All Entries in the "ASTON MARTIN" Category
Bentley Continental GTC
By Gunnar Heinrich | IMG via Auto/Motor Cars
SINCE it is the start of Labor Day weekend, I thought a glossy picture of a car that would (and does for a few) truly celebrate the fruits of one’s labor was in order.
The Bentley Continental GTC has been on the market for a little more than a year and in that time the 2+2 droptop has managed to eclipse not only the chromium sheen of its Arnage superior, but successfully rival the ragtop competition from Aston Martin.
Far be it for me then to suggest that this is Bentley’s finest hour? For those precious few who’ll drive this magnificent car this (US) holiday weekend, I imagine they’re likely to agree.
[Linked: Bentley]
After Hours Phone Call To Aston Martin Works Service
By Gunnar Heinrich
BROWSING through the elegantly scripted pages of Aston Martin’s website, your inquisitive publisher played web bot and crawled over to Aston’s Works Service page.
Under the subheading “Enquiries,” I found a promising paragraph explaining the golden terms of Aston’s dedication to their demanding clients. One passage in particular caught my attention straight away as indicating a level of service that would put any Lexus dealer on notice.
It reads:
“Throughout your car’s stay at Works Service, a qualified engineer will always be available for you to discuss the progress of any work. In fact we are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
On call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Now that is service!
Never had I heard of such measures and naturally I wanted to hear the reassuring voice of an Aston technician on the other end of the line for myself.
So, at 2:00AM EST or 07:00 BST, I picked up the phone and called the first service number on Works Service’s list.
Seven minutes on and having listened to the same repeated lines of Handel’s Music for The Royal Fireworks, I hung up. I don’t love my phone company that much.
But, I figured that perhaps the service technician at that number was out of the office – doubtless mainlining Red Bull to keep himself alert and at the ready for a concerned client’s call.
So, at 2:10AM EST or 07:10 BST I dialed the second number on the list.
The soft brill-brill of an overseas ring cooed in my ear.
An answer! A woman on the other end of the line in Midlands English announced that I had reached Aston Martin Works Service!
First question: How can I get my car there?
“Oh,” said she, “this is the after-hours call center.”
Works Service was closed.
Would I call back at nine? “I think they come in at eight, but I’m not sure,” she said.
When do they close shop?
“At five. But please call back at nine.”
At this point, I’m almost positive that any fussy Dubai-based DBS owner who expected an actual technician to answer his call would have cussed in Arabic and slammed down the receiver.
But your publisher signed off with a polite will-do.
[Linked: Aston Martin Works Service]
Weekend Snapshot > Aston Martin DB AR1
One part Aston. One part Zagato. One part Basking Shark. Equals 100 % Beautiful.
Bring Dr. Bez Stateside
Dr. Bez is underexposed in the American automotive press
Back then, Aston made under 1,000 DB7s per year. This year, they make more than 7,000 Vantage V8s, DBSs, DB9s and so on. With the onset of the Rapide saloon, that production number is set to increase which is why Aston is expanding its Gaydon plant, according to the BBC.
Now, Dr. Bez is the chief behind all this success. He courts the British motor press regularly (or is it the other way ’round?) but gets far less in the way of coverage amongst the traditional mags Stateside.
Question is why?
Could it just be that Car & Driver, Road & Track, and the like are neglecting one of the most important figures in the automotive industry?
Or could we postulate that it is Dr. Bez who hasn’t called. America is a crucial market for the marque, so why not have the good doktor make the rounds with the American automotive press?
He would stand only to gain more credit for his good works.
[Sources: Aston Martin, BBC, Wikipedia]
Five Cars To Be Thankful For
Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione 
The 8C is easily the most beautiful car created in the past 40 years. That only 500 are to be made this year means it will be exclusive and collectible. The Alfa raises the bar in style for the automotive industry and shows us that implementing classic language in contemporary design does work in a modern car without looking retro. The upcoming 8C Spyder is even sexier.
Mercedes-Benz Ocean Drive
Even though Ocean Drive was originally conceived as Maybach, it succeeds as a Benz. Clock that traditional grille. Eclipsing the current S-Class, the four-door drop-top reminds the world that there was a time that Mercedes-Benz built grand cars and that they may do so again.
Aston Martin DBS 
With the limited exception of Alfa’s 8C, Aston Martin produces the world’s most elegant sportscars. The latest Aston carries the marque’s heritage forward without looking dated while raising the performance bar to dizzying heights of speed. Take that, Porsche.
BMW 1-Series 
The new coupé that’s bound for America, brings the BMW marque back to its no-nonesense sporting routes. The 1-Series is about keeping it simple – in the tradition of the original 2002 and early iterations of the 3-Series. And in an era where the 3-Series sedan now comes with as much cosseting kit as a Lexus, BMW traditionalists everywhere have cause to be especially thankful.
BMW 3-Series Convertible 
Thank you, Mr. Van Hooydonk for saving us from the chaos that is Chris Bangle’s abstract hand BMW has returned to it stylistic senses with the latest 3-Series drop-top and has spared us from the wandering, beastly curves. That they’ve managed to incorporate the Hoffmeister kink is a coup de grace.
This Week @ Coys > Aston Martin DB4
This pristine, restored (as of 2000) red-on-charcoal example, automotive auctioneer Coys of Kensington states that this car is superlative example of a generation of Aston Martin that were, “arguably Britain’s first real Gran Turismo worthy of appellation.”
Coys suggests that with 240 horses under the bonnet, the DB4 is able to launch itself all the way to 100 mph in just 20 seconds. For a car from the 50s, that’s damn good timing.
Comme d’habitude, Coys hasn’t named the price.
Tap the link to learn more about the DB4.
Bull Sh1t, Says LVMH
Still free under PAG
Good move Dr.
Tap the Link >
AutoBlogLVMH To Buy Aston Martin
Oh, no. It’s the Stay-Puff Marshmallow man!
Wait. No. Sorry, wrong horror sequence.
Yes. If you’ve heard or seen the word out on the virtual corner of the blogosphere street, you’ll know by now that LVMH, the consortium that owns Louis Vuitton (French purveyor to the Japanese of heavily labeled, costly, often knocked-off tourist accessories), Hennessy, and at-one-time-or-another a percentage of Gucci, is now (likely) to acquire fabled sportscar icon Aston Martin from FoMoCo.
Jaguar XKR & Aston Martin V8 Vantage > Room For Both?
It’s been 10 years since this question has been asked and now, in the year 2007, it’s time to ask it again: does the world need a Jaguar XKR and an Aston Martin V8 Vantage?
Back in 1997, the question was: does the world need a Jaguar XK8 and an Aston Martin DB7? The point behind this question was that both cars shared the same platform, the same important bits, and performed with similar track times with predictable differences – the cheaper Jag was softer and somewhat slower; the costlier Aston was harder and whink faster.
Fast forward to today and it’s the same deal all over again. We must be having déjà vu. Because fast forward to today and it’s the same deal all over again.
Aston Martin has produced a truly beautiful entry-level sportscar that challenges Ferrari F430 in coolness and defies the Prancing Horse’s lofty M.S.R.P. as well with more palatable (to the less rich) prices starting just north of $110,000.
In contrast and to paraphrase Robert Farago of the Truth…, Jag’s “fish faced” XKR is there as a GT that brings forth more power than the Aston, homelier looks, but in a more luxury-oriented package for less ~ $86,000.
Jeremy Clarkson cautioned us not to write the Jag off as a “half-assed car made by a cash strapped company.” Why? Because of the passion that Jaguar embodies that the German competition doesn’t.
It might seem that Mr. Clarkson has seen to many of those infernal “Gorgeous ads”, but he’s right, nonetheless.
Still, Mr. Farago claims that the XK series is “dead in the water” in defiance of all the British mags that have rallied behind Coventry’s latest supercharged GT as being better than its pricier Aston sibling.
History proved the old XK8 to be much more commercially successful than the DB7. And with the fates of both Ford subsidiaries still very much in question – its seems as though the XKR and the V8 Vantage are going to be sold with the same aims in mind – catch as many big fish as they can possibly reel in to sustain the marque’s business image.
So back to the original decade old question – is there a place for us? Uh…I mean – them? My answer is yes. Jaguar is an icon unto itself. And if American XK sales fail to take the lead, UK sales will. And if neither happens – someone in marketing should ship some cats over to China, India, and Russia ASAP.
As for Aston, they are what Jaguar ought to be; a specialty marque with a limited production output that reliably sells out to very rich clients.
So, summarily and emphatically ~ yes.
