ASTON MARTIN V12 VANTAGE ROADSTER IS OFFICIAL!

Another week, another new Aston Martin breaks out! The V12 Vantage Roadster is the latest AM to show its face in public and the drop-top Brit seems to pack major punch from the front end, while maintaining that brand exclusivity associated with it.

The Vantage Roadster, which sounds really awesome upon take-off, sports a massive naturally aspirated 6.0-litre V12 engine that pushes through 380kWand 570Nm of torque. To the rear wheels all this power goes through a 6-speed manual gearbox, and it only takes 4.5 seconds to reach 100km/h from standstill, with top speed limited to 305 km/h.

The car features sporty parts like a front splitter, in carbon fibre, side mirror caps, also in carbon fibre and side strakes among others. The chassis can be modified from right inside the cabin, in order to accommodate Normal or Sport driving styles. Wheels and tyres are 9J x 19” Pirelli P Zero Corsa 255/35 ZR19up front and 11J x 19” Pirelli P Zero Corsa 295/30 ZR19 at the rear.

In addition, one will get Bluetooth connectivity, rear parking sensors, automatic aircon, and a Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 1000W Audio System is optional.

In the UK, the Aston Martin Vantage Roadster will be retailing at about R2 million a piece.

BREMBO BRAKES STOPS BY MZANSI

Brembo, the world leader in design and production of high performance brake systems for the major manufacturers of cars, motorcycles, commercial vehicles and for the aftermarket and racing, has landed in South Africa with its aftermarket products.

The South African automotive market is growing every year and this trend has two positive

outcomes for Brembo: growth of the European car brand in the composition of the vehicle park, where Brembo is already present as a supplier of brake systems, and the overall growth of the

premium segment in the replacement market as is usually the case with growing economies.

In this scenario Brembo has taken the opportunity to partner with Sparepro as its official aftermarket distributor.  Thanks to a long term agreement with Sparepro, which has an efficient network throughout Southern Africa, expectations are to achieve a 20% market share in the premium aftermarket with brake pads and discs.

Brembo’s aftermarket strategy is to deliver total customer satisfaction, by maintaining a more tangible presence on the ground and achieving still greater geographical penetration. In a bid to meet every possible need of the aftermarket customer, Brembo is increasingly intent on placing its experience and expertise at the service of the parts market.

Brembo brake pads reflect the outcome of research and development conducted in collaboration with the world's leading auto makers and offer the maximum obtainable today in terms of product quality.  A new global reference point for performance, comfort, reliability and durability, these Brembo products carry a promise of dependability and competitiveness that guarantees the right balance of engineering and marketability in pads for all makes of car.

RANGE ROVER SPORT RED LIMITED EDITION ANNOUNCED

The distinctive Range Rover Sport RED Limited Edition makes its debut in South Africa this winter offering greater exclusivity in an already prestigious package. Powerful and elegant, the Range Rover Sport RED Limited Edition goes one step further with a combination of exterior treatments and interior detailing, delivering greater levels of refinement and customer appeal.

Based on the 5.0 HSE Supercharger, the Range Rover Sport RED Limited Edition comes in Firenze Red, Orkney Grey, Fuji White and Santorini Black. The Santorini Black mesh grille is highlighted by a Noble (satin chrome) bezel and black surround. Bonnet badges and tailgate finisher are in Atlas Silver (gloss silver finish) and the rear 'SPORT' badge is striking in Salsa Red. The fender vents sport a similarly bright red logo bar set against a Santorini Black grille, finished by an Atlas Silver surround.

Red Brembo brake calipers offer striking appeal together with the unique 20-inch alloy wheels, adding the finishing touches to a dynamic and distinctive look for this Limited Edition model.

“The Range Rover Sport RED Limited Edition adds an extra dimension to what is already one of the most dynamic vehicles in the premium SUV class. The striking exterior and subtle interior treatments, unique alloy wheels and beautiful upholstery detailing will appeal to customers for whom exclusivity is important,” says John Edwards, Land Rover Global Brand Director.

The interior features a new carbon fibre veneer and is finished in the HSE Ebony colour way with a choice of four dedicated seat trim styles. Seat inserts can be chosen in Pimento Red, Cirrus, Lunar Grey or Ebony with contrast stitching. The ‘SPORT’ logo embossed on headrests add that finishing touch which is also picked up on the carpet mats where the logo is embroidered in red to match the striking exterior design cues.

The Range Rover Sport RED Limited Edition is powered by the 375kW supercharged LR-V8 engine combined with the ultra-refined and responsive ZF HP28 6-speed automatic gearbox delivering 625Nm of torque.

Chassis, suspension and brakes remain amongst the most advanced in the world providing the Range Rover Sport with uncompromised driver refinement and breadth of capability both on and off road. A wide range of e_Terrain features also ensure peerless performance is delivered in the most efficient way possible.

STORY BY LAND ROVER

2012 ASTON MARTIN VANQUISH REVEALED

Aston Martin is today unveiling a stunning new luxury sports car – the Vanquish. Sitting proudly at the pinnacle of the luxury British car maker’s sports car line-up, this breath-taking new super grand tourer represents the zenith of current Aston Martin design and engineering.  Vanquish points to an exciting and confident future for the historic brand.

Vanquish is a new Aston Martin featuring the next generation of the renowned VH architecture as well as a significantly upgraded 6.0-litre V12 engine that is considerably more potent than before.

The design represents the latest take on Aston Martin’s iconic visual language. Vanquish unquestionably sees the brand continue its enviable tradition of producing some of the most beautiful sports cars in the world. Styling cues such as the elegant new waist, elongated side strakes and LED rear light blades are derived from the One-77 supercar.

Unmistakably an Aston Martin, the design shows a clear and coherent lineage from its heritage while providing an equally clear pointer to the luxury car brand’s vibrant future. Closer inspection reveals details such as the stunning new Aero Duct on the rear boot lid. This elegantly devised passive engineering feature, which counteracts lift at the car’s rear when travelling at speed, is a triumph of both design and technical ability.  

Performance, presence, style and great British craftsmanship – the new Vanquish has all these traits in abundance.

Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez said: “Today’s Vanquish is the ultimate expression of Aston Martin design ethos, engineering innovation and technical ability. It offers luxurious, continent-crossing capability and pure driving excitement without compromise.

“Bearing the same name as the iconic original Vanquish that did so much to cement Aston Martin’s reputation as a maker of great GT cars in the modern era, I believe the car unveiled today once again puts this great British brand at the top of its class.

“The new Vanquish mixes beautiful design with impressive technology such as the superb new infotainment system. This is the latest incarnation of everything we know, informed and developed from One-77. It is the ultimate Super Grand Tourer – confident and assured – and is the newest representation of Power, Beauty and Soul.”

As happy on the streets of a bustling city as it is carving through the countryside or long distance motorway touring, the Vanquish offers a thoroughbred British luxury sports car that’s also suited to everyday use.

Powered by a significantly revised naturally aspirated 6.0-litre V12 petrol engine mated to the proven Touchtronic 2 6-speed automatic gearbox, the new car offers suitably impressive performance figures. The V12’s power peak of 421kW makes it Aston Martin’s most potent production model yet, outmuscled only by the strictly limited edition £1.2m (R15.3 million) One-77 supercar.

The raw statistics speak for themselves: 421kW at 6750 rpm, 620Nm of torque at 5500 rpm, 0 – 100km/h in 4.1 seconds and a top speed of 295km/h place the Vanquish firmly into supercar territory. Yet the brand’s team of engineers have been working towards economy and emissions improvements, too.

The latest engineering methods, innovative technologies and typically understated classic British design come together to make the muscular new Vanquish a true super GT. For instance, each body panel on the car is constructed from carbon fibre because of its high strength-to-weight ratio and flexibility of form. Meanwhile torsional rigidity is improved by more than 25%.

Practical improvements such as a newly designed and significantly more spacious cabin and a boot that, at 368 litres, is more than 60% larger than that of the DBS, ensure the new Vanquish can carry sufficient luggage for even the most ambitious grand tourist.

Designed and hand-built at Aston Martin’s global headquarters at Gaydon in Warwickshire the new Vanquish, available as a 2+2 or 2+0, sits atop a broad line-up of world-class sports cars including the exquisite DB9, sporty V8 Vantage and luxurious four-door Rapide.  

Dr Bez said: “The Aston Martin range is stronger now than at any time in our 99-year history. The new Vanquish represents the perfect way to signal the beginning of our centenary celebrations next year.”

Priced from £189,995 RRP (R2.4 million) first deliveries of the new sports car are expected to begin in the UK and Continental Europe late in 2012.

BREAK OUT: OPEL ADAM!

The new Opel ADAMis named after the company brand founder, Adam Opel. It’s the upcoming shiny entry-level model that to us, looks like it wants to compete with the likes of MINIand Audi A1, rather than its target peers like the Hyundai i10 and Chevrolet Spark.

At 3.7 metreslong, the ADAM really is quite tiny. That’s because it’s aimed at trendy urban dwellers who don’t travel such long distances. These folks still enjoy their cars though, and are also quite in tune with the world of technologyas it is today. Hence Opel promises some very exciting features that are either only found in bigger, more expensive cars, or just don’t exist in cars at all. Period.

One such tech is the infotainmentsystem that allows some smart phonecontent to be displayed on the 18cmcolour screen on the dashboard. Stuff like internet applications and pictures will be displayed straight from the phone onto the screen and be accessible from there.

The other thing is that this ADAM is very personalisable. In fact, it’s such that even marques like Rolls-Rolls and Bentley would be envious at the amount of personalisation these young mass buyer will be able to access. According to Opel, the interior can be mixed and matched based on three styles: JAM; unconventional, fashionable and colourful, GLAM offers a more elegant, refined and sophisticated setting and SLAM appeals to those with energetic and sporty attitudes. Each comes with its own choice of interior, exteriorand roof colours.

Appropriately named Opel Vice President of Design Mr Mark Adams, explains: “No other car in this segment can be personalised as much as the Opel ADAM because we are offering virtually unlimited exterior/interior colour, fabric, decor and kit combination possibilities. It’s unlikely our customers will see another car like theirs.”

Beneath the bonnet will be two launch engines with three power outputs. One is a 1.2-litrewith 51kW, while the other is a 1.4-litre worth 64kW and 74kW. They will be accompanied by a 5-speed manual gearbox. Later on Opel says a small turbo unit will join them, with its 6-speed manual. Could that be the ADAM OPC perhaps?

We sincerely hope that General Motors South Africa is quietly working at bringing this car over to Mzansi. At the right price they could easily shift over 400 units a month.