Back in 2007, Aston Martin released the special-edition Vantage N400 to commemorate the success of its Vantage N24 racecar at the fabled Nürburgring. It featured a 400 horsepower version of the standard V8, suspension upgrades and a few visual changes outside and in. Aston produced just 240 examples of this special Vantage, and if you want one, you’re about three years too late. Sure you might be able to find one on the used car market, but why? Aston has an even better offer for you on a new model – the N420.

As its name implied the previous N400 had 400 ponies under the bonnet compared to the stock V8 Vantage’s 380. As you might surmise, the new N420 has 420 horsepower. While all current generation Vantage V8s sport that same power rating, the N420 gets the otherwise optional Sports Pack fitted as standard equipment, along with a special exhaust unique to the N420. A new carbon fiber front splitter, side skirts and diffuser are part of the deal as well, along with unique rims, black mesh grille inserts, and 27 fewer kilograms (60 pounds) registered in the vehicle’s advertised curb weight.

The interior gets a few upgrades as well, and buyers can choose from a range of “race collection” paint schemes. Like the N400, the new Aston Martin V8 Vantage N420 will be available in coupe and roadster configuration and available with either the six-speed manual or Sportshift semi-automatic transmission. Deliveries will begin next month in the UK, the £96,995 price tag (that’s over $147,000 USD but includes the UK’s hefty Value Added Tax) represents a £13,804 ($21k) premium over the base model, which sells in the UK for £83,191 (equivalent to $126k at today’s exchange rates) and in the United States for $119,500

Aston Martin Rapide – Click above for full image gallery

The Cars & Coffee gathering on 6/12/10 was one of that informal show’s typical summer events – a huge turnout of everything from muscle cars to exotics, from backyard projects to TV show makeovers. The mix of show cars was certainly eclectic, if a bit biased towards rear-engined models thanks to the huge Porsche Club turnout this week.

The PCA was gathering early before heading down en masse to the nearby Dana Point Concours later in the day. Besides the plethora of 911 models, there were plenty of Boxsters and Caymans, 356 and 914 models and even a rare limited edition Design Series 3 Cayenne. In fact, it looked like a lot of clubs were out as a group of four T-Rexes buzzed into the lot together, as well as a gaggle of GM vehicles sporting non-US bodywork from Holden/Vauxhall/Opel. The NSX crew was on hand with about a dozen or so of those aluminum flyers.

But not everybody came in groups and the individual cars were just as spectacular. The selection of ’60s and ’70s musclecars was particularly sweet, with a small cluster that looked all the world like a used car dealership circa 1975 or so – Mach 1, Boss 302, Chevelle SS, Hemi Road Runner, Challenger T/A, Judge GTO…very nice stuff. And then there were the offbeat and breathtaking – A Subaru flat-six powered VW T3 Doka (Crew Cab), Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, Merkur XR4Ti, Martini liveried Ducati, GMC Syclone, F40, Racing Beat LSR RX-7, Lancia Appia, fighter jet M3, Ultima GTR, widebody Supra, Noble, ‘62 Pontiac Grand Prix 421 Convertible, Mercedes 600 limo, 1960 Chrysler New Yorker…and then there were the two show-stoppers.

Parked at end of one row, right next to a black DeTomaso Pantera, there was a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT TdF Scaglietti ‘1 Louvre’ Coupe. A gorgeous and rare race car, earning its Tour de France nickname by dominating that race from its very first outing in 1956 and not letting up for eight more years in a row. It was an amazing race car that eventually was shortened to become the 250 GT SWB and ultimately the 250 GTO. One of just 84 TdFs ever built, this one is particularly stunning.

Last, but certainly not least, Aston Martin finally brought out their new Rapide 4-door, a west-coast debut. While Porsche Panameras have been showing up for months already, this was our first glimpse of the elegant looking sports sedan from A-M. It is a striking car in person, keeping much of the shape of its similarly stylish stablemates. The LEDs in the headlamps are a bit fussy and the hood louvers look slightly cheap, but the car is undoubtedly leaps and bounds above the German rival in the looks department. If you actually need to open those rear doors more than just once or twice a month, however, the Panamera is way more functional. Not only is the rear seat wider in the Porsche, but there is way more headroom as well, and cargo capacity in the Stuttgart sedan is much more accessible and capacious. At an MSRP of $200,000 with options, the Rapide is also much dearer, but until we drive the Rapide we won’t be able to definitively say which we’d prefer. [Cough. Cough.]

When Aston Martin returned to sportscar racing in 2005, we didn’t see it as much of a surprise. When Aston Martin Racing expanded into every category of GT racing from the GT4-spec Vantage to the GT1-spec DBR9, we saw it as a natural climb through the ranks with their production-car-based lineup. But when they decided to go after the top-tier LMP1 category with a full-on assault, we figured they’d gone a bit batty.

That’s a big undertaking for a relatively small sportscar maker, and LMP1 is the established playground of Audi and Peugeot, companies with much deeper pockets. But here they were, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the last Aston Martin overall victory at Le Mans, stuffing the V12 engine from the victorious DBR9 into an existing Lola chassis with support from veteran LMP1 campaigners Charouz Racing System. That sounds like a pretty straightforward formula for success, and indeed the Aston-powered Lolas were among the most successful gasoline-powered entries in P1, albeit well behind the diesel-powered Audis and Peugeots.

Now comes word that the lads and lasses from Gaydon are tossing out the Lola chassis and developing their own LMP1 platform. That has us thinking they’ve good and truly gone off the deep end. Next weekend’s running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be the last run for the Lola-Astons as the company moves forward on the in-house project with their racing partner Prodrive. Directed by Aston chairman David Richards the ground-up Le Mans prototype is expected to take to the track next year.

We have no doubt that with Prodrive’s expertise added to the mix the firm can be competitive out of the box, but what really has us intrigued is that the company is saying they will show up in France with a two car entry, along with two more cars for a privateer team, and plans to add another two privateer cars for 2012. That’s a whole lotta Astons set to challenge for the overall victory over the next couple of years, and if the sanctioning body can figure out a better equivalency formula between the petrol and diesel engines, it might happen sooner rather than later.

Aston Martin has finally announced U.S. pricing for its V12 Vantage, and if you’re as excited about this 510 horsepower coupe as we are, you’ll start saving $179,995 to secure the “base” model.

While 180 large seems like a lot of coin, the DB9-sourced V12 powerplant puts those 510 ponies and 420 pound-feet of torque into the more svelte Vantage 2-seat model, giving the car a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 190 mph.

If the “regular” V12 Vantage is just too pedestrian for your tastes, there’s always the Carbon Black Edition with its black metallic paint, carbon fiber accents, reworked grille, 10-spoke black wheels and various upgraded interior bits to appeal to the baller in you.

Pricing for the Carbon Black model might seem steep at $194,995, but that does undercut the DB9 and DBS by a healthy margin, and it even includes the $3,000 gas guzzler tax and $1,350 destination charge. Such a deal.

We of the Commonwealth have always enjoyed certain rolling priviledges from the Motherland, in particular, the godly goodness of the full range from Aston Martin.

The V12 Vantage has finally earned a green card, coming to a US showroom near you with a full-blown spec and an additional Carbon Black version.

The V12 will arrive with a 510hp 6.0-liter V12, working up to 190 mph and clocking 0-62 mph in 4.2secs.

For a 5 percent hike on the asking price (tbc), the Carbon Black edition gains its namesake palette, carbon fiber trimmings, black shadow bespoke rims, weight-saving carbon-kevlar sports seats, and a beefier 700watt stereo. Not that you need it in such an orchestral vehicle - just roll down the window.

Aston Martin has already told us that they plan on entering a racier version of their 4-door Rapide in this year’s Nürburgring 24-hour race, and now we have a pic of what that car might look like. Autoblog.com snagged a few spy shots of the black beauty you see here, complete with racing slicks and plastic windows.

The Vantage has already brought the legendary sports and race car maker consecutive class wins in the fabled test of endurance, and now they want to show that adding two more doors does nothing to an Aston’s performance capabilities. We’ll have to wait until May to find out if they succeed in the race, but for now we can say they’ve definitely succeeded in making the already sexy Rapide look totally hot.

Hint: If you like what you see, you can click on the pic and see even more.

For the fifth consecutive year, Aston Martin will return to the starting grid of the legendary Nordschleife circuit for the 38^th ADAC Nürburgring  24-hour race on May 15-16. While the DB9 and Vantage handled the track duties in previous years, this year it will be the new Rapide’s chance to shine.

Wanting to further underline the sporting credentials of their new four-door sports car, Aston Martin chose to run the Rapide in the demanding 24-hour race. As in the past, the car will be driven by a team of engineers from the company’s Gaydon headquarters in Warwickshire, England.

Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez who will lead the Rapide driver team, explained: “This race represents the ultimate final engineering durability test for any sports car – it subjects the car to the toughest possible assessment under public scrutiny.”

The Rapide race car will be pretty close to production form with some safety modifications, a reduction of interior trim, a re-tuned suspension and slicks.

Gulf liveried Aston Martin Vantage

While at the 2010 New York Auto Show we came across this Gulf-themed Aston Martin Vantage. While Ford ownership might not have been the best thing in the world for the famous British automaker, we don’t mind one bit seeing the legendary paint scheme on this AM, one that might seem more at home on a Ford GT or GT40.

Aston Martin Cygnet in Gulf Livery
Fear not, those of you who thought the Cygnet marked the end of Aston Martin as a maker of high performance automobiles. The British luxury sportscar and GT maker is showing that even the little Cygnet can uphold the racy reputation of the firm.

Perusing the automaker’s website you’re likely to come across the little urban commuter pictured in a number of scenarios that don’t exactly scream “urban commuter.” The above Gulf liveried model with an equally Gulf-clad Stig-lookalike is but one example. It’s also a good bit of fun.

Note, too, that the Cygnet can be customized with two other racing-inspired paint schemes, which feature  classic Aston Martin Racing Green, along with the Cygnet painted up in iconic Gulf livery. Feel free to check it out for yourself at AstonMartin.com.

What is going on over in Gaydon these days? It seems Aston Martin was synonymous with grand touring not too long ago, with some of the most beautiful luxury sportscars and GT rides around. Nowadays you’re just as likely to find an SUV, four-door or tiny urban car on their show stand. The Rapide four-door is undoubtedly gorgeous, and will no doubt perform spectacularly, but what are they thinking when they show something like the Lagonda crossover concept? Neither beautiful, nor sporty, it was quickly panned by those who saw it, criticized for being way too big and ungainly. Perhaps overreacting to those critics, Aston Martin is now going the other way and showing something that seems to be way too small to wear the famous DB wings.

The little commuter car they have dubbed the Cygnet, is based on the Toyota iQ, and is intended as a sort of land-bound-dinghy for A-M owners who need something a bit more manageable in the city. As odd as it may sound the idea has some merit, especially when you consider how well the premium Mini Cooper sells. Those who have seen the Cygnet in person at this month’s Geneva Motor Show have said that the fit and finish on the Cygnet look suitably Aston. It takes many of the Aston Martin styling cues and shrinks them down to a pocket-rocket-sized mini-me. It might have the looks, but it certainly won’t have the moves of the bigger Aston Martin models.