'Aston Martin'

Hydrogen and electricity dominate the discourse of zero-emission vehicles, and Aston Martin set out to prove the worth of the former on Germany's famed Nurburgring race course. The British automaker completed a lap of the 15-mile Nordschleife circuit last weekend in a race-modified Rapide S model fueled by hydrogen.

The lap was in preparation for next month's 24 Hours of Nurburgring, in which Aston Martin will enter its car in the E1-XP experimental class of the endurance race.

Aston Martin's Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S uses an idea already extensively explored by BMW: burning hydrogen in an internal … Read more

Sean Connery first rocked the iconic James Bond Aston Martin DB5 in 1964's "Goldfinger." That vehicle made a reappearance in this year's blockbuster "Skyfall" with Daniel Craig at the wheel.

Spoiler alert: Craig's DB5 meets an untimely end involving flames. You can't just take a priceless real DB5 and blow it up on film, so the filmmakers turned to a high-tech prop solution: 3D printing.… Read more

Hot on the heels of Bentley's announcement of its new GT Speed comes news from Aston Martin about the revival of the coolest model name in the automotive industry. A new Vanquish model will show up early next year exhibiting extremes of luxury and performance.

According to Aston Martin's release, the new Vanquish looks to be a significant technological improvement. Not often seen with a grand tourer, the body is entirely composed of carbon fiber. That construction should make the car lighter than the DBS, the model it replaces, although Aston Martin did not release a curb weight … Read more

The new Vantage V8 is not the first Aston Martin with only eight cylinders, just the newest. While other models from this hallowed company boast V-12s exclusively, Aston Martin decided to let the Vantage go downmarket a little, equipping it with a smaller engine and dropping the price to within view of $100,000.

But even at $150,000, what do you get for your money? The white, winged badge looks cool and the body boasts head-turning style. The V-8 under the hood delivers plenty of power with an enjoyable exhaust note, while the rigid body lends itself to sharp … Read more

Summer is upon us, which means that it's officially open-air motoring season. However, not all cabriolets are created equal; there are actually many different types of convertibles to choose from. We've rounded up seven of the most obvious convertible classes and the best examples of each. … Read more

Bjarne Sorenson, Bang & Olufsen's Automotive Technology Director, is a very lucky guy. As we sat in the Aston Martin DBS listening to music, he described the approval process for the company's recent work with BMW. As BMW was putting the final touches on its new 6-series, Sorenson got to spend a few days driving the Autobahn at 100 mph in the car, making sure the optional Bang & Olufsen audio system produced the same perfect sound at high speeds as it did at a stop.

Sorenson has also been lucky in launching Bang & Olufsen's automotive … Read more

Less than three months on the market and the Fisker Karma is already getting high praise for being "green" and luxurious. Just last month, the near $100,000 plug-in hybrid was named "Luxury Car of the Year" by BBC Top Gear magazine.

Part of what makes the Karma so luxurious is the used interior material from Bridge of Weir. The EcoStandard and EcoSport models' seat, steering wheel, dash, door casings and center console trim are all wrapped in the Scottish company's locally produced "low carbon leather," Bridge of Weir said in a press … Read more

With $527,000, you could buy a one-bedroom condo in Manhattan's West Village, a Girard-Perregaux Cat's Eye Tourbillon Haute Joaillerie watch, or an 82-foot Multiplast Fast Express yacht. But you might also consider an Aston Martin V12 Zagato, a limited-production run car designed to commemorate the 1960 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato.

Aston Martin designed the V12 Zagato to commemorate the 1960 DB4 GT Zagato, a version of the DB4 modified at Italy's Zagato factory. The V12 Zagato was built on the V12 Vantage platform. Its body is comprised of carbon fiber and aluminum. The car boasts a 0 to 62 mph time of 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 190 mph.

Initially, Aston Martin entered two V12 Zagatos in the 24-hour Nurburgring endurance race, which both cars finished. The model garnered enough interest from the public that Aston Martin announced a limited run, just 150 of the hand-built cars. … Read more

As a herald of an electric-car future, jurors for the World Car Awards named the Nissan Leaf as the 2011 World Car. The New York auto show is the yearly venue for the announcement, which also includes awards for performance, design, and environmentalism.

That latter category, the World Green Car, went to the Chevy Volt this year. The Nissan Leaf was a runner-up for the Green award.

The top three competitors for the World Car Award were the Nissan Leaf, Audi A8, and BMW 5-series. The jurors commented that "The Leaf is the gateway to a brave new electric … Read more