2014 Aston Martin Vanquish loses its lid!

Aston Martin has lifted the veil off of the 2014 Vanquish Volante convertible.  Based on the range-topping Vanquish coupe, the V12-powered Volante represents several milestones for the hundred-year old British firm. None of the Vanquish coupe’s sexiness is lost in the transformation to drop-top Volante. Even the soft-top complements the body lines. That top is made from a lightweight triple-layer fabric and can be raised or lowered in 14 seconds and at speeds up to 30 mph.

2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante – Front 3/4

Like its coupe sibling, the Vanquish Volante wears carbon composite body panels wrapped around a bonded aluminum structure. Underhood, there are no surprises: you’ll find the same 6.0-liter, 565-hp, 457 lb-ft V12 that so ably powers the coupe. Aston’s 6-speed Touchtronic II paddle-shift transmission is also carried over, along with the hardtop’s six-piston Brembo carbon ceramic setup in front, with four-piston carbon ceramic stoppers in the rear.

2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante – Rear 3/4

Retaining the coupe’s 2+2 layout, the Volante’s interior is built with premium materials such as Luxmil leather, satin chrome and Alcantara.  The cockpit boasts a new, user-friendly center console that is inspired by the exclusive One-77 supercar.  The console is home to the infotainment system, the engine start button, the gear selection buttons and the climate control knobs.

In keeping with the Vanquish Volante’s range-topper status, it gets a range-topping price of $297,995. That’s a $16,000 premium over the Vanquish coupe, nearly $100,000 more than the four-door Rapide S, and a not-insignificant $150,000 more than the 2013 V8 Vantage roadster.

2014 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S is Unveiled

We are happy to introduce the wildest Aston Martin Vantage yet. In fact, One-77 hypercar aside, this new V12 Vantage S is the fastest road going Aston yet released, with a 205mph top speed nudging it 3mph beyond the Ferrari 458 Italia and Lamborghini Gallardo.

2014 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S – Front 3/4

The heart of the matter is the new AM28 engine, a more evolved species of the 6.0-liter V12 that incorporates features like CNC-machined combustion chambers and hollow camshafts. Power output is 565 horsepower, a healthy 50-horse bump over the outgoing coupe, and 475 pound-feet of torque, a boost of 37 lb-ft. Acceleration from 0-60 miles per hour is expected to come before the four-second mark which is down from 4.2 seconds.

2014 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S – Rear 3/4

While we mourn the loss of yet another row-your-own option in a supercar, the new paddle-shifted gearbox offers two distinct advantages over the obsolete six-speed. First being top speed and second would be the weight savings of over 55 pounds. The transmission is a seven-speed automated manual transmission that has been harvested from the V8 Vantage S (it’s also the ‘box from Aston Martin’s FIA GT race cars), it gains a gear over the six-speed in the V12 Vantage yet is still lighter.

2014 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S – Side Profile

The biggest visual change is the car’s grille, which adopts the wide-open look previewed on the wicked CC100 Speedster Concept. It also gets a black painted roof and rear trim panel, new wheels, suspension and exhaust. The new sports exhaust is derived from the One-77, and boosts the already vocal Vantage’s soundtrack and there’s a quicker steering rack. The Vantage also gets its first adaptive damping system, with Normal, Sport and Track modes altering the suspension as well as the amount of power steering assistance. A Sport button sharpens the throttle response, gearshift times and exhaust note.

2014 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S – Interior

Although Aston Martin hemmed and hawed before finally porting the previous V12 Vantage to North America, the 2015 V12 Vantage S will be offered in the U.S. from square one. Pricing is being estimated to be in the realm of $200,000, however it has not yet been finalized, but dealers are now taking orders, with deliveries beginning in early 2014.

Nissan GT-R Drag Races Swiss Air Force Fighter Jet

Seeking a greater challenge for Godzilla, Nissan recently turned to watchmaker Oris so that it could drag race the GT-R with an ex-Swiss Air Force vintage Hawker Hunter fighter jet.

No matter how many times supercars challenge jets, the videos never get old. Though we can’t understand any German, the GT-R versus Hunter video starts as you’d expect, with Godzilla getting the early jump on the British-built fighter. Will the Nissan GT-R hold out for the victory? Check out the video to find out. The action starts around 3:28.

Watch a high horsepower RX-7 run up a closed Mountain Road

Though rally driver Ken Block may be the undisputed king of automotive viral videos, drift drivers have been getting into the game recently. Formula Drift’s Vaughn Gittin Jr. took his Ford Mustang RTR to Saudi Arabia for a bit of sideways action, and now “Mad” Mike Whiddett has taken his Mazda RX-7 with about 750 hp up the Crown Range in Queenstown, New Zealand.

New Zealand’s highest paved roadway, the 6.5-mile Crown Range course peaks at 3,530 feet and features 47 corners. The run is a mix of high, medium and low -speed bends that beg to be attacked sideways. Steel barriers flank the road on one side and exposed rock boxes the car in on the other.

The video shows Mad Mike’s Red Bull Mazda RX-7 tackle consecutive hairpin turns, drive flat out over a long straight, and then rein it all back in at the top of the mountain.

Jaguar releases a Short Film – “Desire” staring its all new F-Type

Cast along side the F-Type is Golden Globe winner Damian Lewis, as well as Shannyn Sossamon, and obvious bad guy Jordi Mollà. With music by BRIT award winner Lana Del Rey, it’s a bit campy at times but tells a nice little story with a twist. Enjoy:

Interested seeing the new leaner meaner looking 2014 Lexus IS?

Today we can thank the Chinese for allowing the world to take a sneak peak at the newest Lexus IS model, as today first images of the car were leaked on to the internet.Set to make its public debut at next week’s Detroit Motor Show, the revamped IS borrows some of its styling cues from the LF-CC, including the now familiar spindle grille and a coupe-like roofline. Both head and taillights have received the LED treatment, while the sides show a resemblance with the GS.

2014 Lexus IS F-Sport – Front 3/4

The model seen here is an F Sport variant (not to be confused with the high-performance IS F), which means it features an aerodynamic kit, taller alloy wheels, a bespoke finish for the grille, a lowered suspension and tuned chassis along with a sportier trimmed interior, while keeping the same powerplant(s) a in the standard IS. There will be three other flavors with the IS 250 gets buyers in the door, while the IS 350 is the higher-performance model. A hybrid in the form of the IS 300h will be offered in Europe, Japan and other select markets to start.

2014 Lexus IS F-Sport – Side Profile

There aren’t any confirmed details about the engine lineup, but a V6 2.5-liter with 200+ hp and a V6 3.5-liter with 300 plus hp are almost a certainty. A hybridized version with a 4-cylinder, 2.5-liter pushing out approximately 240 hp is also very real possibility. We are also anticipating all gas only engines to be paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission, with a CVT being used in the Hybrid model.

2014 Lexus IS F-Sport – As it passes you on the Highway

Inside, the 2014 Lexus IS truly does appear to be influenced by the now-retired LFA supercar, even if it is only in the instrument cluster. In the center stack and you’ll see the AC temperature controls are electrostatic, meaning you swipe up or down to change the temperature. The 2014 Lexus IS will also debut with subscription-free real-time traffic and weather information as standard on cars with and without a navigation system, thanks to a partnership with the developer of HD Radio.

2014 Lexus IS F-Sport – Interior

Buyers can opt for an F Sport package, which is available across the entire IS lineup. It’s a suite of appearance and functional upgrades. Some of those enhancements include aluminum pedals and scuff plates as well as a steering wheel and instrument cluster which Lexus also reports as being inspired by the LFA supercar.

2014 Lexus IS F-Sport – Head On

While we’re still curious to see what a normal 2014 Lexus IS 250 looks like inside and out, as from the looks of the F-Sport Lexus is about to hit a home run, at least style wise. Now lets see if the car’s ride and handling can compete with the big German three and make an impression on the segment of the market that is in the market for purchasing a sporty mid size sedan.