By Craig McAlpine

imotormag

On the same day that I got to preview the Vantage V12, this was also getting snapped for AutoExpress. I must admit I was not quite as excited about the DBS Volante as I was about the Vantage, but with the roof down and your foot on the gas it certainly is pretty special. Shame they wouldn’t let me drive it before the show, and we were banned from filming anything ‘dynamic’ sigh.

Some of the guys around the office weren’t all that impressed with the new Quantum of Solace trailer, but I thought it was pretty sweet. Of course, I’m a James Bond super-fan, so my opinion is hardly objective. The action doesn’t start until about three-quarters of the way through, but in my opinion, it’s worth the wait. I particularly like the footage of 007′s Aston Martin DBS ripping down a dirt road, as it reminds me of taking the Apache Trail during the Bullrun. What do you think about this clip? Hot or not?

The news that esteemed watch-maker Jaeger Le-Coultre will release a watch which can pop the locks of Aston Martin’s mind-numbingly sexy DBS was all over the web yesterday, and as cool as I think both Astons and hyper-fancy watches are, I think this idea is a little silly. First off, from my understanding, the trick timepiece won’t actually start the car, so you still have to carry the key—or, in Aston parlance, the "Emotional Control Unit"—to go anywhere, and, I’m sorry, this watch doesn’t look like something James Bond would sport. In the books, 007 wore a Rolex Submariner, which, of course, is expensive and elegant. But it’s elegant like a crowbar is elegant: it has clean lines, does its job well and can take being bashed around. There’s a pic of the Jaeger Le-Coultre after the jump, but in my opinion, it looks a little too precious, and as someone who currently carries the text of everything I’ve had published over the past ten years, some of my favorite skate videos, and a burly music collection around in my pocket, I’m just not impressed that a company can make a transponder small enough to wear as a bracelet. But that’s just my opinion, what do you think about this watch? Hot or not?

Continue reading "Aston Martin Transponder Watch: Hot or Not?" »

I mentioned this wreck yesterday in New on the Net–a stunt driver lost control of an Aston Martin DBS while attempting to deliver it to the set of the latest Bond flick, and ended up in Lake Garda, Italy. Well, here’s some video of the car after they pulled it out of the drink. I can’t believe the guy didn’t get killed! My Italian is getting a bit rusty but the guys walking around the car sound equally amazed.

Sean came back from the Pioneer Build-Off but John and Jen are still out, so if there are too many Mopar stories and/or a bunch of typos, you’re just gonna have to deal. Here’s the news:

• Get caught with truck nuts in Florida and it will cost you $60. Autoblog.
• A stunt driver lost control of an Aston Martin DBS while attempting to deliver it to the set of the latest Bond flick, and ended up in Lake Garda. Oops. Jalopnik.
• Hybrid sales are up 38% in the last twelve months. Go figure. Motor Authority.
• General Motors slipped to the No. 4 spot on the Fortune 500 list. How low can they go? Detroit News.
• That London congestion charge isn’t working out too well. I wonder if NYC is paying attention. The Truth About Cars.
• It’s been a rough week for buses in the Seattle area. Yesterday a Ferrari crashed into a shuttle bus in Lakewood. The two people in the Ferrari died. Seattle Times.

Yesterday, I linked to a article which said Toyota might best the General to become the world’s number one automaker. Well, they either did, or they didn’t, depending on who you believe. Automotive News is calling it for Toyota, and the Detroit News is going with GM. Personally, I’m blaming Florida. Here’s the rest of the news:

• There’s no cladding on the drop-top Aston Martin DBS in these shots. Maybe the testers figured all the snow would work just as well: Auto Express
• Bob Lutz says that even with gas prices at record highs, US drivers won’t embrace small cars. Maybe he just wants to sell more V8s: Automotive News
• Of course, he might be right. Maybe consumers will just shun cars altogether, and start taking the bus: Seattle Times
• One company that is betting American’s will embrace small cars is smart. They’re so confident, they’re relying on word-of-mouth to move units: Automotive News
• Tesla says they’ve solved the tranny issues that have been plaguing its Roadster, and they’re going to start cranking them out in March. But that’s not the whole story: Wired

It has now been two years since the Aston Martin Rapide concept car was first unveiled, and only this week has a near-production prototype of the car finally been spotted. Two spy photos of unknown origin surfaced online yesterday, showing a test car that is not heavily camouflaged, but is clearly still a work in progress. Given the strong interest in the Rapide, Aston Martin says it will build between 1000 and 2000 units per year, up from an original estimate of 500 or fewer. The car will be the second new model launched under Aston’s new ownership, following the DBS coupe. There were rumors recently that the British supercar maker was considering taking production of the car outside of the UK, but these remains purely speculative at this point in time. Like Aston’s other models, the Rapide is built on the company’s VH (Vertical/Horizontal) architecture. Despite its sporty looks, it’s roughly the size of a Mercedes S-Class.

After being hand built in England, the DBS made an early debut on the big screen in the James Bond movie, Casino Royale. This weekend, it made its first real public appearance at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours. The DBS, which claims to offer "pure performance without compromise," is a 6.0 liter V12 monster that can put out a whopping 510 horses, reaching a top speed of 191 miles per hour and running zero to sixty in 4.3 seconds. Prices will be announced at the Frankfurt Show in September, but I am sure that this will definitely be out of my price range.  What do you think?

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