You Choose: Aston Martin Vanquish or Bentley Continental GT Speed?

Aston Martin and Bentley have taken the wraps off two new models in the same day; one an all-new flagship coupe that revives the vaunted Vanquish nameplate and another, hotted-up version of a recently updated best-seller. Pricing for both models hasn’t been disclosed, but each will carry a sticker deep into the six-figure range. Which begs the question: Given unlimited funds and the need for sexy speed, which one would you park in your hypothetical garage? We’ll run down the highlights of both models and let you decide.

<< Previous | Next >>
01-aston-martin-vanquish
  • 01-aston-martin-vanquish
  • 02-aston-martin-vanquish
  • 03-aston-martin-vanquish
  • 04-aston-martin-vanquish
  • 05-aston-martin-vanquish
  • 06-aston-martin-vanquish
  • 07-aston-martin-vanquish


<< Previous | Next >>
View all

First up is the Aston Martin Vanquish, the first substantial sheetmetal redesign we’ve seen from Aston in close to a decade. The Vanquish snags the flagship moniker from the DBS of James Bond fame, although 007’s ride soldiers on and will continue to be available in special edition form.

Despite the sleek new shape inspired by the One-77, the platform and powertrain are largely carried over, with the underpinnings still comprised of Aston’s VH architecture, although it’s been stiffened by some 25 percent in the Vanquish application. Same for the 6.0-liter V12 – a stalwart of the Aston line-up – although output is up some 55 horsepower over the DBS, with a total of 565 hp and 420 pound-feet of torque. According to Aston, that engine coupled with the Touchtronic 2 six-speed automatic gearbox, is good for a 0-60 run of a tick over 4 seconds and a top speed of 183 mph.

But while the upgrades underneath are only marginally compelling, it’s the new carbon fiber body that tips the Aston in favor of the Bentley. The shape is more organic and less blocky than its predecessors, while still maintaining the signature Aston grille and the best hips ever designed by the hand of man. Bonus points for the massively improved interior – a serious issue with past models – and a new trunk that’s capable of consuming 368 liters of junk, more than a hatchback Volkswagen Golf.

So if you’re looking for speed, sex appeal and enough room for a couple bags of golf clubs, the Aston could be your next high-dollar ride. But what about that Bentley?

Continue Reading “You Choose: Aston Martin Vanquish or Bentley Continental GT Speed?” »

Tags: ,
Back to top

Can a Garage Be Sexy? Yes, and Here’s Proof

<< Previous | Next >>
01-swiss-garage
  • 01-swiss-garage
  • 02-swiss-garage
  • 03-swiss-garage
  • 04-swiss-garage
  • 05-swiss-garage
  • 06-swiss-garage


<< Previous | Next >>
View all

Garages, by their very nature, aren’t the sexiest of structures. Talk to any architect and they’ll tell you that attempting to craft a space for a few cars into their designs is the bane of their existence. This five-car, cubist garage stands as the artful exception to the rule.

Built by the team at Peter Kunz Architektur, the concrete and glass structure was built into the hillside, with four of the square ports overlooking the Swiss town of Herdern and the valley below.

The fifth cube features a sliding door to access the rest of the space, suitable for eight cars in total, with a hidden staircase leading to the private property the garage is built on.

It’s a helluva view, perfect for your mini-fleet of Italian exotica and German bahn-stormers.

Images: Peter Kunz Architektur

Tags: , ,
Back to top

Hands-On With the Latest Siri Competitor For Android

Photo: Peter McCollough/Wired

We’ve seen a spate of Android apps that aim to compete with Siri, and like their Apple counterpart, they often fail to deliver on the promise of being an always-connected virtual assistant. The latest entrant into the Android market is Robin, which takes a similar tact to Siri, but puts the focus on searching points of interest while you’re behind the wheel.

Robin, available for free from Google Play, comes to the party with a novel approach to inputting voice commands – you simply wave your hand above the phone, slightly brushing up against the light sensor, and the familiar voice control dialog appears awaiting your instructions.

Intentionally or not, Robin seems to be more focused on in-car usage than similar apps, allowing the driver to find everything from movie theaters to gas stations, the latter displaying the price of fuel directly on the map. You can even specify what kind of dino juice you’re running on – from premium to diesel – and when you tell Robin to navigate to the nearest station, it automatically brings up Android’s built-in Navigation app.

Even more useful is Robin’s ability to find parking near your destination, filtering the results by closest and cheapest, and if the lot is linked up, you can reserve a spot while you’re en route.

Robin can also provide traffic information, much like Waze, along with local weather and what the temps are like at your destination.

In a further nod to Siri, you can ask Robin to make reminders (although they’re not location-based), and read your Twitter feed aloud – something that’s coming to Siri in iOS 6.

We spent the better part of an afternoon putting Robin through its (her?) paces, and like other voice-activate apps, the results were mixed.

Continue Reading “Hands-On With the Latest Siri Competitor For Android” »

Tags: , ,
Back to top

Peterbilt Crowdsourcing Future Big-Rig Designs

Image: Anej Kostrevc

Big rigs may move the bulk of freight and rule the roads of the US, but their blocky designs aren’t exactly aerodynamic, sucking up lots of fuel as they shuttle cross-country. Plus, they’re just plain boring. So semi manufacturer Peterbilt is looking for more fuel-efficient tractor-trailers by holding a competition in conjunction with open source car company Local Motors to develop innovative aerodynamic designs.

The RIG2: Road Icon Generation 2 contest kicked off June 5 and is open to entries through June 26. Peterbilt is offering up $15,000 in prize money. The overall winning entry will nab $7,500. The second-place finisher gets $2,500 and third earns $1,500. The rest of the top 10 will win $500 each.

To further the crowdsource element of the competition, all finalists will be chosen by community voting, although the top prize will be selected by Peterbilt from the top 10 entries. Voting starts June 28 and runs through July 8. Winners will be announced on July 23. Contestants can access tools such as CAD and Photoshop files as well as regulations, guidelines requirements at the Local Motors Forge website.

Following the launch of its Forge collaboration site at the SEMA Show last November, the Local Motors partnership with Peterbilt comes on the heels of building its similarly crowd-sourced Rally Fighter. Local Motors includes a community of 17,000 designers, engineers and enthusiasts using an open source approach to design, manufacture and sell unique cars.

The platform also gives would-be vehicle designers the chance to find out how their ideas stack up in the real world, and possibly on the road. Customers can build their co-created vehicle at the Local Motors Micro Factory with professional assistance in two three-day build weekends. But a Peterbilt-like big rig would probably take a little longer.

Tags: , ,
Back to top

Hybrids Dominate the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans

Photo: David Vincent/AP

The 80th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans happened in France this past weekend, and with it came the introduction of new technology, a new top-tier competitor and one radical concept that’s been heralded as the future of Le Mans Prototype racing.

But before we get into the action, beware. There are plenty of spoilers ahead, so if you’ve someone avoided the race and want to remain blissfully ignorant until you boot up your Tivo, don’t click through.

Continue Reading “Hybrids Dominate the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans” »

Tags: , , ,
Back to top
« OLDER POSTS