely, with technology taken from today’s F1 cars.

Whether the engine will be related to Aston’s new twin-turbo V12 is unknown, but given the inevitable weight and packaging constraints – and the likely inclusion of some kind of KERS – it’s unlikely the current production motor will be suitable. Could it be a pair of F1-spec V6 turbos? Who knows? But it’s fun to speculate. Likewise it’s fun to wonder at a target weight. The McLaren F1 weighs just 1100kg. It’s hard to imagine Newey would want to build something heavier than the 25-year-old icon. And if you assume the car will have in the region of 1000bhp, you don’t need to be a mathematician to deduce the power-to-weight ratio will rival that of a stick of dynamite.

A full-scale model of the car is due to make its public debut later this summer. Aston Martin is already registering statements of interest. Pricing is anyone’s guess, but somewhere in the region of £2m seems probable. What we do know is that it’s the most intriguing and eagerly awaited piece of exotica in a generation.

…while Vulcan goes road-legal

Long before we see the new Aston/ Red Bull hypercar, the extreme and so far track-only Vulcan is set to become the fastest road-legal Aston Martin yet, thanks to a collaboration with the RML Group. This extraordinary project was born when a small group of customers told Aston Martin they’d love to drive their Vulcans on the road. Late last year, the RML Group – the Northants-based motorsport and engineering company owned and run by Ray Mallock – was asked to develop a conversion kit to allow road registration under UK low-volume type approval rules, which also cover EU member states and and certain other markets.

Aston’s CEO Andy Palmer worked extensively with RML during his tenure at Nissan on highly-specialised projects such as the Juke R (a small ‘crossover’ with GT-R underpinnings) and the ZEOD RC hybrid Le Mans racer, so he knew their expertise with low-volume manufacturing and engineering solutions to complex concepts. This ingenuity has been put to the test with the Vulcan road car project, perhaps more so than anyone envisaged. ‘It’s actually a huge undertaking to take a Vulcan and then convert it into a road car that satisfies legislation and meets the expectations of demanding customers,’ explains Michael Mallock. ‘Certainly it requires a much bigger package of work than you’d expect!’

While the aim was very much to make a road-legal Vulcan rather than redevelop it into a full road car, the list of changes is vast. Most noticeable will be additional headlights, set much higher, but in fact every panel is subtly changed to meet requirements. There are new side mirrors, the ride height will be changed for the sake of usability with revised springs and dampers, there’s a new exhaust system, additional engine cooling, changes to the brakes to make them easier to use at road speeds… the list goes on.

While the Vulcan will remain fiercely uncompromising, the RML Group has looked at every part of the package with road use in mind. There will be an electric lifting system to get over speed bumps, and the front splitter and rear diffuser are tweaked to improve clearance, too. There will be more steering lock (necessitating new front uprights), a new central locking alarm/immobiliser, and the required handbrake and E-marked glass.


Despite the long list, the conversion will be reversible and was intended to keep the character of the Vulcan intact. Power outputs remain exactly the same in all three modes, so up to 820bhp. The conversion cost hasn’t been confirmed, but let’s just say you could buy a V8 Vantage for weekends and a Rapide S for family duties and have change left over.

Above. Changes to make #Aston-Martin-Vulcan road-legal (and useable) will include headlights and increased ride-height.

Left and above. F1 designer Newey heads the engineering team. #Red-Bull-X2010 concept holds more clues to #AM-RB 001.

Top and above. ‘Teaser’ graphic (top) is all Aston Martin has officially released. DP100 concept from Gran Turismo may provide another clue.

The last great British analogue sports car?

NORTH AMERICA - ONLY GT IS AN OLD-SCHOOL IT

Words David Lillywhite. Photography #Aston-Martin / #Aston-Martin-Vantage-GT / #2016 / #USA / #Aston-Martin-Vantage / #Aston-Martin-N430 /

Unless you’re living stateside, you probably won’t have seen this car before. Built for the north American market only, the 190mph Vantage GT is the US equivalent of the UK-market N430, with a pared-down specification that keeps the starting price under $100,000.

Does it suffer for being the cheapest Aston that dollars can buy? Not at all. In fact, the vantage is arguably at its best when the deliciously raucous 430bhp 4.7-litre V8 is mated to the six-speed manual transmission rather than to the pricier (by $5000) and rather clunky sportshift automated manual.

In manual guise, the GT feels like the last of the great British sports cars. It’s the most analogue of any of the current Astons, and arguably of any GT currently on the market, and with that comes a level of driver involvement you don’t find in more remote-feeling machinery.

So it tears away from rest with a satisfying squirm from the rear tyres and an intoxicating roar from the V8, hitting 60mph in 4.6 seconds; the brakes are excellent, and the electronic traction and stability systems allow indulgent tail-slides.

Like the N430, the GT comes in a choice of five different colours, with grille, mirrors, rear diffuser blade and (on the coupé) roofline picked out in contrasting hues. Not to everyone’s taste, and neither is the optional GT sidestripe inspired by Aston’s GT4 race-cars, but it does rather suit the exuberant character. Graphite forged alloys wheels and yellow brake calipers complete the look, while the interior features plenty of Alcantara trim. Coupé or roadster? Well, that’s your choice but we’d go for the metal roof, and not just because the drop-top costs an extra $15,000. This is an Aston Martin that’s best served at base level.

ELECTRIC HORSEPOWER / #Aston-Martin-Rapide / #Aston-Martin / #Aston-Rapide / #Aston-Martin-RapidE / #Aston-Martin-Rapid-E / #2016

Aston Martin has signed an agreement with technology company #LeEco to co-develop a number of electric vehicles, starting with a production version of the Aston-Martin-Rapide concept that could hit the market as early as 2018. CEO #Dr-Andy-Palmer commented: ‘Aston Martin is dedicated to developing a range of cars with low emission technologies. We see luxury electric vehicles as an intrinsic part of our future product portfolio.’