Aston Martin V12 Vantage 510HP Revealed Ahead of Geneva Show

Described by Aston Martin as "the most potent production sports car in the marque's 95-year history," the V12 Vantage is essentially the production version of the 2007 V12 Vantage RS concept car and it will be officially revealed at the Geneva Motorshow on 3rd March. Based on the V8 Vantage, the V12 Vantage features a naturally aspirated 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510HP (517 PS), and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque. Exclusively available with a six-speed manual transmission, the rear-wheel-drive British sportscar has a top speed of 190 mph (305 km/h) and 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time of 4.2 seconds.

Unique to the V12 Vantage is a 'Sport' button which allows the driver to choose between two powertrain modes, the default 'normal' that provides a more progressive throttle response for everyday use, and the Sport' mode that delivers a sharper throttle response together with a sportier exhaust note.

In order to accommodate a wider wheel and tire combination for improved grip and traction, Aston Martin's engineer's modified the Vantage's rear suspension that now features a more compact dual-rate spring design. The ride height of the V12 Vantage has also been lowered by 15 mm, while the spring rates have been stiffened by 45% and the anti-roll bars are 15% (front) and 75% (rear) stiffer than the standard car.

The coupe sits on a set of lightweight 10-spoke 19" alloy wheels shed with wider Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires that have been specifically designed for the V12 Vantage enabling it to generate the highest cornering forces of any Aston Martin - up to a peak of 1.3g according to the company.

Stopping power is provided by the standard Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brakes with 398 mm discs at the front and 360 mm at the rear while the brake callipers feature six pistons at the front, four at the rear and have a larger brake pad area compared to the V8 Vantage. The CCM brakes are said to be some 12.5 kg (28 pounds) lighter than conventional brakes.

The V12 Vantage stands out from its less powerful V8 sibling thanks to the aerodynamic add-ons and cooling aids such as the bonnet louvres, the new side sills derived from the N24 race car, the more pronounced boot 'flip'' and the new rear carbon fibre diffuser.

Complementing the exterior changes, the V12 Vantage's interior features a revised instrument cluster with clearer dials, carbon fibre door handles as well as additional light weight materials in the form of Alcantara that are used throughout the cabin.

Production of the V12 Vantage will be limited to between just 300-500 examples per year with deliveries expected to commence during quarter three 2009. For those interested, prices are to be confirmed at the Geneva motor show.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage: Specification

Body:
Two door, two seat coupe body
Bonded aluminium structure
Aluminium, magnesium alloy, composite and steel body
Extruded aluminium door side impact beams
High Intensity Discharge Headlamps (dipped beam)
Halogen projector headlamps (main beam)
LED rear lamps

Engine:
All alloy quad overhead cam 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

Maximum Power
510 bhp (380 kW / 517 PS) at 6500 rpm

Maximum Torque
570 Nm (420 lb.ft) at 5750 rpm

Acceleration
0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.2 seconds
0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds

Maximum Speed
190 mph (305 km/h)

Fuel Economy
Urban 11.64 mpg 24.26 l/100km
Extra Urban 24.05 mpg 11.74 l/100km
Combined 17.28 mpg 16.35 l/100km

CO₂ 388 g/km

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

Steering:
Rack and pinion
Column tilt and reach adjustment

Suspension:
Front: Independent double wishbone incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube dampers
Rear: Independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry, dual-rate coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube dampers

Wheels
Front: 9" x 19"
Rear: 11" x 19"

Tyres:
Front: Pirelli P Zero Corsa 255/35 ZR19
Rear: Pirelli P Zero Corsa 295/30 ZR19

Brakes:
Front: Ventilated Carbon Ceramic discs 398 mm diameter with six piston callipers
Rear: Ventilated Carbon Ceramic discs 360 mm 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

Length: 4380 mm (172.5")
Width: 1865 mm (73.5") (excluding door mirrors)
2025 mm (80") (including door mirrors)
Height: 1241 mm (49")
Wheelbase: 2600 mm (107.9")
Fuel tank capacity: 80 litres (17.6 Imp. Gal. / 21.1 US Gal)
Weight: 1680 kgs (3704 lb)

Interior:
Carbon fibre door pulls
Memory seats and exterior mirrors (3 positions)
Sports seats with 10 way electric adjustment, including height, tilt and lumbar
adjustment
Dual stage driver and passenger front airbags
Side airbags (Sports seats only)
Heated rear screen
Automatic temperature control
Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays
Trip computer
Cruise control
Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system*
Bluetooth telephone preparation*
Powerfold exterior mirrors
Rear parking sensors
Auto dimming interior rear view mirror
Tyre pressure monitoring*
Alarm and immobiliser
Remote-control central door locking and boot release
Battery disconnect switch
Tracking device (UK only)

In Car Entertainment
160W Aston Martin Audio System
MP3 player connectivity

Options

Lightweight seats with 6 way adjustment, including front and rear height adjust. (Does not include side airbags or Passenger Airbag Cut-Off Switch)
700W Aston Martin Premium Audio System with Dolby® Pro Logic II®
Piano Black facia trim
Graphite Alloy facia trim
Personalised sill plaques
Garage door opener (Europe only)
Tracking device**
First aid kit
Ashtray and cigar lighter
Boot mounted umbrella
Front parking sensors
Heated seats (Sports seats only)
ISOFIX and fixed-height passenger seat (Sports seat only)
Battery conditioner

GM's January Sales Plummet 49% in the U.S.

January will be a month to forget for General Motors as the American automaker delivered a mere 129,227 vehicles in the States, down a whopping 49 percent compared with a year ago. GM's inventories dropped to 801,000 vehicles in January, down about 103,000 vehicles (or 11 percent) compared with last year. The company also reported that its fleet sales of just over 13,000 vehicles in January were at their lowest levels since 1975.

Russians Build GAZ-51 Retro Hot-Rod from Cadillac Escalade EXT

Here at Carscoop we're no strangers to custom made creations from Russia. Some we find extremely intriguing, some just plain daft, but all manage to bring a smile to our faces. This (unfinished) project is the work of a company called 'Grande-Garage' and according to our Russian friends over at Cardesign, the retro-styled pick-up truck that is inspired from an old soviet truck called GAZ-51, is based on the underpinnings of the Cadillac Escalade EXT. The one-off creation is said to be built for a Russian plutocrat. Since the project is still in the works, we'll hold our final judgment until after we see it finished.

Via: Cardesign

Toyota & Lexus U.S. January Sales Sink 34.9 Percent

The first month of 2009 also brought bad news for Toyota that saw its U.S. sales fall to 117,287 vehicles, a decrease of 34.4 percent from last January. The Toyota division that includes the Scion brand, posted sales of 102,565 units, a decrease of 34.9 percent, while Lexus recorded sales of 14,722 units, down of 30.3 percent from the year-ago month. Toyota's passenger car sales were led by the Camry and Camry Hybrid, which posted combined sales of 20,782 units. The Corolla recorded sales of 19,238 units while the Yaris reported sales of 4,440 units for the month. The Prius hybrid posted January sales of 8,121 units.

Toyota's light trucks division posted January sales of 42,548 units, down 40 percent from January 2008. Light truck sales were led by the RAV4 compact SUV with January sales of 8,034 units.

As for Lexus, it's best selling model for January 2009 was the RX with sales of 6,520 units followed by the ES luxury sedan with sales of 2,971 units.

Ford Group U.S. Sales Plunge 40.2% in January

It appears that there's no end to the sales crisis that has hit the U.S. auto industry. In January 2009, Ford Motor Company's U.S. sales that include the Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo brands, fell to 93,506 units, a 40.2 percent decline versus a year ago (156,391 units). Volvo was the hardest hit as its January sales plunged 63.8 percent to a mere 2,910 vehicles. FoMoCo said that its inventories were 420,000 vehicles at the end of January, which is 156,000 vehicles lower than a year ago. During the past 12 months, the Ford's inventories were reduced by 27 percent which is consistent with the company's sales decline (22 percent) during this same period.

eBay Find: Porsche 944 S2 Convertible with Corvette V8

As we were looking around to shop for a Porsche 944 S2, we stumbled upon this modified version of the convertible on eBay which has had its original 3.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that delivers 211PS replaced with a Corvette-sourced, LT-1 5.7-liter V8 allegedly rated at 350HP. We've no idea what else has been changed on the car and if the end-result is satisfactory in terms of performance and handling, but we do know that Porsche's engineers designed the 944 S2 Convertible to cope with a specific output.

Plus, and even though the seller did spend money for the conversion, the 'Buy it Now Price' of $19,995, isn't what we'd call a deal for a car that has ceased to be original.

Link: eBay

2010 Mazda3 MPS - MAZDASPEED3: First Official Photos

Today, Mazda published the first official photos of the all-new Mazda3 MPS - known in the U.S. as the Mazdaspeed3, that will be uncovered at the Geneva Motor Show on March 3. The Japanese firm was tight lipped about the hot hatchback's specifications in its press release, as the only detail revealed was that the Mazda3 MPS will continue to use the outgoing model's turbocharged 2.3-liter direct-injection 4-cylinder engine.

No performance figures were released, but the current MPS's MZR 2.3 DISI Turbo engine produces (in European-spec) 260HP at 5500 rpm and 380 Nm of torque at 3000 rpm launching the car to 100km/h (62 mph) in 6.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 250 km/h (154 mph).

The photos show that the company's exterior designers had an easy job with the Mazda3 MPS / Mazdaspeed3 which has been fitted with a wide hood scoop, different lower grille trim, large rear wing, twin tailpipes, side sills and a set of newly designed alloy wheels.

For a hot hatch that wants to compete with the likes of the VW Golf GTI, Ford Focus ST and Opel / Vauxhall Astra OPC / VXR, the whole package seems a wee bit subtle and somewhat uninspired if you ask us, but maybe that's what Mazda was aiming for.

New Ford Focus RS 305HP Video

The wait for the new Focus RS is nearly over as in March, Ford will perform the European market of its hottest hatch ever that is powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine delivering an output of 305 horsepower. The front-wheel drive Focus RS can go from naught to 100km/h (62 mph) in 5.9 sec and on to a top speed of 263 km/h (164 mph). Even though we would have definitely preferred to see some hardcore footage of the Focus RS on a race track for example, for now, we will have to be content with this no-thrills video that contains (low-speed) driving and beauty shots. Click through to check it out.

2010 Range Rover with New 5.0-Liter V8 Spied on the Road

With the presentation of Jaguar's new AJ-V8 Gen III direct-injection engine on the revamped XF and XK range it is only a matter of time before Land Rover replaces the current 4.2-liter V8 with the new powerplant. A reader of Car Online captured a prototype version of the 2010 Range Rover in the UK and, as confirmed through a registration plate check, the luxury SUV was indeed equipped with the 5.0-liter V8 gasoline unit.

Jaguar's version of the new 5.0-liter V8 is available in both naturally aspirated and supercharged forms delivering 385-hp and 510-hp respectively. According to the British firm, the AJ-V8 Gen III direct-injection engines not only deliver more power and performance than their 4.2-liter V8 predecessor, but they are also more fuel efficient and produce less CO2 emissions.

Aside from the new V8 powerplants, the 2010 model year Range Rover and Range Rover Sport will benefit from a new 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 engine available in 240-hp and 275-hp versions while it is also expected that both SUVs will receive minor styling tweaks.

Via: Car - Photos: Daniel Harrison