Ride along with the Aston Martin Vantage N420 in this video produced by Aston Martin.

BODY

Two-seat, two-door coupe or soft-cover convertible
Bonded aluminium structure
Aluminium, magnesium alloy, composite and steel body
Extruded aluminium door side-impact beams
Carbon Fibre Splitter and Diffuser
Carbon Fibre Side Strakes
Halogen projector headlamps (main beam)
High Intensity Discharge headlamps (dipped beam)
Clear rear lamps
N400 Sill Design
Vantage Badge with Graphitic Finish
Black Bonnet and Side Strake Meshes

ENGINE

All-alloy, quad overhead camshaft, 32-valve, 4735 cc V8
Front mid-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive
Fully catalysed stainless steel sports exhaust system with active bypass valves
Compression ratio 11.3:1
Max power 313 kW (420 bhp/426 PS) at 7300 rpm
Max torque 470 Nm (346 lb.ft) at 5000 rpm
Acceleration 0–60 mph in 4.7 seconds; 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.9 seconds
Max speed 290 km/h (180 mph)

TRANSMISSION

Rear mid-mounted, six-speed manual gearbox
Alloy torque tube with carbon-fibre propeller shaft
Limited-slip differential
Final drive ratio 3.909:1

STEERING

Rack and pinion, power-assisted steering, 3.0 turns lock-to-lock
Column tilt and reach adjustment

WHEELS & TYRES

19” alloy wheels – 10 spoke forged alloy wheels with a gloss black and diamond turned finish
Front 8.5J x 19” Bridgestone Potenza 235/40 ZR19
Rear 9.5J x 19” Bridgestone Potenza 275/35 ZR19

SUSPENSION

Front Independent double wishbones
incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube dampers
Rear Independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube dampers

BRAKES

Front Ventilated and grooved steel discs, 355 mm diameter
Rear Ventilated and grooved steel discs, 330 mm diameter
Radial-mounted four-piston monobloc calipers
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
Positive Torque Control (PTC)
Traction Control

INTERIOR

Full grain leather interior
Alcantara headlining
Embroidered “N420” seat logos
Sports Steering Wheel
Instrument pack with Graphite finish
Iridium interior with Piano Black or Double Apex alloy facia trim
Anodised Black treadplates
Carbon fibre ‘N420’ sill plaques
Electrically adjustable seats
Powerfold exterior mirrors
Dual-stage driver/passenger front airbags
Side airbags (Not lightweight seat)
Heated rear screen
Memory seats and exterior mirrors (three positions)
Automatic temperature control
Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays
Trip computer
Glass ECU
LED map-reading lights
Rear parking sensors
Tyre-pressure monitoring *1
Alarm and immobiliser
Remote-control central door locking and boot release
Cruise control
Bluetooth telephone preparation
Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror *1
Front and rear parking sensors
Battery disconnect switch
Volumetric and Perimetric Alarm System with tilt sensors

IN-CAR ENTERTAINMENT

160 W Aston Martin Audio System with six-CD autochanger
Integrated Apple iPod® connector *2
USB connectors with Waveform Audio Format (WAF), Windows Media Player (WMA) and MPEG
(MP3) audio file compatibility

OPTIONS

Alcantara seat inserts (Coupe only)
Sportshift3 automated manual transmission
Alternative brake caliper finish – black, red, silver
Second glass key
Lightweight seats
Heated seats
700 W Aston Martin Premium Audio System with Dolby® Pro Logic II®
1000 W Bang & Olufsen BeoSound Audio System
Garage door opener *1
Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system *1
Satellite radio system (USA only)
Tracking device *4
First-aid kit
Ashtray and cigar lighter
Boot-mounted umbrella

DIMENSIONS

Length 4380 mm (172.5”)
Width 1865 mm (73.5”) excluding mirrors; 2025 mm (80.0”) including mirrors
Height (Coupe) 1255 mm (49.5”)
Height (Roadster) 1265 mm (50.0”)
Wheelbase 2600 mm (102.5”)
Front track 1570 mm (62.0”)
Rear track 1560 mm (61.5”)
Turning circle (kerb to kerb) 11.1 m (36.5 ft)
Boot capacity (Coupe) 300 litres (10.6 cu ft)
Boot capacity (Roadster) 144 litres (5.0 cu ft)
Fuel tank capacity 80 litres (17.6 UK gal/21.1 US gal)
Weight (Coupe) ???? kg (???? lb)
Weight (Roadster) ???? kg (???? lb)

FUEL CONSUMPTION5 – Manual

Litres/100 km (mpg)
Urban 19.1 (14.8)
Extra-urban 10.0 (28.3)
Combined 13.3 (21.2)

FUEL CONSUMPTION5 – Sportshift3

Litres/100 km (mpg)
Urban 18.7 (15.1)
Extra-urban 9.2 (30.7)
Combined 12.7 (22.2)

GAS MILEAGE (North America only) - Manual

City 12 mpg
Highway 19 mpg

GAS MILEAGE (North America only) - Sportshift3

City 14 mpg
Highway 20 mpg

CO2 EMISSIONS5

315 g/km – manual
300 g/km – Sportshift *3

Read more...

Jay Leno Drives the Jaguar C-X75 Concept

Consummate car guy Jay Leno gets behind the wheel of the stunning Jaguar C-X75 Concept that debuted at the 2010 Paris Auto Show.



Read more...

In today’s era of radar and laser detectors—not to mention soulless speed cameras—the easy answer is no. Most police officers will explain that if you’re speeding, you’re going to be pulled over no matter the color of your car. But could law enforcement subconsciously be focusing on brighter colors, and red in particular?

They might be, at least based on research conducted by Dr. Mark Changizi, professor of Human Cognition at 2AI Labs. An evolutionary neurobiologist, Changizi’s online biography details his studies as a means to “grasp the ultimate foundations underlying why we think, feel and see as we do.”

According to his studies of primates, our eyes have evolved to detect subtle changes in blood oxygenation. In layman’s terms: we notice pigment changes when, for example, someone turns red with anger or pale with fright. “It’s all about emotions,” says Changizi. “Our eyes are designed to see these color changes.” Primates with less fur on their face and rump (such as baboons and chimps) can detect these pigment shifts.

Different emotional states depend on how oxygenated your blood is. “Red is a symbol of strength physiologically,” says Changizi, while mentioning recent studies that have proven wearing red sportswear leads to a higher probability of winning. Changizi says cultural factors also play an important role. Think about a red car, and chances are good a low-slung Ferrari or Corvette springs to mind.

Millions of years of evolution, along with some clever marketing, means that brighter colors (especially reds) could simply be hard-wired in our minds as being powerful, fast and strong. Just don’t try to wiggle your way out of a speeding ticket by telling a cop he was genetically programmed to ticket your little red sports car.

Read more...

The simple answer is yes, especially if you plan on holding onto your car long enough for it to attain classic status. “Everybody talks about Resale Red,” says Mike Fairbairn, a founding partner at RM Auctions Inc. Red is perennially popular with buyers but, according to Fairbairn, not all colors are so lucky. “The other conventional wisdom is that you can’t sell green.”

Fairbairn advises owners—specifically those in the classic car world—to think carefully when choosing a color. “Choose a period color that people would consider iconic for that model.” A color should also apply to the type of car, with darker hues working well with formal luxury vehicles like a vintage Rolls-Royce.

For some makes and models, color can add enormous value. When it comes to 1960s-era muscle cars, Fairbairn says the whole vehicle is valued according to what color it was when it left the factory. “God help you if it was hideous green,” says Fairbairn with a chuckle. Whether the owner likes it or not, the car is more valuable in an unattractive but entirely original color scheme.

Fairbairn explains that buyers of certain classic Chrysler muscle cars, for example, will pay up to “one third more” for cars finished in wacky period colors like “Plum Crazy” purple. No wonder Chrysler brought back some of these lurid hues for its modern lineup of vehicles, including the Challenger coupe.

“Chrysler understands that there’s a strong emotional bond drivers can have with their cars, and color takes that feeling and personalizes it,” says Jim Parker, Head of Chrysler’s Exterior Color & Trim Studio. “Think about it; the color of a car can really make or break a great design.”

“When we developed the new Challenger tribute colors, we went back in our archives and found the original color standards that were developed in the late-60s for these wild colors,” says Parker. These Challenger tribute colors have included “TorRed,” “B5 Blue” and, of course, “Plum Crazy.”

“We're topping off the 2010 model year now by introducing a limited run of new Furious Fuchsia, a tribute to the outrageous 70’s color Panther Pink,” says Parker.

Read more...

“The most popular color in North America for the past three years is white,” says Nancy Lockhart, Color Marketing Manager for DuPont Vehicle Paints. “We’ve also seen that, globally, black has gained in popularity.” Lockhart credits growing consumer interest in metallic and pearl-coat finishes with boosting the appeal of these two colors.

According to DuPont’s annual “Color Popularity Report,” silver remains the most popular choice worldwide. However, more shocking colors are making inroads. “We’re seeing a rise in purple globally,” says Lockhart. “Orange has also been a color space that has really taken notice the last five years.”

Emerging markets like China and India will soon influence car color palettes here in North America. Michelle Killen, Exterior Color Designer for General Motors, predicts a distinctly rose-tinted future. “A trend that is starting to make its way here from China is the use of "pink" or "fuchsia," says Killen. “You are going to start seeing this used more in North American and European markets.”

Killen says she relies on “everything” when studying the next must-have colors. “I use fashion for the "what's hot right now" and for longer term or further into the future I like to use trend sites.” Furniture, product design and architecture all influence the colors GM offers, says Killen. “We are still seeing orange as a "hot" color space. Orange has really become a staple in exterior paint design.”

Read more...

It sounds silly, but the idea of paying higher insurance rates for a brightly colored car has been around for years. Let’s finally put it to rest. It’s not true and, according to insurance industry experts, it never has been.

“I’ve never heard of a company that does” charge more for a certain color, says Jeanne Salvatore, Senior Vice President Public Affairs at the Insurance Information Institute. “They’re looking at theft records and safety records…make and model, and expense to repair.”

“It’s a myth,” says Luz Correa, Public Affairs Specialist for State Farm Insurance in Metro New York. “[Car color] is not something that goes into a rate.”

Read more...

Henry Ford certainly made things easy when he stipulated that customers for his rugged Model T could have any color they wanted, so long as it was black. Today’s car buyer faces a vastly more complicated decision-making process when choosing the paintjob for his or her new vehicle.

There’s no way of knowing whether Mr. Ford would have approved of the eight colors currently available with the 2011 Fiesta SE subcompact sedan. Our guess is “Tuxedo Black” might have won his approval—although “Lime Squeeze Metallic” would probably have cost someone his job.

Things only get more complex the higher up the automotive food chain you go. The $330,000 Bentley Mulsanne luxury sedan is available in more than 100 exterior shades. Customers can also order a customized color, should they so desire. During this year’s New York Auto Show, a Bentley representative described the company’s recent efforts to color-match everything from 1950s kitchenware to gowns worn by royalty.

We’re here to present today’s most popular car colors, some dos and don’ts when it comes to choosing a paintjob, and a peek at the hottest colors coming in the future. Along the way—aided by science and industry experts – we’ll attempt to debunk a few common myths related to car color.

Can you be charged higher insurance rates for a car with a bright paintjob? Do police really prefer ticketing red cars? Keep reading to find out…

Read more...