In a week full of preparations for one of the UK’s biggest motoring festivals, the Goodwood Festival of Speed, a few nuggets of exciting not-to-miss stories also made waves including three announcements by Aston Martin. Catch up with all of the stories from the week below.
Mercedes introduce the Mercedes-AMG GT R : Developed in the Green Hell
Mercedes-AMG continues to grow and is expanding the top end of its product range with the introduction of the new AMG GT R. The AMG GT R, by Mercedes-AMG utilises the most motorsport technology of any AMG production vehicle to date. The front-mid-engine concept with a transaxle, the twin-turbo V-8 engine rated at 430 kW/585 hp, extensively modified suspension, new aerodynamics and the lightweight construction culminate to create an especially dynamic driving experience.
In exclusive “AMG green hell mango” paintwork, the sports car’s origin is no surprise, the Green Hell of the Nurburgring racetrack.
“Our sports-car and performance brand AMG has its roots in motorsport and, ever since its formation, has repeatedly faced up to the competition on the racetrack. These genes are particularly prevalent in the new AMG GT R. Boasting a wealth of technological innovations, the new top-of-the-range model is proof of the close collaboration between our constructors of racing cars and road-going vehicles,” states Professor Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Group Research and Mercedes‑Benz Cars Development.
Volvo Cars reveal R-Design S90 Saloon & V90 Estate
Volvo Cars has revealed performance-inspired R-Design models of the new S90 saloon and V90 estate. Central to the S90 and V90 R-Design is an advanced sport chassis that delivers an energetic, road-hugging drive.
Sporting a new front-end design with spoiler-integrated foglights, the R-Design models come with a unique grille and piano black trim on both the front and rear. A new five-spoke matt black diamond-cut wheel adds to the performance feel. A wide range of styling cues are included on the inside – from unique deco trim, pedals and mats, to the sporty contour seats and special steering wheel, including a high-level interior illumination package that radiates attention to detail.
Order books are now open for the S90 and V90 R-Design models. UK prices will be announced in Q3 2016.
Aston Martin begin production of the DB11’s new V12 and unveil a limited edition Vanquish Zagato along with its most extreme roadster ever, Q by Aston Martin
DB11 V12
The introduction of a new Aston Martin engine is always something special and when that engine has been created for a new Aston Martin model it’s a true landmark. Earlier on this week, at the Aston Martin Engine Plant (AMEP) in Cologne, Germany, just such a landmark has been reached with the DB11’s new 5.2L twin-turbo V12 entering full production.
Designed in-house this new engine develops 608PS and 700Nm of torque, making DB11 the most powerful production DB model ever. It’s also the fastest and most accelerative, too, with a top speed of 200mph and a 0-62mph time of just 3.9sec., while intelligent cylinder bank activation and stop-start technology ensures that potency is matched by greatly improved efficiency.
Recommended Retail Price for the DB11 model starts from £154,900 in the UK with the first deliveries of the DB11 scheduled to begin during the fourth quarter of 2016.
The Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Coupe
On Wednesday, Aston Martin announced a limited series production of the exhilarating Vanquish Zagato Coupe; the latest creation from its long-standing partnership with the prestigious Italian design-house Zagato.
The Vanquish Zagato Concept was unveiled to great acclaim at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este at Lake Como, Italy in May 2016. Thanks to unprecedented customer interest, a strictly limited production run of 99 cars will be built to order at Aston Martin’s production facility in Gaydon, England.
Q By Aston Martin
Aston Martin rounded up a busy week of announcements by unveiling its most extreme roadster ever in the unique form of the one-off Vantage GT12 Roadster. A tailor made customer commission undertaken by Q by Aston Martin, the Vantage GT12 Roadster takes the original Vantage GT12 Coupe’s hardcore ethos and adds the visceral thrill of open-top driving, offering the driver an intensified sensation of exhilaration and the unfiltered fury of a 600PS V12 soundtrack.
“The Vantage GT12 Roadster is a hugely exciting project. Not just because it’s sensational to look at, but because it vividly demonstrates the expanded capabilities of Q by Aston Martin. By incorporating the exceptional engineering capabilities of Aston Martin Advanced Operations within the Q by Aston Martin bespoke commissioning service we have a truly formidable creative team.” – Dr Andy Palmer, Aston Martin President and CEO.
Bentley Unveil Mulsanne Gigapixel Image in San Francisco
Bentley early in the week unveiled a groundbreaking ‘gigapixel’ image, featuring the new Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase in Rose Gold over Magnetic duo-tone crossing San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate bridge. The image was created using technology originally developed by NASA to enable Mars rovers to take exploratory panoramic photographs. Viewers can use an innovative, interactive zoom function to travel from 700 metres out all the way into the Mulsanne’s cabin – right down to the 4,500 individual stitches in the embroidered ‘Winged B’ headrest logo.
An incredible 4,425 times larger than a typical smartphone image, this extraordinary photograph is made up of approximately 53 billion pixels (or 53,000 megapixels). It was created by taking 700 individual shots from the same location and ‘stitching’ them together digitally. The result, if reproduced in standard print format, would be the size of a football field.
Kevin Rose, Bentley’s Board Member for Sales and Marketing, said: “Nowhere is Bentley’s famed attention to detail better demonstrated than with our new Mulsanne. We wanted to commission this shot to capture both the exquisite detailing of the Mulsanne and the epic scale of our brand’s ambitions. We believe the result is truly extraordinary.”
