A twin-turbocharged Aston Martin that produces close to 700 kW and costs 7.5 million euros? Yes, it sounds amazing and from the pictures it looks it too. But Aston have just given us the One-77, so what’s this all about then?

This is the Aston Martin Super Sport, a specialist, coachbuilt supercar by Star Electric Cars France. Most of the time they build electric-powered golf carts that resemble Hummers, Bentleys and Astons, along with one-of-a-kind coachbuilds for rich car collectors around the world.

However, with production plans for up to eight Super Sports, this will be mass production by the company’s standards. Although, at over R65 million a piece, we doubt there will be too many disappointed prospective buyers!

The car is powered by a twin-turbocharged 5.4-litre V8, positioned in the middle of the car, that produces between 588 – 699 kW. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox (with a torque-sensing limited-slip differential), but a Formula 1-style paddleshift transmission is reportedly also available.

The Super Sport will be built with carbon fibre bodywork and Brembo, or AP Racing, carbon ceramic brakes. The interior will be covered in leather, alcantara and carbon fibre, with a set of Recaros to keep you snug.

The dramatic looking hypercar features plenty of Aston Martin styling cues, despite there being nothing in the British company’s current range that looks remotely similar. Each of the eight units will be be painted in a different colour, with each color only being used once.

Aston Martin has taken the wraps off of its latest special edition: The motorsports-inspired V8 Vantage N420.

A successor to the N400, the N420 commemorates Aston Martin’s performance at the Nürburgring 24 Hours race in Germany.

The new N420 weighs around 27 kilograms less than the standard car, thanks to additional carbon fiber trim inside and out. The biggest differences come in the car’s wider sills and carbon fibre front splitter, side sills, side ‘gills’ and rear diffuser. To make the N420 stand out more, Aston Martin includes gloss black 10-spoke diamond turned alloy wheels and special tail pipes.

Equipped with an optional Sports Pack, the N420 will also be available with the automaker’s new Race Collection paint schemes, which include contrasting accents inspired by various locales where the automaker competes in endurance racing.

Inside the car comes with an Iridium interior package, with graphite instruments, leather or Alcantara trim, special N420 sill plaques and lightweight carbon fiber seats. Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control and Park Distance Control are also standard.

The N420 is fitted with the standard 4,7-litre V8 engine, producing 309 kW and is capable of a 290 km/h top speed. The N420 is also available in Coupe or Roadster form and prospective owners have the choice of either a six-speed manual or Sportshift automated manual transmission.

Ford on Sunday announced it has entered into what is describes as a “definitive agreement” to sell the Volvo brand to China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, otherwise known in the industry simply as Geely.

Ford indicates the sale will close in the third quarter of 2010 and is subject to applicable regulatory approvals. Geely has agreed to pay US$1.8 billion for the Swedish automaker, which was acquired by Ford in 1999 for US$6.45 billion.

The sale of Volvo represents the final step in Ford’s dismantlement of its Premier Automotive Group, which previously included Aston Martin, Jaguar, and Land Rover. Ford sold Aston to a consortium of inventors in 2007 and divested itself of Jaguar and Land Rover in 2008.

In a statement to the press, Ford CEO Alan Mulally indicated the sale would “allow us to further sharpen our focus on building the Ford brand around the world.” Ford will continue to provide Volvo with various components, presumably until the automaker can develop proprietary replacements.

Adapted from LeftLaneNews

Monday saw one of the worst storms to hit Perth in recent history, with flash flooding, hail and wind causing the most damage. Part of the carnage was felt most by drivers behind the wheel when the sudden storm hit, as well as by dealerships who had no option but to watch their cars being destroyed.

One of the worst affected areas was Osborne Park, home to the more upper-class vehicles with the Audi Centre Perth, Lexus of Perth and Barbagallo’s Prestige being hit the hardest.

Mike Reed, sales manager for Lexus of Perth told of the tragic sequence of events.

“I was showing a customer one of our RX vehicles when we noticed the increase in wind and rain. We looked outside and saw a few small hailstones,” said Mr Reed. “We thought ‘Wow, look at that’ as we don’t often see hail in Perth. Then the hailstones got bigger and bigger.”

The stones quickly turned to golf ball size and the customer asked if the cars outside should be shifted. Reed remarked that it was too late – there was nowhere to shift the cars to.

“We just watched in horror. I saw the windscreens just explode and sunroofs being smashed in. It honestly looked like people were standing on top of the building and firing machine guns at our cars. It was like a warzone,” said Reed.

In total 109 cars were damaged, with an estimated replacement bill of over AUS$6million. And that’s just at one dealership.

Barbagallo’s, which is across the road, also suffered with the roof on the Lamborghini showroom collapsing. Millions of dollars of prestige cars were destroyed, mostly Land Rovers and Range Rovers which faced the storm head on, and on the opposite side of the yard. A few Aston Martins escaped damage.

One Toyota yard lost over 300 cars and thousands of personal cars have been written off. Insurance companies have been inundated by the, ahem, flood of claims with phone lines busy for days. Thankfully most people had insurance against storm and hail, although that may be likely to change as insurance companies decide whether to keep storm and hail as a standard inclusion.

Adapted from CarAdvice

Thanks to its ability to hand-finish each and every car it builds, buyers of the new Cygnet city car will be able to opt from a striking array of paint finishes. These images are taken from the manufacturers website, and preview a number of choices that buyers may opt for when the car goes on sale later this year, including this tiger-inspired scheme.

An Aston Martin spokesman confirmed, “Because the Cygnet is finished by hand, and not mass produced, in no other car in this segment can you exercise such a degree of personalisation.” He also confirmed that Aston will not offer any options to change anything mechanical on the car, but the range of colour and trim choices will be almost limitless, including all of the options pictured here. And while the option to choose from a near-limitless palette of colours for the firm’s existing cars has been offered for some time, Cygnet buyers will be positively encouraged to exercise their creative juices when ordering their cars, making each one unique. Aston Martin is currently collecting expressions of interest via its dealers and its official website, with “a healthy interest” being shown by the number of positive responses.

Adapted from AutoExpress

Aston Martin’s One-77 supercar has moved closer to setting a new all-time record for the British marque in initial high speed testing after surpassing all predictions and breaking the 350 km/h mark.

The One-77 is currently undergoing a stringent development process ahead of planned launch in 2010 with high speed testing taking place at a top secret proving ground in southern Europe. In a series of test runs completed last week, the One-77 exceeded original expectations and recorded a 354.86 km/h top speed in dry but windy conditions, under the guidance of the Aston Martin engineering team.

Press Release (Click to expand)

Adapted from DeiselStation

The Cygnet has landed! Before now all we had to go on was one image of a clay styling model, but these are the first full images, revealing Aston’s IQ-based baby in all its glory.

It’s the model that has confounded car fans the world over – but here is proof that the British firm is going ahead with its most ambitious project yet.

Using the Toyota IQ as a starting point, Aston plan to ship the Japanese cars over to the UK before adding the radical styling changes, inside and out, that you can see here. At the front that classic Aston grille, but minituarised has been grafted on, alongside V12 Vantage-style bonnet vents and the famous Aston Martin badge.

The trademark side gills, gorgeous 16-spoke 16-inch alloys and boomerang style lights finish off the exterior enhancements. But it’s inside the cabin where Aston has really rung the changes.

An almost limitless range of bespoke materials will be available to trim the cabin, along with every gadget you’d expect to find in a modern luxury car. An iPod dock in the centre of the dash, built-in sat-nav and leather on almost every surface can clearly be seen in the photo.

Engine options will be limited to the larger 73 kW 1,3-litre engine from the IQ, meaning performance won’t be on a par with other cars in Aston’s range but that’s mising the point – the idea behind this car is to reduce average CO2 emissions across the line-up.

Work on the concept is ongoing and will continue into 2010 when it will become a production reality, initially available only to Aston Martin customers in the UK and Europe, for a price of around £20 000.

Adapted from AutoExpress

Few will ever contest the exclusivity of owning an Aston Martin. Any Aston Martin will do, but it doesn’t get any better than the supercars in the line-up, being the DBS and V12 Vantage.

But if you reckon there are a few too many of these models around, then I suspect you’ll be more than pleased with the Carbon Black Special Editions, which the company has just announced.

If you choose either of these models, expect bespoke Carbon Black metallic paint with a subtle metallic twist for a rich patina finish.

But this is no ordinary paint job. Each car will require an incredible 50 man-hours of hand painting with stringent quality control to ensure a perfect finish.

The traditional Aston Martin side strake is finished in proper carbon fibre, backed by black mesh along with a set of superb gloss black 10-spoke diamond turned alloy wheels.

It’s all about black inside the car too with Obsidian Black leather with contrasting sliver course stitch – hand stitched of course by craftspeople at Aston Martin headquarters in England.

Special lightweight seats made from carbon fibre and Kevlar replace the standard sports seats, saving a significant 17 kilograms per seat.

Continuing with the all-black theme, the facia, centre stack and centre console are trimmed Piano black along with anodised black tread plates and carbon sill plaques.

Audio in the V12 Vantage is a 700w premium system, which we rate as the best standard fit in car audio system we have heard in 2009, while the DBS is fitted the incomparable Bang & Olufsen Beosound DBS system as standard kit.

Order the Carbon Black Edition V12 Vantage then you will have the opportunity to experience Aston Martin’s Performance Driving Course (UK and Europe only) free of charge, which should be hugely rewarding for any owner.

Adapted from CarAdvice

Well known performance exhausts manufactures, Quicksilver and Tubi Style, are now represented in South Africa by Race Sound Performance Exhausts.

Race Sound is the brainchild of Reinhart Schwendinger, ex-marketing manager for Ferrari and Maserati South Africa. Schwendinger says, ‘After more than a year of planning, and with two top brands secured, Race Sound is now ready to deliver exhausts that make sports cars sound the way they should.’

Italian exhaust manufacturer Tubi Style, is based in the town of Maranello and located next door to the prestigeous Ferrari factory. Tubi Style have their heritage in Formula 1 and began producing their first exhaust systems in 1987. More than 20 years later, the company continues to manufacture exhaust systems for exclusive sports car brands, including Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Porsche. In addition, Tubi Style also cater for two wheeled exotica with their HPE (High Performance Exhaust) exhausts for Ducati, Benelli, Buel and BMW motorcycles.

Quicksilver Exhausts originate from Surrey, England. A location admittedly not as emotive as Maranello, but one that houses the Quicksilver factory where more 30 years of manufacturing experience come together to produce exhaust systems for the world’s finest cars. Quicksilver stainless-steel exhausts are manufactured by craftsmen in order to ensure the original performance, appearance and sound, and are also backed by a superior 25 year anti-corrosion guarantee.

With almost 50 years of specialist exhaust manufacturing experience between the brands, Race Sound is able to offer performance stainless-steel exhaust systems for the finest classic, prestige and exotic sports cars on South Africa’s roads.

The company’s performance exhaust range caters for both petrol and diesel versions of; Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Audi, Austin, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Maserati, Porsche as well as; Ford, Daimler, Hummer, Landrover/Range Rover, Lotus, Mercedes, MG, Mini, Morgon Morris and Rolls Royce.

UPDATE:  Race Sound is now an agent for Eisenmann exhaust systems. Eisenmann is widely recognised as one of the top exhaust manufacturers in the world. Proof of the German exhaust manufacturers quality is the fact that Eisenmann are the OEM suppliers for Porsche, AMG Mercedes, Brabus, Reiger Tunnig, Lumma Tuning, G-Power and others. Every Eisenmann exhaust is built to your individual preferences – for example, tip sizes, styles and preferred sound level (choosing from either; Factory Sport, Road Sport or Race levels). So if you’re looking for a high-quality exhaust system for your pride and joy, get in touch with Reinhart at Race Sound and find out what is available for your car from the likes of Tubi Style, Quicksilver, HPE or Eisenmann.