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Aston Martin are building to be the first of the world at sports cars. The British brand has already announced that it aims to beat the track record over the Nurburgring, and this week the first unit of the limited number stood at the German track to complete its overhaul before the first deliveries to lucky owners, and certainly now with the stopwatch in hand passenger.

The first tests with a prototype have yielded a first-class figures: 3.3 seconds from 0 to 100 and a top speed of 355 kilometers per hour. Its engine has 12 cylinders, six-liter displacement and an output around 700 horsepower.

Here the details on the 2009 Aston Martin DBS Volante. The drop-top version of Bond's uber-Aston features a fabric roof that can be retracted in 14 seconds at speeds up to 30 mph and supposedly looks just as good with the top up as the top down. Motivation is provided by the same 6.0-liter V12 found in the standard DBS, putting out 510 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque to a rear-mounted six-speed manual or "Touchtronic" sequential gearbox. The run to 62 mph is dispatched in a scant 4.3 seconds on its way to a top speed of 191 mph. Aston says it was able to keep the weight down (the DBS Volante tips the scales at 3,990 pounds) through the use of a lightweight roof mechanism, along with a carbon fiber hood, front splitter and trunk lid. The standard carbon ceramic brakes – pulled directly from the fixed-roof DBS – reduce unsprung weight at all four corners and provide the neck-punishing stopping power you'd expect. We'll get our first look of the DBS Volante at the Geneva Motor Show next week, but in the meantime, get all the details in the press release below the fold.

Aston Martin Vanquish was designed after the “Project Vantage” concept car and remained unchanged until 2005, when the Aston Martin Vanquish S was launched, which had new wheels and more power. It was sold alongside with the original Vanquish and in 2006 it managed stand-alone sales. Approximately 1500 Aston Martins v12 Vanquish and Aston Martins v12 Vanquish S have been sold since the first launch in 2001. The production stopped in July 2007, moment celebrated by the introduction of the Vanquish Ultimate Edition. This was the only one sold with manual-transmission. Many criticized the Aston Martin Vanquish’s automatic gearbox, especially acclaimed Jeremy Clarkson, from “Top Gear”. This change was estimated at £13,250.


The Vanquish has a V12 engine of 6.0 l that generates 460 horsepower and 400 feet-pound torque. It has 6 speed semi-automatic transmission, with gear that changes under 250 milliseconds. It reaches 100km/hour under 5 seconds, using electronic throttle control and has a top speed of 300km/hour. The body structure is made of aluminum and carbon fiber and composite materials. Superior electronic developments allow the transmission to run automatically for sport modes or difficult weather condition, running on 19-inch wheels. The V12 engine was designed at the Ford Company in USA and shares certain components with the 3.0 l Duratec 30 V6.

The Aston Martin V8 Vantage N24 whose model designation is named after the classic 24-hour event – has claimed its best-ever finish at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, with three cars taking the top three positions in the class.A team consisting of Japanese journalist Shin-ichi Katsura, Hong Kong-based writer Matthew Marsh, and German racing driver Oliver Mathai finished 18th out of 220 starters in the endurance classic, clinching the SP8 class victory. This eclipses Aston Martin’s previous best finish at the event of 24th in 2006 using the very same car, nicknamed ‘Rose’.It could very easily have been two Aston Martin V8 Vantage N24 cars in the top 20, as another N24, ‘Kermit’ – fitted with the new 4.7 litre engine and Sportshift™ transmission – was actually running ahead of ‘Rose’ with just three hours to go. Unfortunately, another car failed to notice it coming past, and the result was a broken steering arm and a time loss of more than 20 minutes for the Aston Martin Future Technologies Manager Chris Porritt and development driver Wolfgang Schuhbauer – finished 27th and third in class.Claiming second place in the class, with 26th overall, was the V8 Vantage N24 of customer team Swiss Gentle Racing.Aston Martin Austria also entered a DBRS9 supported by Aston Martin Racing, with a driver line-up of Tomas Enge, Robert Lechner, Stefan Mücke and Karl Wendlinger. The car ran as high as third overall in the early stages of the race, and Enge also set one of the fastest laps of the event. The DBRS9’s chances however were permanently compromised by another competitor driving into it at around the three-hour mark.The car was in the garage for repairs to the rear drivetrain for over an hour, but the impact had a more serious effect than was originally thought. The drivers reported inconsistent handling throughout the remainder of the event, which caused Wendlinger to go off at about 8am on Sunday morning. The resulting cosmetic and mechanical damage took yet more time to fix, and the car subsequently finished down the order. Nonetheless, the team fulfilled its objective of learning more about the DBRS9 in the uniquely challenging conditions of the Nürburgring, which is widely reputed to be the most demanding circuit in the world.Weather forecasts before the start of the race, which got underway at 15:00 on Saturday, predicted heavy overnight rainfall but thankfully this did not entirely materialise. There were several patchy rain showers in the early hours of the morning, which made tyre choice extremely delicate. Despite these tricky conditions, all the Aston Martin V8 Vantage N24s were metronomically reliable throughout the race, with not one single component failure over the 24 hours and approximately 3795 kilometres.Shin-ichi Katsura, competing with Aston Martin for the first time at the Nürburgring, said: “This is the most fun I have ever had in a racing car. I’ve competed at this circuit before with different cars, but this is the most stability I have ever experienced here. The car is actually very easy to drive,

and you can use all of its potential with no problems. I’m very happy and proud to be a member of the class-winning Aston Martin team.”Matthew Marsh, who had to cope with the worst of the wet and dry weather very early on Sunday morning commented: “The driving conditions then were extremely difficult. Often in those marginal situations you go into endurance mode, so I wasn’t willing to risk anything at all. At the time I wondered if we were going too slowly, but this win makes it all worthwhile. It’s been a great fight and an amazing result.”Oliver Mathai, the most experienced racing driver of the winning triumvirate, reported: “I have to say that the car was simply perfect from start to finish. This race went like a dream for us: we didn’t have any problems at all and even the traffic and the weather wasn’t too bad. I drove a lot during the 24 hours, but the time flew past as I was having a lot of fun behind the wheel.”Dr Bez, who himself competed in the race as part of the ‘Kermit’ crew – concluded after finishing his final stint today: “I’m delighted that Aston Martin has finished first, second and third in such a competitive class – where all the entered cars were capable of winning. We’re very pleased to have three cars in the top 30, and I’d like to extend particular congratulations to the Swiss Gentle Racing team. By finishing second, they have proved again that the Vantage N24 can be competitively raced by independent customer teams. We have seen teamwork here throughout the weekend that fully represents the high standard of Aston Martin.”Aston Martin’s next engagement will be even more high-profile, as the team tackles the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours from June 14-15.

Body
• Two-door coupe body style with 2+0 seating
• Bonded aluminium VH structure
• Aluminium, magnesium alloy and carbon-fibre composite body
• Extruded aluminium door side-impact beams
• High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps (main beam)
• LED rear lamps and side repeaters

Engine
• All-alloy, quad overhead camshaft, 48-valve, 5935cc V12
• Compression ratio 10.9:1
• Front-mid mounted engine, rear-wheel drive
• Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves
• Max power: 380kW (510bhp/517 PS) at 6500rpm
• Max torque: 570Nm (420 lb.ft) at 5750rpm
• Acceleration: 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in 4.3 seconds
• Max speed: 302km/h (191mph)

Transmission
• Rear-mid mounted, six-speed manual gearbox
• Alloy torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft
• Limited-slip differential
• Final-drive ratio 3.71:1

Wheels and Tyres
• Front: 8.5’’ x 20’’ Pirelli P Zero 245/35
• Rear: 11’’ x 20’’ Pirelli P Zero 295/30

Steering
• Rack and pinion, Servotronic speed-sensitive power-assisted steering, 3.0 turns lock-to-lock. Column tilt and reach adjustment

Suspension
• Front: Independent double wishbone incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bare and monotube adaptive dampers
• Rear: Independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers
• Adaptive Damping System (ADS) with Track mode

Brakes
• Front: Ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 398mm diameter with six-piston callipers
• Rear: Ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 360mm diameter with four-piston callipers
• Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with Track mode
• Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
• Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
• Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
• Traction control

Dimensions

Length: 4721mm (185.9’’)
Width: 1905mm (75’’) (exc. Mirrors)
2060mm (81.1’’) (inc. Mirrors)
Height: 1280mm (50.4’’)
Wheelbase: 2740mm (107.9’’)
Fuel tank capacity: 78 litres (17.2 Imp.galls, 20.5 US galls)
Weight: 1695kg (3737lb)

Interior
Semi-aniline leather and Alcantara interior. Matrix alloy facia trim and Iridium Silver centre console finish. Carbon fibre door trims and door pulls. Auto-dimming rear-view mirror & garage door opener (USA & Canada only). Sports seats with ten-way electric adjustment, including height, tilt and lumbar. Memory seats & exterior mirrors (three positions). Dual-stage driver/passenger front airbags. Side airbags (Sports seats only). Heated seats (Sports seats only). Heated rear screen. Automatic temperature control. Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays. Trip computer. Cruise control. Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system1,2. Bluetooth telephone preparation1. Powerfold exterior mirrors. Front and rear parking sensors. Tyre-pressure monitoring1. Alarm and immobiliser. Remote-control central door locking and boot release. Battery disconnect switch. Battery conditioner. Tracking device (UK only). Boot-mounted umbrella.



In-Car Entertainment
• Aston Martin 700W Premium Audio System with Dolby® Pro Logic II®
• MP3 player connectivity

Options
• Lightweight seats with six-way adjustment, including front and rear height adjust (Does not include side airbags or heated seats feature. Not available in USA or Canada)
• 20’’ alloy wheels with graphite finish
• Satellite radio system (USA only)
• Piano Black facia trim and centre console finish
• Leather storage saddle
• Personalised sill plaques
• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror1
• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror with garage door opener (Europe only)
• Alarm upgrade (volumetric and tilt sensor)
• Tracking device3
• First-aid kit
• Ashtray and cigar lighter

The most sophisticated and technologically advanced new model ever to be designed, developed and built by Aston Martin made its debut at the 2001 New York International Auto Show.

Available as either a two or two plus two seat coupe the V12 Vanquish will accelerate to 60 mph in under 4.5 seconds (0-100 km/h in under 5.0 seconds) and 160 km/h (100 mph) in under 10 seconds. Through the application of advanced design techniques and materials it is lighter, stiffer and stronger and offers superior performance to that of the V8 engined Vantage model which it replaces.

In conjunction with the electronic drive-by-wire throttle system, which is fitted to the second generation 460 horsepower 6.0 liter V12 Aston Martin engine, fingertip controlled Formula 1 style paddles enable almost imperceptible gear changes to be completed in under 250 milliseconds – less than the blink of an eye.

Advanced electronics also permit the close ratio six speed manual transmission to be programmed to operate automatically with the added facility of a special program tailored to winter driving conditions.

With close co-operation and technical assistance from the Ford Research & Vehicle Technology Group and Ford Research laboratories the new V12 Vanquish represents the largest ever investment by Aston Martin in advanced technology and it pioneers a series of world firsts in its design and construction. The main body structure utilizes carbon fiber, extruded aluminum and composite materials bonded together to form a central monocoque safety cell with additional deformable composite structure energy absorbent zones at both front and rear. It provides high standards of efficiency, structural integrity, torsional rigidity and occupant crash protection.