With the launch of this car, Aston becomes the only brand in the world to make cars for all four levels of GT racing, 1 through 4. Over the road-going model, the GT4 is 300kg lighter, loses the interior in favor of a Recaro racing bucket and a steel roll cage, adds crazy light magnesium wheels and has the usual track-specific suspension and brakes. What’s interesting is that the company retained many of the road-going features in the racecar, meaning that if you’re the comic relief for a successful car show, driving it on the road may not be such a bad idea. Included are dynamic stability control, traction control, ABS and electronic brake force distribution. The GT4 is available now for just $144,000.

The press release follows:

Aston Martin Racing launches new Vantage GT4

Aston Martin Racing has released the 2009 specification Vantage GT4 based on Aston Martin’s new 4.7 litre V8 Vantage. The new Vantage GT4 builds on the success of its predecessor, the 4.3 litre Vantage N24.

The Vantage GT4 has been under development for six months and was unveiled in Dubai this week by Aston Martin chairman, David Richards, and tested extensively at the Dubai Autodrome.

The car is an evolution of the N24 with the larger capacity engine being more responsive with increased torque throughout the rev range. The suspension has been retuned to enhance the handling, including modified front uprights to give increased camber. The 2009 Vantage GT4 also has larger front brake discs with revised cooling.

“In the last two years, the N24 has proved to be one of the most successful cars in its class; winning the Nurburgring 24 Hours this year, as well as several FIA GT4 races,” said David Richards. “We have built on this success to develop the Vantage GT4, a competitive racing car for professional and semi-professional drivers, but also a forgiving car which will appeal to enthusiasts who wish to use it for track days and club racing.”

The Vantage GT4 is built to FIA GT4 regulations and is eligible to compete in the following series: FIA GT4 European Cup; British GT4 Championship; Britcar Endurance Series; German GT4 Championship; Dutch Supercar Challenge; Dutch GT4 Championship; VLN Endurance Championship at the Nurburgring; Australian Endurance Championship; the American SCCA Championship; and the Aston Martin Owners Club Race Series.

The Vantage GT4 comes with either a manual or sportshift transmission. It is priced from £96,645 and is available to order now with delivery in January 2009.

Aston Martin Racing is now the only manufacturer to produce cars in each of the GT classes: GT1, GT2, GT3 and GT4.

The Vantage GT4

The GT4 is based on the latest 4.7 litre V8 Vantage and is hand built by Aston Martin Racing.

The 4.7 litre eight cylinder engine has an engine management system recalibrated for race use. It also has a free flow exhaust system and air filters, and the standard V8 dry sump lubrication system is retained, helping to prevent oil surge during cornering.

The Vantage GT4 can be supplied with either a six speed manual, or a Sportshift transmission with paddle controls. Both versions have a Valeo twin-plate cerametallic racing clutch and lightweight flywheel to complete the powertrain specification.

At 1,330 kg the Vantage GT4 is 300 kg lighter than the standard car. This has been achieved through a range of weight reduction measures. The interior trim is removed with the exception of the facia moulding, which is re-trimmed in Alcantara, and the console and door casings are replaced by new lightweight mouldings.

The chassis has been fitted with a high-strength steel rollcage and Recaro competition seats. A suede-trimmed steering wheel with a quick release mechanism is also fitted as standard. The Vantage GT4’s safety features are completed with a Sabelt sixpoint safety harness with a push-button release and Lifeline Zero 360 gas extinguisher system.

The V8 Vantage road car’s suspension has required only minor adjustments for optimal track performance. These include larger diameter front and rear anti-roll bars and adjustable ride height aluminium dampers, as well as single rate, flat ground springs with separate helper springs. The front subframe is modified for extra camber and castor. Cast magnesium front and rear wheels are standard fit with high performance Yokohama A048-R tyres. The brakes are uprated with Pagid RS 29 race pads.

As further endorsement of the standard V8 Vantage underframe, the active safety systems are directly carried over to the Vantage GT4, including: dynamic stability control, traction control, ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution, providing reassurance and enhanced control in slippery conditions.

The One-77 will be available in either left- or right-hand drive, has only two seats, uses a carbon monocoque chassis with hand-worked aluminum body panels, active aerodynamics (including deployable spoiler), carbon ceramic brakes and a six-speed automated manual transmission. The engine will be a naturally aspirated 7.3-liter V12, allowing the car to reach 60 in the mid three-second range and top out just north of 200mph.

That all sounds great, but what does the One-77 offer (other than good looks) that, say, a $480,000 Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 doesn’t, and for a fraction of the price? Wow, we never thought we’d ask that. Take a look at the contract and let us know if you spot something in there that’s worth $1.3 million. Us? We're still saving for a ZR1.
[925.nl via Autoblog]

Here's a whole bunch of pictures I took over two days. I decided to have some fun and ride my bike around the city looking for cool cars while I got some exercise. Anyhow, I found most of these cars within a very short radius of my house, with a few of these being not more than a quarter mile from one another (Innocenti, Aston, GMC van, Camaro). They were all captured in Toronto, except for the Beetle which was photographed at another time in Sarnia Ontario. These cars are amongst several I picked since I couldn't include all of them (too many). The Aston Martin really blew me away since it seems to be a custom bodied car (I didn't get a chance to do my research on it). Anyhow, I have plenty more pictures of it and of the several other cars in case you were interested in posting them (multiple views). I hope you enjoy them as much as I did taking them.

According to the company:

The roof is first polished to provide a shiny surface for the gold leaf to reflect. Skilled craftsmen then place individual gold leaves onto a layer of a special base. Finally an invisible shield is laid down to make the surface scratch-proof – and impossible to pick off. Gold is not affected by air, heat, moisture or oxygen, and so is well-suited to car rooftops.

As a rooftop provides a symbolic protection, it is suitable for such an attention. Each roof is signed, numbered and a certificate of authenticity is supplied, along with a guarantee. If you're determined to go one better you could opt for gemstones set into the gold leaf – or choose a precious film of platinum or palladium.

We'd argue against buying an automotive product from someone who claims that a rooftop provides "symbolic protection."

[GoldenRooftop via CarScoop]

Actually, I didn't find it. Ian Merritt, from Kicking Tires, was working on a story when he, too, was called away by the sight of all 17+ feet of Lagondaness. Fortunately, Ian always has a camera with him. Unaware that I had spent more than a year stalking it, Ian sent the pictures over thinking we'd enjoy them. The plates on the car were blurred but I had memorized the custom inscription. I emailed Ian. Was this SALIVA? It was! So, with an assist from our buddies at Cars.com, here are some great photos of this ridiculous and wonderful car.

Well, according to Mrs Mellin:

"We had split up and been to court. He wanted me to walk away from the farmhouse and the business and leave me with nothing...so we met in a pub after a court hearing and he started having a tantrum. As we made our way back to our cars he opened the boot and said: "There's my rope, that's what I'm going to kill myself with." I told him to grow up and give me the rope. But he just laughed."

I've never seen a James Bond movie- yes, that's right, I'm probably the only person in the world who can say that- but that doesn't mean I didn't have the James Bond Corgi DB5 as a kid. In any case, the DB5 would be an ungodly cool machine on its own merits- just look at it! OK, now keep that mental image of a nice shiny DB5 fresh in your mind when you look at this '65 Aston Martin DB5, which is so incredible that no price can be placed on it! It's been sitting for 35 years, which might mean that all the devilment has been leached out of the Lucas Electrics- hey, stranger things have never happened- and the mileage is sitting at a paltry 65,000 miles. It looks like raccoons with access to unlimited corn liquor have been living in it for a while, the drivetrain is likely completely garbooned, and we are certain suspect that rust is a major issue, but don't let that deter you from your DB5 dreams!

The DB5 is quite a car, but it's so obvious. If When you got it working, you'd just look like some guy or gal who wanted to drive a movie car, and where's the fun there? But how about the Jensen FF? Ah, now you're talking serious agony automotive innovation! Four-wheel-drive and antilock brakes on a production car... in 1966! Those latecomers at Audi are still smarting over their relatively tardy arrival to the AWD party, you can be sure of that! That's why you'll feel so proud when you take delivery of your new Jensen FF (scroll down to Chassis Number 119/140), straight from the UK. A veteran Jensen Owner's Club member had the car for a while, but "became concerned about the extent of rusting, and realising the work required would be far beyond his capabilities, sold the car." Does that scare you? Not us! You'll be so busy trying to get that dodgy ahead-of-its-time ABS system working that you won't have time to dwell on the fact that the car consists entirely of has a bit of rust. The car was running "very well" until 2004, so you figure it should fire right up and disintegrate roll.

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Was in Dawson City, central Yukon last week and came across these Astons and the Lotus Elan on a Panama to Anchorage rally. Sorry for poor photos but they're beautiful cars and I thought you'd appreciate the extreme "downstreetness" of these.

LMP1 Class
The big news here was that the trio of Peugeots fell to the #2 Audi Sport North America car driven by Capello, McNish and Kirstensen. Hmm... the Audis winning Le Mans. Where have we heard that before? In case you were curious it was Audi, Pug, Pug, Audi, Pug, Audi. The drama continued all the way to the end with both the #2 Audi and the #7 Peugeot finishing on the same lap.

LMP2
Though not as exciting as some of the other classes, the LMP2 did feature the first Le Mans appearance by the Porsche RS Spyder. And how did the RS Spyder perform? The #34 in pimptastic purple won first, piloted by Van Merksteign, Verstappen and Bleekemolen. Sadly, the #41 Porsche piloted by Nielsen, Elgard and Maasen came in second. Why is that sad? Because their names are so much easier to spell.

LM GT1
The big showdown in the GT1 class was between the Gulf Oil Aston Martin and the Yellow Corvettes for class dominance. This year it was the 009 DBR9 of Brahbham, Garcia and Turner taking down the #63 C6R of O'Connell, Magnussen and Fellows for a second GT1 victory in as many years. As with the Audi-Pug race, this one also finished on the same lap. For the scorekeepers, that's Aston, Vette, Vette, Aston.

LM GT2
The GT2 was quite the happy story for us as the Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GT driven by Salo, Melo and Bruni owned the Porsche 911's. Why do we care? Those are some Houston, Texas boys and right now Houston sports fans will take any victory from any Houston team. Second place went to the Ferrari F430 GT campaigned by BMS Scuederia Italia. The final for GT2 was Ferrari, Ferrari, Ferrari, Ferrari, Porsche, Porsche.

[Photo: Getty Images/AFP, LeMans.org]

You want a genuine right-hand-drive, straight-from-Japan R33 Skyline GT-R, don't you? Of course you do! A 250-horse twin-turbocharged 2.6 six (which is eager to be boosted up to ridiculous power numbers using off-the-shelf components and well-known tuning tricks), all-wheel-drive, and JDM-only prestige that will leave jaws dropping in your wake. You could take your rapidly-eroding dollars and attempt to put together enough yen to get one shipped over from Japan... or you could buy this 1996 Skyline GT-R (go here if the ad disappears) right here in California! No, you're not allowed to buy it just for the RB25DETT engine (although we'd certainly approve of a Honey Bee B210 with such a powerplant)- you need to fix this car! We don't know how much the seller wants for it, but you can tell by his tone ("Don't waste my time. Serious buyers only!") that he or she means business. It's only got 10,000 kilometers on the clock, so the question is: was it hooned to death and wrecked in Japan, or was it hooned to death and wrecked over here? You'll have plenty of time to contemplate that question as you deal with layer after layer of state and federal bureaucrats, all of whom will disapprove strongly of the idea of you registering your Skyline for street use in North America, and all of whom will treat the car's sketchy lien-sale paperwork as being moderately radioactive. Oh yeah, the seller can't say whether it runs or not! Thanks to Jonee for the tip.

The last time we saw a Lagonda in this series, it stomped an Alfa Romeo Giulietta into a heap of rusty scrap metal in the poll. We thought maybe we'd save this '83 Lagonda to do battle with a Citroën, but then figured the horror of registering the Skyline, coupled with undeniable coolness, likely puts it on the same level as the Aston Martin. The best thing about this Lagonda is that it has the full-on electronic dash, which makes ordinary Lucas Electrics look downright bulletproof. And you know how much its price tag was in 1983? $150,000, which seems utter lunacy even before you convert it to the 2008 inflation-adjusted figure of $323,529. This car's auction has no reserve and is currently bid up to just $4,000; we may be looking at the ultimate in car-value depreciation here... which is bad news for the seller, but great news for you! Now, those of you who don't know Malaise Era British cars may be scoffing at the idea of this beautiful, fully-functional Aston Martin as a "project" car, but we guarantee it was a Hell Project the moment it left the assembly line (if not before then). You'll be lucky to get it up your driveway and soon-to-be sulfurous garage under its own power (four carburetors on a British DOHC smog V8- cue evil laughter). Thanks to UDMan for yet another great tip!

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ASTON MARTIN COMPLETES WET LE MANS TEST DAY Aston Martin has completed the traditional pre-Le Mans test day at the La Sarthe circuit, two weeks prior to the endurance classic. The test is an opportunity for drivers and teams to re-familiarise themselves with the eight-mile circuit in order to finalise the set-up for the round the clock race. This year, Aston Martin Racing will be defending its GT1 class win with two Gulf-sponsored DBR9s, numbered 007 and 009. Also competing in the event is an Aston Martin-powered LMP1 prototype, entered by Charouz Racing System, as well as two customer DBR9s from Team Modena and Vitaphone Racing. Conditions for the test day were a mixture of wet and dry weather, which limited running for most of the teams. Despite the changeable conditions, the teams were still able to carry out some useful preparation. The 007 DBR9 was crewed by Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Andrea Piccini and Karl Wendlinger, while 009 was driven by David Brabham and Antonio Garcia. The car's remaining driver, Darren Turner - who won the GT1 class along with Brabham in 009 last year - was absent due to touring car commitments in the UK, but he has plenty of previous Le Mans experience to fall back on when it comes to the race. The test day consisted of two sessions, from 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm. During the lunch break, 20 Aston Martin road cars took to the La Sarthe circuit, as part of the 2009 model year V8 Vantage press launch. Aston Martin DBR9 007: Heinz-Harald Frentzen (D): "Although the conditions were extremely mixed, every bit of running at Le Mans is useful, as these are all conditions that could be replicated during the race. I last competed at Le Mans 16 years ago: it was interesting to be back! I don't remember much of the circuit at all, so it was useful to get my bearings. It was hard to do any detailed set-up work, but the balance of the car feels generally good - which is a very positive sign for the race to come." Andrea Piccini (I): "It's a pity that we didn't get more consistent weather as it was quite hard to get a good feeling. During my laps, half the circuit was dry - up to the Mulsanne straight - and the other half was wet. I was running on medium slicks, so it was tricky for me to get enough heat into the tyres and generate the grip we needed for a quick time. I last drove for Aston Martin at Le Mans in 2006, so it took me a little bit of time to get familiar with the car again but now I feel comfortable." Karl Wendlinger (A): "This was a very useful session to refresh my memory of the Le Mans circuit, which I last competed on in 2001. There's a lot that's new since then, particularly the section around Tertre Rouge. I've got experience of the DBR9 from the FIA GT Championship already; it feels very strong under acceleration and braking here - which will definitely help us in the race. We don't know what the weather will do during the race weekend, so I'm glad we experienced the wet and tried a few different things today." Aston Martin DBR9 009 David Brabham (AUS): "We weren't expecting any real surprises from the test day, and luckily that turned out to be the case. I drove a lot of the race last year in the wet - including the very last stint - so it all felt quite familiar today! I think everyone's test programme was compromised by the weather today, but my personal goal was just to get used to the car again after a year out of it and I succeeded in that objective. Although we waited a bit I was still one of the first drivers out, so the track was extremely green and slippery - but it was all useful running." Antonio Garcia (E): "I was quite lucky compared to some of the other guys, as I managed to get a few laps in dry conditions. I made the most of that opportunity to push quite hard, and from that I feel confident that we will be competitive. It's difficult to draw too many detailed conclusions, but I think we're well-prepared. I drove the DBR9 last year for a customer team, so it all feels quite normal; even the weather!" The LMP1 car entered by Charouz Racing System and driven by Jan Charouz (CZ), Tomas Enge (CZ) and Stefan Mucke (D) used the test day to get familiar with the conditions and work on the prototype's wet-weather set-up. Team Modena's DBR9, car number 59, will be driven by Terry Borcheller (USA), Christian Fittipaldi (BR) and Jos Menten (NL). The Vitaphone Racing car, numbered 53, will be driven by Peter Hardman (GB), Nick Leventis (GB), and Xavier Negrao (BR). Aston Martin Racing Team Principal George Howard-Chappell commented: "It was a very tricky day in terms of preparing for the race, with completely random weather. Still, it has been the same for everyone and at least all our drivers here got the chance to drive the car in a wide variety of conditions. Along with everyone else, we've got a lot of work still to do on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

[Source: Aston Martin]

That means power is now up to 420 HP and 347 lb-ft of torque. How does it feel? Well, the loud exhaust gurgle is said to have been toned down a bit, which combined with a 0.2-second quicker 0-to-60 time, means the Vantage's bite is now actually more proportionate to its bark. But only by a little bit. We're also told that the new extra power is said to be noticeable, but not overwhelmingly impressive. So, it looks like all you speed freaks will still have to wait for the V12. [Autocar]

"the accident happened when the car used by two stuntmen rammed into a filming lorry and then into a wall on set near the picturesque Lake Garda in northern Italy..."

"...one of the two men, a Greek national, ended up in intensive care in a hospital in the nearby town of Verona."

Here's a perfect example of the type of asks the Sultan would make to automakers. The V8 Vantage of the '90s was an awesome piece of brutish British muscle. In our mind, the only way to make it more badass was to add more doors, and it would appear the Sultan was of the same mindset as the Brunei royals ordered Aston Martin to convert some Virages to Lagonda-badged sedans and wagons. Some were even converted to Vantage technical specification.

Done in-house by Aston Martin Works, the Aston Martin Special Series 1 was styled to look like the classic DB4 Zagato. But while the old DB4 had to make do with an inline-six, the Series 1 rode on a V8 Vantage platform complete with twin-supercharged V8 power. Because when you've got the money to make it happen, you make it happen.

Where the Series 1 was pure retro, the Series 2 was the culmination of contemporary. Striking a nice balance between elegant and aggressive, the Special Series 2 was also believed to be based on the V8 Vantage. Sounds like a nice way to counter-balance the design of the Series 1. Or at least the Sultan seemed to think so.

The AM3 was the most non-traditional design of all the custom Astons. Perhaps this was because it was bodied by Pininfarina in Italy. The lights were given a smoked treatment to blend in with the black plastic front fascia. And like all great contemporary designs, it still looks modern today.

Although the AM4 was much more conservative than the AM3, it too was designed by the denizens of the clay workshops of Pininfarina. Also on the V8 Vantage chassis, we think it looks something like a big DB7.

Before the Porsche Cayenne or Cadillac Escalade, if you wanted an SUV with a stuck-up sense of over-built purpose, there was only the Range Rover. Unless you were the Sultan, in which case you'd commission Bentley to construct a batch of SUVs with a unique Bentley chassis and Range Rover 4WD systems. At least they didn't ride on 24" spinners.

Originally the Java was a concept to show what a Bentley based on a BMW 5-series might look like. Apparently the Brunei royals liked it enough they had Bentley build a convertible version of the show car. The gleefully exorbitant brand-bastard madness didn't stop with the drop-top, as it appears he had some wagons built as well. Though from what we understand they didn't actually use a BMW for these functioning examples of concept gone crazy.

We told you this guy loved wagons — and an extended-end Bentley is certainly an expensive way to show that love. While we're not too keen on the I'm-Lovin'-It McDonald's themed interior on the jaundice-colored Bentley, we adore the styling on the silver one. What's better, if you believe the badges, these were equipped with four-wheel-drive. Think of it as a Volvo wagon — except symbolizing the opposite of every ideal of the Swedish brand.

Back when all Bentleys were styled starting with Lego models, the Rapier was designed to be a modern and forward-thinking interpretation of the brand. The flowing lines are still more sleek that the current lineup from Crewe. Although now, the front view might cause people to initially confuse it for a Jaguar XF.

The BMW 850CSi was the best you could get from Bavaria, but that wasn't good enough for the Sultan. This version of the big coupe is tuned by Alpina and called the B12. In addition to those fancy stripes and vents, the car had a V12 pumping out about 350 HP.

Yes, that's right, with a 16-cylinder engine made from two V8s stuck together, the Cizeta-Moroder V16T was one of the most ambitious hypercar projects ever attempted. The engine was mounted in a Fiero-like sideways fashion, instead of the longitudinal way you'd expect in a Lamborghini. Even the headlights were over-the-top, it had two flip-up lamps on each side.

Known as the Dauer 962 Le Mans, it's an extremely limited edition street-version of Porsche's dominant 962 race car. It's also said up to five of these once lived in the Brunei royal garage, but we're told this yellow example was apparently the favorite. At one time, they were arguably the fastest road cars in the world. That is, if you actually consider them "road cars."

The Ferrari 456 is arguably the most elegant car to come from Maranello in recent years. That being said — why stop with mere elegance when you're a Sultan. No, a Sultan demands indulgence. Which we're assuming is why he built himself a four-door sedan and wagon version of the Italian stallion. With a wave of his hand, he commissioned design-shop Pininfarina to build some super-sized versions. We're even told the Sultan reportedly had them set up shop on the royal grounds, just for this sort of special project. Must have been why they tossed in that sexy drop-top 456 Spider at no extra cost.

The Ferrari F40 only came in red, right? Not if you're the Sultan. It's ironic to see the most exciting car of its day in the most drab color imaginable, but we think it's awesome.

Obviously, this wasn't the only McLaren in the garage, but where else are you gonna find one in yellow? And we all know what yellow is good for. We can see it now — the Sultan cruising — one chick magnetically sealed to each side due to the raw yellow magnetism of the McLaren. Yeah, or else he had so many credit cards in his pockets, the stripes on the back actually became magnetized. Whatever the reason, we're assuming the man doesn't need a yellow McLaren. But we're also assuming that wasn't his reasoning behind the color either.

Essentially a re-bodied SL, the Argento Vivo design was originally a Honda concept car by the same name. But what sets a Honda concept apart from a Mercedes is all about what's under the hood. In this case, an AMG 7.3-liter V12, the same engine used in the Pagani Zonda.

Yet another awesome wagon, the special S-class Touring model was designed just for the Sultan. Of course, it never hurts to have some extra power to drag around all that extra cargo room, so AMG installed another one of their 7.3-liter V12s under that pretty hood.

No, that's not just a sheet-metal restoration. It's been restored by HWA, the people that made the CLK-GTR, and was given modern underpinnings from a (then) new S-class. Style of the old, power of the new. We like that combination.

The Sultan didn't just use HWA for the 600 above. Like many tuning houses, the Sultan of cars had them take a swing at a few four-wheeled wonders. Like the Mercedes above. Sure, it looks just like a normal 300 SL, but it's got a modern drivetrain. That gives it plenty of "go" to match the gullwing "show."

Ok, so this wasn't actually called "The Panty Dropper" or "The Shaggin Wagon" but it might as well have been. Why else would you have a yellow Mercedes Sprinter with a red interior? We're wondering if those seats fold down conversion van-style. What happens in Brunei, stays in Brunei, right?

What could be better than the Rambo-Lambo? How about a wagon version? Just looking at this thing pumps enough testosterone into our system to make us want to go on a Lion-hunting expedition. In the middle of a war zone.

Think Jaguar's XJ220 is just too ugly? Of course not. So why would you have one re-styled by Pininfarina? Because you can, and because the end result looks absolutely fantastic.

Nowadays, it's common to see stretched Escalades and Navaigators, but this Range Rover was stretched long before big SUVs were played out. We wonder how it'd do off-road? Our bet is we'd find out right about the first time we tried to scale a rock taller than a foot.

Styled by Bertone, this one-off Roller dubbed the Majestic is distinct enough to be noticed by those in the know, but subtle enough to be overlooked by most everyone else. Much less vulgar than say, a current Phantom.

What collection would be complete without a basic stretched Rolls-Royce? We're sure the Sultan had plenty of limos like these, but something about this Roller just gives it the quintessential "rich guy" flavor.

Photo Credit: Supercars.net
[Information gathered from a variety of sources including but not limited to: AstonMartins.com, bentleyspotting.com, benzworld.org, classicdriver.com]

That's enough power to give the Ferrari F430 Scuderia and Porsche 911 GT2 a serious scare. That would also make it more powerful than the current Aston DBS, or even the Vantage GT2 race car.
[AutoWeek.nl]

Aston Martin's Rapide four-door has come off the frozen lakes of Northern Sweden, and is now hot-lapping the Nürburgring. This appears to be a very similar prototype caught during cold-weather tests, but our latest shots reveal a new glass roof that was unknown until today. The glass roof sweeps from windshield to backlight almost seamlessly, adding even more sleekness and sex appeal to this ultra- luxurious sedan.

I don't think this ad is entirely accurate. Most of us will agree that anything in a Aston Martin V8 Vantage turns them into a _ILF. [AdRants via Fleshbot (NSFW)]

Additionally, as we first reported to you here, the Aston Martin DBS Volante (i.e. convertible) is also a go. Everything's coming up Martin! [Autovisie via World Car Fans]