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Report: Aston Martin Cygnet could come to the States
Filed under: Hatchback, Aston Martin 
Aston Martin Cygnet - Click above for high-res image gallery
We aren't quite sure why the Aston Martin Cygnet exists. What was once an economical Toyota iQ is now a fuel-sipping Aston Martin (weird) with a lavish interior and a price tag that will make your heart skip a beat. We understand that vehicles like this work well in the congested, small-car-friendly cities of Europe, but it remains to be seen if microcars have a place here in the United States. The Smart ForTwo has proved to be a flop in the States, though we'll chalk most of that up to its unimpressive fuel economy and downright awful driving dynamics.
The U.S. is set to get a Scion-badged version of the Toyota iQ in early 2011, but a report from Automotive News states that Aston Martin could import its angry-looking Cygnet counterpart to our shores as early as 2012. It would share the same 1.3-liter gasoline powerplant as the Scion, though an electric-only version with a 60-mile range could arrive in 2013.
We'll wait until Aston Martin gives us the official word before we start jumping to any conclusions, but consider our outlook on a U.S.-spec Cygnet similar to that of a half-empty glass.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]Report: Aston Martin Cygnet could come to the States originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments | Aston Martin design director gets custom Vantage GT4
Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Aston Martin, UK, Racing 
Marek Reichman's Aston Martin Vantage GT4 - Click above for high-res image gallery
And he's going racing with it. Marek Reichman, the design director for Aston Martin, will be hopping into the saddle of a Vantage GT4 for his first shot at the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of Great Britain. Reichman has gone fender to fender before, though he typically keeps to vintage club racing. This will be the first time he's stepped up to the 90-minute big boy leagues of his company's one-make series. Reichman won't be doing it alone, though. Chris Porritt, the engineering manager for Aston Martin, will be sharing driving duties.
Porritt has helmed the mighty Vantage GT4 in the past, though most of his experience has been at the Nürburgring. We're thinking that if he can keep the car shiny side up around Green Hell, he should have no problem going toe to toe with the rest of the field. That doesn't mean that the competition is going to be a cakewalk for the team - so far this season, the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge has proven to be full of more than capable racers. The series is slated to kick off at Oulton Park on Saturday, August 21. Hit the jump for a peek at the press release.
[Source: Aston Martin]Continue reading Aston Martin design director gets custom Vantage GT4 Aston Martin design director gets custom Vantage GT4 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments | Autoblog attends 2010 Le Mans Classic, celebrates 80 years of legendary racing
Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Performance, Europe, Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Lamborghini, Porsche, Misc. Auto Shows, Ferrari, Racing 
2010 Le Mans Classic - Click above for high-res image gallery, and help us caption some of the cars!
Every two years in July, hundreds of vintage race cars gather at the famed Le Mans race circuit in France to fire up their engines and relive the glory days in the historic corners and long straights of the nearly 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe. But that's just part of it. In addition to the priceless machinery racing on the track, thousands of other classic cars trek to the grounds to fill nearly every open spot at the huge venue. Autoblog was invited by Porsche France to enjoy the 2010 Le Mans Classic in person, and needless to say, it was absolutely spectacular.
According to the organizers, this year's show welcomed 100,000 spectators, 8,000 display cars, 460 racing cars and 1,000 drivers. With sunny 95-degree temperatures over both days, the weather was unusually hot and the grounds chokingly dusty, but it didn't seem to keep anyone - or anything - from the event.
When not enjoying the racing, we strolled the show and stumbled over well-preserved classics from Jaguar, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Renault, Lamborghini, Audi, BMW and more. Porsche models were everywhere as the various European Porsche Car Clubs stormed the venue with more than 800 cars. Where else can you physically brush elbows with a race-ready BMW M1, a brand-new 2011 Ferrari 599 GTO and ride in the back of a historic war-era Willys Jeep all within the same 60 seconds? Le Mans Classic, baby. And these weren't sterile, stuck-behind-the-ropes museum stock, either - everything was meant to be driven and enjoyed.
We've put together a massive gallery offering just a taste of the caliber of vehicles on display, running hot laps and racing last weekend. While we've attempted to caption many of these, some still have us stumped. If you can identify a few of the nameless, give us a shout in the comments (with the photo number as seen in the URL) and we'll update the captions as quickly as our server's cache will let us.
Photos by Michael Harley / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.Autoblog attends 2010 Le Mans Classic, celebrates 80 years of legendary racing originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments |
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