Dutch company HBH is currently working on a mid-engine version of Aston Martin V12 Vantage - which is a front mounted engine car - and website ClassicDriver has uploaded a few CGI images of the model. The name of the project is Bulldog GT, a reference to the original 1980 Aston Martin Bulldog, a mid-engine one-off that never made it into production. As you can see, the car maintains the typical signature styling of the British brand, even though a lot of work has been done to adapt it to the new mechanical configuration.

Apparently, the frame of the car is not going to be an original piece, a move that will make it easier for the model to pass crash test and homologation exams. However, HBH is still refining the car’s aerodynamics and this may require some tweaking work on the frame later on. According to Aston Martin’s tradition, there won’t be carbon fibre fairings as all parts will be made of hand-beaten aluminum. The 6.0 V12 unit will receive two superchargers that would boost its output up to 675 hp and 750 Nm of peak torque, while the transmission will be a 6-speed manual transaxle gearbox with limited-slip differential. The jaw-dropping Bulldog GT is provisionally scheduled for early 2013.

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The new Aston Martin V8 Vantage S is the peppered up version of the ’standard’ Vantage, with its sexy looks backed up by a little extra grunt. But mostly the Vantage S has a new seven-speed paddle shift from Graziano which apparently makes all the difference. A new Sport Button modifies throttle response and the transmission speed, there is sharper steering and modified brakes with an aluminium mix.

“It’s a proper sports car” is the verdict, but the only drawback for the V8 Vantage S is the cost. The price tag pushes it close to a Porsche 911 Turbo, meaning many who aren’t necessarily Aston fans will be making a classic Porsche choice over the British model. Still, apart from extremely minimal criticisms, if the Aston Martin Vantage S is good enough for Steve Sutcliffe….

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Do all the hot British supercars come in blue? After seeing the Jaguar XKR-S video, here is the Aston Martin Vantage S in a track video from the Ascari Race Resort. The model is that great mix of British class and grunt, and in this fantastic video we get to hear all that V8 hum. Check it out in new pics below, too.

Aston Martin Vantage S

Continue reading: Aston Martin Vantage S track video

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In this hot video we see the Aston Martin V12 Vantage alongside the Aston Martin Le Mans racer: the LMP1. The latter was created in collaboration with Lola and is used both in the famous Le Mans race and in other sports races. Both vehicles are equipped with a six-litre V12 engine, while the Vantage has power of 517. That’s impressive in itself, while the LMP1 has more than 650 hp on a car that weighs just 900 kg. The racer we see in this video is ready for the greener pastures of retirement as the new LMP1 is ready for competition at the 2011 Le Mans.

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Always unimpressed by the Aston Martin Cygnet - a microcar based on the Toyota iQ - we think it’s very weird to learn that the Cygnet is being planned for the US market, too. While the Cygnet is only for customers who already have an Aston and so could therefore be argued to be an exclusive accessory to the real thing, it seems strange that the company would even bother to make it available on a market that already hates the Smart ForTwo.

While it’s not the fault of Americans that the Smart ForTwo has been a failure, and neither has it been just because it’s a minicar, the ForTwo has probably dampened US enthusiasm for anything under a hatch model. The rebadged iQ will get an all-electric version in 2013 and while the Cygnet could prove an alternative to the Smart, it is still just an iQ dressed up in fancy (and expensive) Aston Martin finishes.

Luckily though, the Cygnet won’t be the only thing coming from the company in the years to come. We should apparently get a redesigned Aston Martin Vantage in 2014, preceded by a new DB9 in 2013. Production of the limited edition, carbonfibre One-77 should start by year end and we shouldn’t see anything with the Lagonda name attached to it for a few years’ yet (and that’s after the Aston Martin SUV was killed off because…well no-one liked it really).

Source | Automotive News

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The Auto Trophy 2009 awards have been given by Auto Zeitung after reader surveys of about 105,000 participants. Obviously the local German cars were very successful, with Audi taking home a total of 40 percent of votes across all categories, but there have been a couple of surprises, too.

A special mention goes to the Opel Astra for its quality-price ratio, while the new BMW 1 Series won the best advertising campaign award. Across the categories, readers voted on 370 different models in total. In the small car category, the Volkswagen Polo won with 32.9 percent, while for imported small cars the Fiat 500 won with 20.6 percent. Among the mid-size range was the Volkswagen Golf 6, and for imported cars in this category, the Skoda Octavia won a divided contest, with 18.5 percent of votes.

The mid-size, top range cars featured some of the larger German models, with the Audi A5 Sportback winning with 27.2 percent of votes, and the Volvo V70 winning in the imported category. The luxury category was dominated by the Mercedes E-Class with 42.7 percent of votes, while the Jaguar XF took the title for imported vehicles. Among the flagship models, the Porsche Panamera won and the Aston Martin Rapide won in the imported category with 33.7 percent.

Continue reading: Auto Zeitung Auto Trophy: SLS AMG top supercar

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Elite’s Aston Martin LMV/R (Le Mans Vantage Racer) is a supercar based on the V8 Vantage, with some elements of the Ferrari 430 Scuderia and Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera. The LMV/R is a superlight version of the Vantage coupé with extensive use of carbon fibre.

Additional modifications include touching up the braking system, suspension and chassis dimensions for a wider car. The special edition will be produced in just 30 models and it’s a pricey proposition: over 130,000 euros without even factoring in the cost of the Vantage to be used as a platform.

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The lucky guys over at CarAndDriver put to the test three of the most-wanted supercars currently on the market: the Aston Martin Vantage, the Audi R8 and the Porsche 911 turbo. The aim is to find out the best “everyday supercar” and the results are a little surprising. Check out the video and then, which would you choose…?

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This car has always been a collage of a sublime engine, and body-work of devine proportions - a car that was always going to be beautiful from the start of the production line. It would be near impossible to ruin a stylistic masterpiece like the Vantage, with its V12 6.0 engine, deriving from the DBS, although the RS name evokes a not-so-elegant and discreet competition.

Fortunately at Gaydon, they have decided to remain faithful to the initial spirit of the V12 RS concept, ensuring that fascination remains uncurtailed as does the British soul of the car. The V12 contained in the bonnet of the Road Sport has an output of about 550bhp, combined with a retractable rear spoiler - when you do a body-kit…

The British publication Car has another juicy rumour: Aston Martin could be working on a new V8, with 4 733cc, photographed on a Vantage doing the rounds of the Nurburgring. In short, beauty has been born.

Continue reading: Spy shots: Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS

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Aston Martin will build a Roadster variant of the V8 Vantage N400, a special limited-edition based on the V8 Vantage shown at the latest Frankfurt auto show and dedicated to the legendary Nürburgringer Nordschleife.

Only 240 units will be produced, but for the Roadster version it will not be possible to order the roll bar that can be had as an optional for the N400 coupè. The N400 pack consists of a new, more powerful version of the 4.3-litre V8 engine of the Vantage, that on the N400 outputs 400 bhp and 420Nm. The suspension set-up is also different from the softer one of the normal Vantage Roadster.

We can imagine how gratifying will be hearing the ferocious sound of the V8 on this en-plein-air supercar…

Via | MotorAuthority

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