Aston Martin is showing the production version of its Cygnet minicar at the Geneva Motor Show. Based on Toyota’s iQ, the Aston Martin isn’t available to just anyone; in fact, you need to already own an Aston Martin to qualify for purchase.

Why would Aston Martin, best known for cost-be-damned luxury performance cars, build a minicar to compete with the likes of Smart or the new Audi A1? Simple; they had no choice. Tough new EU mandates on fuel economy and emissions will cripple boutique manufacturers like Aston Martin unless they broaden their product range and do so quickly. Partnering with an existing manufacturer, particularly one with a reputation for building high quality vehicles, is the quickest path to market.

As with any Aston Martin, buyers can select a wide range of options and configurations. Pricing starts at $45,000 (roughly 3x the cost of a Toyota iQ) and tops out at $75,000 if you check all the option boxes. At that price, it had better come with leather made from baby whale penis and a concubine.

Source: Motor Authority

Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4. Reading that is like being caught in an avalanche of awesome, each word piling it on until you’re completely buried. And just look at that photo. Vantage in race livery? Yes. And more yes. Aston Martin is creating a heavenly race series consisting entirely of sleek Vantage sports cars. Called the British GT4 Challenge, the spectacle of swirling, howling mechanical beauty will likely spark a rash of spontaneous combustion throughout the U.K. Just look at that car. Look at it.

Source: Autoblog

Aston Martin has been talking about producing the four dour Rapide for some time now. It’s basically their version of the Porsche Panamera which, at any angle is simply God awful. One look at the Rapide and you will see that the designers and engineers over at Aston have created a four door sedan that is simply epic. The car is instantly recognizable as an Aston, which is good because they produce some of the most visually stunning vehicles on the planet. It has the same low slung hood line as the DB9 as well as the same power plant: 6.0-liter V12 that produces 477 hp and 443 lb.-tq.

For those of you that have never heard the exhaust note of an Aston Martin in person, I can tell you it’s a true symphonic masterpiece. I’m just amazed they get it to sound so good. The designers have incorporated the rear doors in such a way that the Rapide still looks like a coupe. Opening the newly designed up swept doors reveals an outstanding interior that showcases Aston Martin’s sport inspired history.

Aston Martin’s to me have always been the gentleman’s muscle car. They’re sleek, elegant with the performance to match the looks. Take a look at the video and decide for yourself.

Source: carscoop.blogspot.com

Evan Lysacek, the U.S. figure skater who just took the gold medal in men’s figure skating, is a car guy. Specifically, he’s got a jones for all things British and currently drives a Range Rover. A Range Rover that he was going to trade in on a Bentley before he saw the light; as soon as his promotional schedule allows, he’s going shopping for an Aston Martin DBS .

I’d be the first to tell you that I don’t understand figure skating. First, there are no motors involved, no laps and no clock to beat. Scoring is completely subjective and requires years of in depth knowledge; others may see beauty and grace, but I see I guy in a frilly Lycra costume cranking out spins and jumps on the ice. Still, mad props to Evan Lysacek for his accomplishment in beating Evgeni Plushenko, the Russian deemed by many to be the world’s best. Even more props to Lysacek for being a car guy and not a poser; anyone who chooses an Aston Martin over a Bentley is OK in my book.

Source: Yahoo Sports

The car has the muscle to back up its looks, too. A 6.0-liter V12 with 477 horsepower and 443 pound feet of torque lurks under that long hood, propelling the big sedan to 60 miles per hour in just 5.1 seconds. Top speed is 188 mph. Stateside pricing starts at $199,900 and change.

Apparently after firing the the design team responsible for the brilliant Lagonda SUV, Aston Martin is prepared to take another crack at market relevance. Their plan of attack purportedly includes the introduction of three new vehicles in 2010, at least one of which has the potential to be as colossal a failure as the aforementioned Lagonda.

The first and by far the most controversial of the three new cars is the Aston Martin Cygnet, which is literally a rebadged Toyota iQ. Shipped from Japan to Aston Martin’s Gaydon, England factory and given a cosmetic overhaul, the exterior badging and interior amenities will be exclusively Aston but the powertrain and the basic structure of iQ will remain unchanged. Despite the lack of originality, the Cygnet’s sticker price is still expected to be more than double that of the iQ. This one definitely looks like a winner.

Thankfully, Aston’s other two offerings are poised to make up for the Cygent’s glaring deficiencies. The first of the saviors is the Aston Martin Rapide, which is to date the only 4-door supercar that doesn’t make our eyes bleed (oh yes, we’re looking at you Porsche). As was announced during its official unveiling earlier this year, the Rapide will hit showrooms with the famed Vanquish V12 and an equally as jaw-dropping 6-figure price tag.

Second on the list of redeemers will be the special edition Aston Martin One-77 supercar that, as the name would imply, will be limited to just 77 production units. Powered by a 740-horsepower 7.3L V12, the exclusive One-77 is expected to fetch an asking price somewhere in the neighborhood of $2 million and subsequently be the catalyst for widespread feelings of inadequacy.

The remainder of Aston Martin’s lineup, including the DB6, DB9, and Vanquish will remain largely unchanged, save for a special V12 edition of the latter to be released sometime in 2010.

Source: Motor Authority

Apparently Kuwaiti oil wealth isn’t enough to prop up the ailing luxury marque Aston Martin, as reports are swirling that the fund that owns half of it, Investment Dar of Kuwait, is having some trouble with creditors. In fact, it’s signed a deal with them staving off their claims while they buy some more time to flee the country come up with the dough. The Warwickshire automaker has already let go 600 people, or a third of its workforce, last December. Unless Investment Dar comes up with some cash, there might be further trouble for Aston.

Which is all very interesting, because since Ford sold the company to ID in 2007, Aston’s at least been making the news a lot (whether that’s good or bad, I’ll leave up to you). The agreement with creditors gives the fund until the end of the year to figure something out, and if they can’t, Aston might be up on the block again soon.

[Source ]

Despite the disaster wrought by the Lagonda’s poor showing at the Geneva Motor Show and the embarrassing game of finger pointing that followed immediately thereafter, Aston Martin forged boldly ahead with their plans for a 4-door supercar and now once again stand vulnerable before the public eye beside the new Aston Martin Rapide. Unlike the wash of track-ready saloons that have preceded it (we’re looking at you, Panamera), the Rapide seems to posses the perfect combination of performance, practicality and, some would argue most importantly, aesthetics.

The engine is the same 6.0L V12 behemoth from the famed Vanquish, rated at a cool 470 bhp @ 6000 rpm and 443 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm, and comes mated to a standard Touchtronic 2 transmission which allows you to alternate between automatic or manual gear selection via column-mounted paddle shifters. Curb weight is a hefty 4299 lb, but thanks to the monstrous 5935cc’s under the hood Aston claims the Rapide is still capable of sprinting from 0-60mph in 5.1 seconds – not too shabby for a rich man’s family sedan.

Source: AutoBlog, because Aston Martin rejected our application for media access despite the fact that we’ve been recognized as an accredited member of automotive media by several journalistic organizations and literally every auto manufacturer, including (but not limited to) Audi, Bentley, BMW, Chrysler, Ferrari, Fiat, Fisker, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, Porsche, Renault, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo. Not that we’re bitter.

SMS Dodge Challenger 570

This heavily massaged Challenger made its hulking presence on the lawn known with its loud purpleish-blue paint and aggressive striping package. Of course, it wasn’t merely fronting; it backed up the visuals with a Lysholm supercharger that blows 3.2 cubic meters of air per minute into the 5.7 liter Hemi engine. It definitely stood out, even next to the eye-catching Bertone Mantide and Devon GTX.

Bertone Mantide

While if you were being unfair you would simply say that the Bertone Mantide is simply a Corvette ZR-1 wearing an expensive suit, we have to say that it makes an entirely different impression than a mere Corvette in the flesh. The initial photos of it made it look less exciting than it does in real life. Photos don’t do the car justice, but we tried to capture as much of the excitement as we could in these shots.

Infiniti Essence Concept

It debuted at Geneva this year and hinted at the new Infiniti M (which debuted in virtual form at Pebble Beach too, look for more on that soon). We have to say Infiniti’s new design language is really pushing the envelope, managing to look more Maserati than Nissan. We love the Ferrari-esque pointed fenders flanking that big angry grille. The wacky C-pillar kink, however, we could live without. Of course, the new M has a toned-down version of this theme, but manages to still capture the poise. Nicely done.

Lincoln Concept C

This crazy pufferfish-looking car debuted at the Detroit Auto Show, and let us tell ya, it hasn’t gotten any prettier. Lest you think we were bribed to gush about every car on the concept lawn (we weren’t, it’s just that most of them were great), we think the Concept C looks more like an iPod accessory than a Lincoln. Just a tip, guys … leave the Scion design themes to the Scion guys. But seriously, it’s a shame, because the newest Lincolns to go on sale have been incredibly distinctive cars that have been catching eyes not accustomed to alighting on a … Lincoln? We’re hoping this is one of those concepts that quietly goes away.

Bugatti Veyron Sang Bleu

The claim to fame of this limited-edition Veyron (of which there are so many, it’s getting to the point of being tacky) is its use of carbon fiber and aluminum, bare instead of painted, to show off the car. Bugatti is claiming that this is some sort of novel design concept, but we’re willing to bet that some cars have caught on long before this to use those very popular materials on the exterior of the car. Then again, not many cars are the Veyron, so possibly they could have slapped a Neuspeed sticker on it and claimed it was more unique and valuable. In any event, while there’s no discernable advantage to getting a Sang Bleu (“raw blood,” by the way, not “blue blood”), it sure looked nice.

Aston Martin One-77

Guess how many of this short-run model will be produced … here’s a hint: it’s between 76 and 78. This $1.4 million, 700 HP Aston is certainly beautiful, distinctive, and extremely exclusive. We happen to like the combination of “LOOK AT ME!” exterior mods on the taut lines of the car, which we think is just fine for a car so rare. Why else would you get one? Oh, probably the sound – we never heard the One-77 run, but we bet it is like some sort of spine-tingling cacophony of howling and braying. It looked angry, and we want one.

Spyker C8 Aileron

Spyker, the Dutch automaker of somewhat eccentric supercars, was showing off its new long-wheelbase version of the C8, the Aileron. Spyker carries some of its aeronautic-themed design touches to the extreme, but there is no denying that the C8 Aileron is a work of art. Whether or not it’s for you is a subject of personal taste. We thought the Aileron looked meaner and more purposeful than the regular C8 cars, with angrier and more angular headlights, but it was clearly a Spyker. This car has been around since last year, but the production numbers are so low that it was nice to see one in person. Plus there’s a 400 HP Audi motor out back, which probably sounds pretty sweet.

Come live vicariously through us as we, the most prestigious automotive blog in the world, grace the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance with our stately presences. We’re sure to be the star attractions – forget the live unveiling of several never-before-seen new cars, and the endless rows of priceless works of automotive art sprawled out on the golf course greens like so many unobtanium sandtraps. Surely Jay Leno and the other celebrities will probably manage to jostle themselves into the photos of our expert appraisals of the class frontrunners, but we won’t be too upset. We’ll take a break from being the life of the Concours every so often to update you, our faithful readers. So check back often, and follow us at http://twitter.com/ridelust and in our Pebble Beach live coverage to catch all of the latest updates.