[Crushed]

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/as...a-special-car/

The CEO announced a new model is coming for the 100th anniversary!

How do you celebrate a car company’s birthday? James Bond’s favorite car, Aston Martin, is turning 100 next year, so a celebration is in order. Aston’s executives decided to go with a special edition model, rather than a giant cake. How special will this car be?
Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez says the centennial car will be an “entirely new model,” but for this British company, that term is relative. Like Porsche with the 911, Aston has mastered the art of turning one car into many cars. The DB9 gets a body kit and some mechanical tweaks to become either a Virage or a DBS, depending on how much performance a customer wants. Aston also adds two doors to the DB9 to get a Rapide.
Consequently, it is more than likely that the “new” Aston will be based on an existing model. Nonetheless, Bez says the car “won’t be a DB9 with a Centenary Edition badge and it won’t be a limited edition like the One-77 supercar. This will be a mainstream Aston.” The One-77 was a hypercar with over 700 horsepower pumped out of a 7.3-liter V12; only 77 were made. That would make one hell of a birthday present.
It is also possible that Aston will use its centennial to launch a new or revamped model from its existing line, instead of building a one year-only special edition. The next-generation DBS, which will replace the car Bond drove in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, is expected soon. The DBS is sportiest Aston Martin, and the new version will reportedly have 550 hp. A big anniversary would be the perfect time to unleash it.
Whatever the new car ends up being, it will not be a radical change for Aston Martin. According to Bez, the centennial model will look a lot like current Astons. “The best cars stand the test of time,” he says, “You need evolution in design, not constant change.” Bez wants Aston to follow the strategy Porsche uses with the 911 by keeping styling changes minimal. The current range of Astons are probably the best looking cars on the road, so that will work for now. At some point, Aston’s design may have to try something new so customers don’t get bored.
More often than not companies celebrate important milestones with “special” models that are nothing more than extra badges, new wheels, and different paint. Chevrolet recently celebrated its centennial with a special edition Corvette Z06. The all-black centennial edition looked pretty sinister, but also a bit funereal. Other than the paint, it wasn’t that different from a regular Z06.
Hopefully, whatever Aston Martin is brewing up for its 100th birthday will be more significant than that. Special editions are usually rip-offs, but that doesn’t mean this Aston has to be.


Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/as...#ixzz1ttl4AId1

[Rossell2]

Its going to be gorgeous.

[Leonidae@MFT]

Quick! Everyone start stalking the Nurb webcam for prototypes and mules!

[homeforsummer]

Will we be able to tell this new Aston from any of the other Astons of the last decade or so?...

[RocZX]

It's rumored to be a the successor to the DB9.


Spy pics of the DB9 successor

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I see some vanquish in that. I like.

[Crushed]

If they make a new model I want something that is totally new. If you ask me the Astons of this decade look too much alike!

[Furinkazen]

Eunos_Cosmo

I see some vanquish in that. I like.

I saw a V12 Vantage on a DB9 body. I approve

[Tornado]

It will be called the DBR.

It will look exactly like the DB9 with some plastic bits glued to the front, have exactly the same engine, exactly the same drive train, exactly the same chassis and exactly the same interior, except it will be tweaked to 540 HP and weight 10kg less than the DBS. And it will cost 200,000 pounds.

[Crushed]

Toronado

It will be called the DBR.

It will look exactly like the DB9 with some plastic bits glued to the front, have exactly the same engine, exactly the same drive train, exactly the same chassis and exactly the same interior, except it will be tweaked to 540 HP and weight 10kg less than the DBS. And it will cost 200,000 pounds.

Source? (sarcasm)

[Luminis]

^ Common sense and the current Aston line-up.

[homeforsummer]

Crushed

Source?

Some fell on stony ground...

[Beeblebrox237]

We can hope it will be an entirely new model, and that it will be gorgeous. The DB9 is getting a bit old...

[Tyger]

Those pics look like a current Aston with a kit to me. And I agree, much as I love them, a little diversity in the current range wouldn't hurt, as I wouldn't really be able to tell you what that looks most like.

It does look nice though, just not speshal enough for the 100th birthday. Perhaps that Bulldog concept will become reality. Or perhaps they will do a limited run of the original Bulldog, now that would be cool

[Crushed]

homeforsummer

Some fell on stony ground...

Haha i actually only read the first line and thought he found out what it was LOL.

[Tyger]

Crushed

Haha i actually only read the first line and thought he found out what it was LOL.

You could've just pretended you were continuing the irony by requesting a source, that's how I read it :-)

[Crushed]

Tyger

You could've just pretended you were continuing the irony by requesting a source, that's how I read it :-)

Oh but that is how I intended it LOL

[Famine]

Toronado

It will be called the DBR.

The car pictured will be called... the Vanquish,


Yes, really. No, I know.

[Sanji Himura]

Either way, I do enjoy the look of this Aston. It is like the OP described it, it is sportier than the DBS, but it looks like it can perform on the track very well. I just hope that they call it the DB10 instead of the DBR(sorry Toronado).

[exigeracer]

Does Venari still post here?