Aston Martin - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - How My Aston Martin V8 Vantage Stacks Up Against A Porsche 911 Turbo - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

It’s not often that I get out of my Aston Martin, I get into another car, and I want that other car more than I want my Aston Martin. Usually I get into my aging Range Rover and I wonder why the automatic windshield wipers are on high even though it hasn’t rained in three weeks.

But that exact scenario presented itself last weekend when I met up with a reader named Steve who let me compare my Aston Martin to his Porsche 911 Turbo. It’s a 2007, just like my car.

And my God, the 911 Turbo is amazing. It’s so fast. It’s so smooth. Why didn’t you people recommend that I get one of those instead of this Aston Martin? Oh yes, that’s right. Because you want to see me break down a lot and write about it. You bastards.

Anyway, now that I’ve had the experience of driving both a 997 911 Turbo and my V8 Vantage back-to-back, I’ve decided to create a comparison for all of you out there who a) might be considering the two cars, or b) are not considering the two cars, but still want a detailed comparison from a man who once owned a 2011 Nissan Cube. Here goes.

source: http://jalopnik.com/how-my-aston-martin-v8-vantage-stacks-up-against-a-pors-1767976801

by Doug DeMuro

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Range Rover - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport performance model spy shots - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Land Rover could be in the early stages of developing a new, performance-oriented version of its Discovery Sport.

A version of the compact crossover SUV wearing a new front bumper has been spotted undergoing cold-weather tests.

A close inspection of the bumper reveals a more aggressive look with some larger openings and a couple of additional intakes compared to the bumper on the current Discovery Sport. Such elements normally hint at a more potent powertrain.

2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport

Based on license plate information, we know this tester is packing a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder. However, we’re not talking about the older 240-horsepower unit currently fitted to the Discovery Sport. It’s believed the engineers are testing Jaguar Land Rover’s new Ingenium-branded 4-cylinder engine.

We know this engine, also a turbocharged 2.0-liter mill, will deliver 240 hp in the Jaguar XE, but this is just the baseline figure. Look for a higher-spec unit to be fitted to the performance-oriented Discovery Sport, which may end up being called a Discovery Sport R. Something close to 300 hp is expected.

It’s currently thought the performance-oriented Discovery Sport will debut late next year. This will be Land Rover’s rival to vehicles like the Mercedes-AMG GLC43 and an expected BMW X3 M40i. Further down the track we may still see a dedicated performance model badged an SVR.

source: www.motorauthority.com

by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

http://www.boscheuropean.com

BMW - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - BMW M2 runs up to its 171 mph top speed - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

The BMW M2 represents what the brand used to do best. It's a focused machine that promises to provide its driver with an engaging, enjoyable experience. It's not about blasting up to its top speed, but rather attacking a local racing circuit or your favorite curvy canyon road. Still, if you do happen to own a BMW M2 and you also happen to live near an unrestricted section of the Autobahn, then why not see what the car is made of?

That's what one owner recently did, while shooting a video focused on the tach and speedometer. The needle swings pretty easily up to 275 km/h which is 171 mph. That's a bit more than the 155 mph limit you might've been expecting. Sure, the "average" M2 is limited to 155 mph, but this owner spent more dough to get the optional BMW M Driver's package that, according to BMWblog, takes the limit of the car up to 168 mph. Perhaps this owner had a nice little tailwind or a slightly downhill section of road, and thus was able to see that 171-mph mark.

After that portion of the video is done after a minute and 12 seconds, you can listen to the exhaust note of the car. Just don't stick around for too long, though, as the rest of the rather lengthy 11-minute, 14-second video is the same rear shot of the car revving. It's like a movie with 30 minutes of story and an hour and a half of credits. The uploader does it so he can put more than one ad in his video and reap a few more ad bucks. So click out after the top-speed run and you'll get what you need from this clip.

source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1103548_bmw-m2-runs-up-to-its-171-mph-top-speed

by Jeff Glucker

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Audi - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Lap Daytona in the 2017 Audi R8 V10 Plus with 360-degree view - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Have you wanted to be one of the first in the U.S. to take a ride in the new 2017 Audi R8 V10 Plus? Thanks to the wonders of technology, you're about to be.

These days, new 360-degree video tech is giving people experiences they've never imagined, and now Audi's used that tech to offer a hot lap around Daytona with Dion von Moltke in the new 2017 Audi R8 V10 Plus.

Created using a six-camera GoPro camera system, the team at Audi USA put you (virtually) inside the R8 with von Moltke. Despite the wonders of technology, Audi tells us it was a challenge due to multiple variables.

The interior of the R8 isn't exactly large, and as such, video issues such as same lines, proper stitching, and parallax at the closest points where the camera lenses intersect cropped up. Audi was able to combat these issues by playing with the positioning of the camera setup.

For those needing a refresher, the new 2017 R8 V10 Plus is powered by a V-10 making 610 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque. A 7-speed dual-clutch transmission sends the power to all four wheels via Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive system.

Performance is stout with 0-62 mph runs effortlessly clicking off in 3.2 seconds, and a top speed of 205 mph if you dare.

Want to experience what it's like to race around Daytona in the new 2017 Audi R8 V10 Plus yourself? Click the play button above.

source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1103381_lap-daytona-in-the-2017-audi-r8-v10-plus-with-360-degree-view

by Joel Feder

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Mercedes - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Mercedes-AMG to add 10 more models by year end, launch standalone stores - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Mercedes-AMG’s product onslaught won’t be slowing anytime soon as there are plans for at least 10 more models by year end.

The information was confirmed to Automotive News (subscription required) by Mercedes-AMG boss Tobias Moers.

"We're going to expand our portfolio to 48 different models by the end of the year,” Moers is quoted as saying.

Mercedes-AMG currently offers 38 separate models when you include the various bodystyles as well as the arrival of the new “43” series. Some of these will include the recently revealed GLC43, GLC43 Coupe and C63 Cabriolet. And just around the corner is a new GT R performance flagship.

The need for more models, according to Moers, is strong demand worldwide. Last year the Affalterbach tuner sold 68,875 cars, a staggering rise of 40 percent on the previous year’s tally.

Mercedes-AMG will also test the waters with standalone stores. Moers said there will be a dedicated Mercedes-AMG store opening up in Japan and there are discussions in place to open one in Australia. Existing Mercedes-Benz dealers will also be encouraged to add dedicated Mercedes-AMG showrooms at their stores.

With so many models on offer, there is always the concern of exclusivity. However, as Porsche has shown, exclusivity can be retained by using extra profits to fund the development of limited run halo models. Porsche delivered a record 225,121 cars in 2015 thanks to mainstream models like the Cayenne and Macan, and with its extra profits is continuing to develop awesome cars like the 918 Spyder and future halos like the production version of the Mission E concept and a new mid-engine supercar.

source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1103146_mercedes-amg-to-add-10-more-models-by-year-end-launch-standalone-stores

by Viknesh vijayenthiran

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Jaguar - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Next Jaguar Project 7 to be even bolder - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Jaguar bosses have admitted that the firm has started to think about a successor to the limited-edition Project 7 sports car, Auto Express can reveal.

The first car produced by Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division, Project 7 was a heavily modified F-Typeusing the same 567bhp supercharged V8 now available in the ‘regular’ F-Type SVR.

All of the 250 Project 7s sold out and second-hand values have recently started to rise beyond the original £135,000 price. Now senior Jaguar officials say that early discussions have taken place about how the company could build  a successor.

When asked if Jaguar would consider custom-bodied cars in future, design director Ian Callum said: “We’ve thought about it. We’ve started asking, ‘What do we do after Project 7?’, because I’d like to take it a step further. And that means making it more of an individual car than an F-Type. 

“But the business  case is hugely difficult,” he added. “What can you charge for it?What do you charge for a Jaguar? How far can it go? With a supercar like the C-X75, you could probably go to £1million, but with a limited number of, say, 200 cars. And even that, as a business case, was pushing it. So if you’re going to get into the realms of something that’s a modified F-Type, it’s very difficult.”

John Edwards, boss of Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations, said the success of Project 7 had taken management by surprise. “We said we’d build 250 examples of Project 7, and within the business there was quite a lot of nervousness about that,” he told us. 

“We kind of plucked that number out of thin air, really. I personally had to guarantee we’d sell 250; as it turned out, we could have sold 500.” Edwards stated he’d “made a conscious decision” to make SVR performance Jaguars four-wheel drive – potentially leaving space for more extreme rear-drive editions like the Project 7. 

However, he indicated that SVO would focus on production runs of cars, rather than exclusive bespoke one-offs. “Custom bodies are not our plan; we want to push the cosmetics of the car to the limit, not re-engineer the car as some others have done,” Edwards said

source:  http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/jaguar/f-type/95233/next-jaguar-project-7-to-be-even-bolder

by John Mcllroy

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Range Rover - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Range Rover HSE Td6 combines luxury, diesel fuel economy, off-road capabilities Read more here - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Just as it did with the 2016 Range Rover Sport, Land Rover has introduced a diesel-engine option for the 2016 Range Rover HSE line as well, offering the same V-6 turbo-diesel and its accompanying superb fuel economy.

For 2016, the Range Rover HSE Td6 model (base price $93,450) comes with the 3.0-liter turbo-diesel, rated at 254 horsepower and an impressive 443 foot-pounds of torque.

Coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission, this vehicle has EPA ratings of 22 mpg city/29 highway/25 combined, which is quite an improvement over the gasoline engines offered. The gas V-6 has EPA ratings of 17/23/19, while the V-8’s ratings are 14/19/16.

The Td6 engine provides its peak torque as low as 1,750 rpm, which is great for towing heavy trailers. The Td6-equipped Range Rover can handle trailers weighing up to 7,716 pounds.

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All of that diesel torque also is beneficial during extreme off-roading, especially on steep grades where low-range gearing is necessary to keep the vehicle moving.

The low-end torque also allows the diesel-equipped Range Rovers to nearly match the zero-60 mph times of the Range Rover supercharged V-6 gasoline engine, which has considerably more horsepower (340).

Land Rover says the Range Rover Td6 models can accelerate from zero-60mph in 7.4 seconds, compared with 7.1 seconds for the V-6 gasoline models. That’s aided by the aluminum construction of the Range Rover, which came with the complete redesign of the vehicle for 2013. Land Rover added the V-6 gasoline engine for 2014, replacing the redesigned 2013 model’s standard normally aspirated 5.0-liter V-8.

The Td6 engine has a block made with Compacted Graphite Iron, or CGI, “which has a higher tensile strength than standard gray cast iron, better fatigue strength than aluminum, and added stiffness,” Land Rover says. The material allows the engine block to be smaller and lighter.

Range Rover’s Td6 uses Diesel Exhaust Fluid, or DEF, to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions to meet U.S. air-quality standards. DEF is injected into the exhaust, turning it into harmless nitrogen gas. Most truck stops and diesel fuel stations sell DEF, and it’s also available at Land Rover dealerships.

As for the Range Rover in general, it’s at the top of the line of Land Rover vehicles, the legendary British off-road brand. Besides being drenched in luxury, the Range Rover is one of the most-capable off-road vehicles on the market – although most owners of these vehicles will never take them off road.

That’s because Range Rover prices for 2016 start at $84,950 (plus $995 freight) for the supercharged gasoline V-6 base model, and run as high as $199,495 for the special top-of-the-line supercharged V-8 SV Autobiography long-wheelbase model.

When you pay that much for a vehicle, you’re probably more likely to drive on well-paved roads, rather than rocky trails where it could sustain body damage.

There are lower-priced Land Rover vehicles with very capable off-road four-wheel-drive systems, too, beginning with the 2016 Discovery Sport for $37,455, and the LR4 for $50,900. Those prices are well in line with many of today’s crossover utility vehicles – even non-luxury brands.

Also available are two lower-priced Range Rover-branded vehicles: the two- or four-door 2016 Evoque, starting at $41,475; and the 2016 Range Rover Sport, at $64,950. The Range Rover Sport also can be equipped with the Td6 engine.

But for those who want the best Land Rover has to offer, there are the models called simply Range Rover. They are beautiful vehicles, but as refined and uptown as they are, these vehicles still can take you just about anywhere you could want to go – on or off the paved road.

Our Range Rover HSE Td6 was an amazing highway vehicle for a long family trip, but it’s just as much at home around town or on unpaved national and state park roads. Seeing as though our tester’s total price was $106,325, including freight and options, we didn’t dare take it anywhere that it might have gotten damaged.

The HSE package brings such extras as 12-way power front seats, perforated Oxford leather seats (heated front and rear), interior wood trim, 20-inch alloy wheels, a huge panoramic sunroof, fog lights and power-folding/self-dimming outside mirrors.

Our vehicle came in the Aintree Green exterior color, with an Ivory interior with Espresso trim.

The transmission comes with paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Fulltime four-wheel drive with low-range gearing is standard on all Range Rovers, which turns all of these vehicles into off-road beasts.

This newest generation of the Range Rover has lighter-weight all-aluminum construction, which, combined with the Td6 engine, helps give it the excellent fuel economy.

Range Rover is one of the most-refined vehicles you’ll ever experience. These SUVs are built for comfort, and can accommodate up to five people. (The Range Rover Sport is available with seven-passenger seating, as is the LR4). Top speeds are 130 mph for the V-6 models, and 140 for the V-8s, but just because Land Rover electronically limits them. Turned loose, they would go much faster.

With the redesign for 2013, the Range Rover was all new. The exterior is lower and more-carlike, and the aluminum body weighs 700 pounds less than its steel predecessor. But even with the stylish makeover, the vehicle is still instantly recognizable as a Range Rover, as there was no radical restyling.

While we didn’t take our 2016 HSE Td6 into any serious off-road conditions, I previously tested the new Range Rover on some quite-rugged national forest trails in northern Arizona, where the vehicle proved its off-road prowess. It easily climbed steep and slippery slopes and slogged through mud, deep sand and even some snow, all while riding on street tires.

When driving off road in the Range Rover, the standard terrain-response system does most of the work, automatically choosing the proper driving mode. The driver can choose the mode manually, though, among such settings as Mud/Ruts, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Sand, Rock Crawl, and General.

Standard seating in the Range Rover is for five, but there is an optional “executive” two-passenger rear seat that cuts the total to four. Our vehicle had the three-person rear seat, however, and we needed it, as we had five on board most of the time.

With the optional two-passenger rear seating, you’ll get reclining captain’s chairs that offer both massage and heat. Land Rover calls it “the ultimate in personalized rear-seat luxury.”

To make the vehicle quieter, there is acoustic lamination for the windshield and door glass. The premium leather for the interior comes from Scotland, and wood for the cabin trim from “sustainable forests,” Land Rover says.

The HSE’s cabin is roomier than that of the previous generation, with an increase of 4.7 inches in rear-seat legroom. The standard models are 196.6 inches long, while the new long-wheelbase models, introduced for 2014, are 204.7 inches long, giving them nearly eight inches more rear legroom than the regular version.

The two-piece rear hatch is now power-operated, and can be opened with the remote control for the door locks; only the top three-quarters opens automatically.

An aluminum suspension system was designed to give the vehicle more stability and better handling. It no longer has the top-heavy feel of the previous models, something off-road users will appreciate.

The Range Rover’s air-suspension system helps give additional stability during cornering, and allows the vehicle to raise itself up to an additional 5.8 inches off road to clear obstacles. It lowers about two inches from normal highway height to allow for easier entry and exit.

A smart-key system allows for pushbutton start and stop of the engine, and there is a system that shuts the engine down while the vehicle is stopped in traffic or at signals.

Range Rovers can wade through water up to 35.4 inches deep, and have a maximum of 11.7 inches of ground clearance. We have a state park close by that has a road that runs through a creek, but it’s just a few inches deep, so we didn’t give the vehicle a real deep-water test.

source: http://www.star-telegram.com/cars/g-chambers-williams/article70705837.html

by BY G. CHAMBERS WILLIAMS III

Special to the Star-Telegram
http://www.boscheuropean.com

Aston Martin - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - The 2017 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Will Save The Manuals With An AMG Heart - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Phont: Aston Martin, current V8 Vantage

Hell yea. Aston Martin’s V8 Vantage replacement will drop next year with a 4.0 liter V8 sourced from Mercedes-AMG and will definitely come with a manual transmission. Get out your best stationary and fancy-pants pen because we all owe Aston bespoke thank you letters.

“I’ve already gone on the record saying I want to be the last manufacturer in the world to offer a manual sports car.”

That was Aston CEO Andy Palmer talking to Car And Driver, and possibly stealing my heart in the process.

The 2017 V8 Vantage is the next step in Aston Martin’s 21st Century portfolio of seven new models, including the all-new DB11, an upcoming Vanquish replacement, and an upcoming, possibly electric, DBX crossover.

But if you want an Aston with a 4.0 liter V8 and a manual option, the upcoming Vantage is your ticket. If I’m not mistaken, this will be the only way to get an AMG V8 engine with a manual. Perhaps it’s better this way.

Palmer also confirmed an automatic option, but was adamant against a heavy dual-clutch set up suggesting it was redundant and unnecessary.

A few other nuggets from Car And Driver include Palmer mentioning that he wants to keep engine options limited per model. What that means for a V8 DB11 or a V12 Vantage remains unclear, but here’s hoping Aston does indeed have them in mind.

Also on the slate for Aston is a “world’s fastest” hypercar team up with Red Bull, which apparently isn’t part of the 7-car lineup we’ve been promised.

It will be interesting to see how much of the DB11 carries over into the Vantage design this time around, with hints from Palmer and crew that there would be more variation in model-to-model designs going forward.

As a fan of the DB11 and particularly the new million-dollar Lagonda sedan, I’m extremely confident of the pen in the hands of Aston’s designers.

source: http://jalopnik.com/the-2017-aston-martin-v8-vantage-will-save-the-manuals-1767881950

by Justin Westbrook

http://www.boscheuropean.com

BMW - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Manual no more: BMW to drop stick from next M5, M6 - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

It will soon be the end of an era for BMW's manual transmission—at least in the company's sporty M5 and M6 models.

BMW says that limited interest from consumers is forcing it to drop the manual transmission option in its next generation M5 and M6 to focus instead on dual-clutch gearboxes. 

Speaking with Car and Driver, the head of BMW's M division, Frank van Meel, said that "demand has dropped to zero" for M5s and M6s with stick shifts. BMW has previously said that it developed the current manual transmission M5 and M6 specifically for the United States, but even here there has been less demand from consumers than the automaker expected.

Van Meel's statement serves as the best confirmation yet about what some of BMW's engineers have said over the last few years.

BMW has been slowly phasing out manual transmissions in its American market models. A few years ago, the automaker made the transmissions a "no cost" option over an automatic, rather than making buyers pay extra for a transmission that shifts itself.

Today, the M5 and M6 are the only 5- and 6-Series models available with a manual transmission in the U.S.

Don't fret, performance fans: van Meel says that the smaller M2, M3, and M4 will all retain their clutch pedals, however.

source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1103280_manual-no-more-bmw-to-drop-stick-from-next-m5-m6

by Andrew Ganz

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Audi - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Meet the Audi RS 7 from hell: Video - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Usually when heading down the often expensive path of modifying your car, one of the aims isn’t attempting to make the car look and sound like the spawn of Satan.

We’re not sure if that was actually one of the aims of this Audi RS 7 project, though it certainly looks that way due to the car’s devil-like horns which are actually the exhaust pipes.

It’s likely the tuner, which Road & Track thinks could be Russian firm Total Race, is midway through the build and set it up like this to have a little fun

.

The car definitely sounds mean and we’re sure if Satan himself was in need for some wheels a car like this would no doubt fit the bill.

For more on the Audi RS 7, be sure to read our first drive review on the latest RS 7 Performance model.

source; http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1103156_meet-the-audi-rs-7-from-hell-video

by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Jaguar - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Six decades on, Jaguar to build nine new XKSS sports cars: Video - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Following the success of the six Lightweight E-Types built two years ago, Jaguar has announced another run of “continuation” models.

This time it’s the much rarer XKSS, a sports car built in the 1950s on unused chassis of the hugely successful D-Type Le Mans race car.

Continuation models aren’t normal replicas as they’re built using exact standards and methods as the originals. Perhaps most importantly, though, they tend to feature the same VIN series as the originals.

With Jaguar’s continuation models, we’re talking about cars that were planned but never finished. With the Lightweight E-Types, Jaguar originally managed to build just 12 of a planned 18-car run, meaning the VINs for the six unbuilt cars went unused. In the case of the XKSS, there were 25 being worked on back in 1957 but nine of these were destroyed by a fire at the automaker’s Browns Lane plant.

The 16 XKSS cars that survived were completed and sold to customers predominantly in the United States, including Steve McQueen. The cars kept the D-Type’s 3.4-liter, triple-carbureted, 262-horsepower engine but for road use required a higher windscreen and a passenger-side door. The designers also took away the divider between driver and passenger as well as the famous fin behind the driver's seat.

The remaining nine will now be rebuilt and sold as continuation models, each with an expected price tag of more than £1 million (approximately $1.44 million). Handling the project is the recently announced Jaguar Land Rover Classic department.

The first deliveries of the continuation Jaguar XKSS will commence in early 2017, marking the 60th anniversary of the original launch.

source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1103145_six-decades-on-jaguar-to-build-nine-new-xkss-sports-cars-video#image=100550966

by Vinesh Vijayenthiran

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Mercedes - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon spy shots - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Mercedes-Benz has already unveiled its next-generation E-Class, albeit so far only in the sedan bodystyle. There are still several variants due such as the high-performance E63 from Mercedes-AMG as well as the new coupe, convertible, long-wheelbase sedan and wagon. It’s the latter that is the focus of our latest spy shots.  

The longroof sports a design similar to the one used for the latest C-Class Wagon, and unlike its smaller sibling the E-Class Wagon will be sold in the United States. It looks particularly sporty, especially with the rear wing spoiler attached.

Apart from the unique rear and a slightly longer wheelbase, we expect the rest of the car to be virtually 

identical to the sedan.

2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class (E400)

Underpinning the new E-Class is Mercedes’ flexible MRA platform designed for rear- and all-wheel-drive cars. It made its debut in the latest C-Class, and with its light yet sturdy construction it promises to make the new E-Class more fuel efficient and better handling than the outgoing model.

So far only two powertrain have been confirmed for the new E-Class in the U.S. They include the familiar turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder found in a handful of other Mercedes products, as well as a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 found in the latest "43" series Mercedes-AMG models. The sole transmission is a nine-speed automatic.

Further down the track we can look forward to an E63 Wagon with a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8. Fuel-efficient diesel and plug-in hybrid models are also in the works.

Look for a debut of the new E-Class Wagon in the coming months.

source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1029585_2017-mercedes-benz-e-class-wagon-spy-shots

by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Aston Martin - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - How The New Aston Martin DB11's Design Compares To Astons Of The Past - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

2014 DP-100 design sketch for Gran Turismo

When I first saw the vague sketch Aston Martin released of its new halo car during today’s partnering announcement with Red Bull F1, I had to stare at it for about ten minutes before I figured out which direction it was pointed. Then it was clear: we (may) have seen this before!

Back in August 2014, Aston Martin debuted the DP-100, pictured above, which was a one-off design study concept for the Gran Turismo game. Or was it?

With today’s announcement that Aston Martin will stick its name on Infiniti’s old Red Bull racing team in F1, they also revealed that the second century of the British luxury brand will foster a range-topping halo car aimed at being the fastest road car money can buy, tentatively called the AM-RB 100.

That is, in short, absolutely fan-fucking-tastic. They also teased what it would look like with a little green sketch of five lines that look nothing like any current or past Aston Martin production design. So obscure, in fact, I had to study it for a good ten minutes before I realized it looks just like a slightly stretched outline of the DP-100 Gran Turismo design study.

Concept AM-RB 100 sketch released today

Now this is all purely speculation on my part, but after going through the effort of overlaying the teaser image from today with a concept sketch of the 2014 DP-100, there are some obvious similarities that suggest the final AM-RB 001 has a good shot at being close in design to the video game concept.

Merged 2014 DP-100 design sketch with AM-RB 100 outline sketch, slightly stretched

The notable similarities are in the near-identical wheel arches, the curvature of the roof line which disappears behind the rear-wheel arch, the indention surfacing around the door area on the side of the car, and the pointy stubbed nose peeking out up front. There’s also an identical body contour line that runs straight through the side of both the DP-100 render and the new halo car sketch.

The DP-100 also previewed the open-backed front fender that vortexes the airflow around the car, as well as the new roof-rail design cue seen on the DB11 revealed in Geneva earlier this month.

And this all sort of makes sense, as the DP-100 video game design was an opportunity for Aston’s designers to go all-out without production limitations on something that would essentially be a virtual halo car. It looks like whatever production halo car Aston is working on will be extremely close to what we got on our Playstations back in 2014.

DP-100 Gran Turismo render

You can also head over to Autocar to see a much, much better render of what I’m getting at. I thought I was the first to spot it, but it looks like they managed to follow the same trail.

Autocar also got a chance to speak to Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer about the upcoming AM-RB 001 halo car. The key statements about the upcoming car are Aston’s goals. They’re projecting the hypercar will be faster around Silverstone than an F1 car, also claiming it will be the fastest production road car for sale when it debuts later this decade.

Palmer also mentioned that it could steal an energy-regeneration system from the new Red Bull F1 partnership, but likely wont go full-hybrid. It will also feature a bespoke engine developed by Aston in a two-seater, mid-engine layout with “ some baggage space, but you might not get the golf clubs in there.”

The only design issue I had with the 2014 DP-100 concept was the small little slits for headlights, so hopefully they find a resolution with the upcoming AM-RB 001. Beyond that I’m extremely excited to see the final product, even if we seem to have gotten an early whiff already.

 source: http://jalopnik.com/have-we-already-seen-aston-martins-new-hypercar-1765597081

by Justin Westbrook

http://www.boscheuropean.com