Tag Archive for: ASTON MARTIN

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Girard-Perregaux – Tourbillon with three flying bridges Aston Martin Edition

Girard-Perregaux – Tourbillon with three flying bridges -Aston Martin Edition

  • New Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges – Aston Martin Edition celebrates the shared passions of the two luxury brands
  • This is the first timepiece to be offered after Girard-Perregaux was announced as Official Watch Partner of Aston Martin in February
  • World premiere – black calf leather strap featuring Girard-Perregaux’s exclusive Rubber Alloy
  • Just 18 Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges – Aston Martin Edition will be made

La Chaux-de-Fonds – Switzerland: The first timepiece borne of the recently announced partnership between Girard-Perregaux and Aston Martin has been revealed today. The Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges – Aston Martin Edition unites the watchmaking expertise of Girard-Perregaux with Aston Martin’s unique knowledge of luxury and performance.

Both brands demonstrate a passion for refined craftsmanship and have been working together, sharing their understanding of design, materials and technology. This latest model celebrates the iconic Three Bridges pocket watch from the 19th century in a decidedly contemporary way, down to the smallest details, including the strap. The latter is a world premiere, presented in black calf leather and featuring Rubber Alloy, an innovative rubber insert injected with white gold. The design of the strap is intended to evoke thoughts of Aston Martin racing cars of the past.

Upholding Girard-Perregaux tradition, this model skilfully plays with proportions and shapes much to the delight of aesthetes.The 44 millimetre case of the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges – Aston Martin Edition is formed of Grade 5 titanium, a strong, hypoallergenic alloy selected by Aston Martin for its
lightweight properties. It is suffused with black DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon), bestowing the watch with a stealthy appearance. Interestingly, titanium ore was discovered in Great Britain, the home of Aston Martin, back in 1791 by an English clergyman, William Gregor, in the same year Girard-Perregaux was founded.

A sapphire crystal ‘box’ is positioned front of house, as well as to the rear, coaxing light to illuminate the case interior, thereby augmenting readability. The movement eschews a mainplate, sitting between both panes of sapphire crystal and seemingly floating in mid-air. Three bridges, an iconic signature of Girard-Perregaux, span the dial and are formed of titanium with black PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) treatment and polished angles. The design endows the timepiece with an airy appearance, affording breathtaking views of movement components ordinarily hidden from view. While Girard-Perregaux has a long history of making the invisible visible, in this instance it has ventured off-piste, creating a watch whose movement appears to levitate within the case. This is achieved by paring back the movement, causing the mainplate to seemingly disappear, thereby creating the illusion of the movement flying within the case. It was this particular characteristic that led to the term ‘Flying Bridges’.


The cage of the tourbillon, positioned in the lower portion of the dial, is ‘lyre-shaped’, a characteristic found on all the company’s tourbillons dating back to the 19th century. A blued hand affixed to the cage imparts the running seconds. The tourbillon cage, measuring a mere 10mm in diameter, is composed of 79 components which collectively weigh only 0.25 grams. This remarkably low figure helps mitigate energy consumption.

The barrel, positioned at 12 o’clock, is openworked, affording partial views of the mainspring. A white gold micro-rotor, positioned beneath the barrel, energises the mainspring and, unlike most automatic watches, it grants unobstructed views of the movement. The car company’s name is engraved on the vertical flank of the micro-rotor and is filled with white luminescent treatment which appears blue in restricted light. Likewise, the indexes and hands are also treated with white luminescent treatment and, once again, emit a blue glow in dim light.

Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Girard-Perregaux, said, “We are delighted to partner with Aston Martin, entrusting their team with arguably our most iconic timepiece, delivering a fresh perspective on Haute Horlogerie. Rarely do we work with others to reinterpret the Three Bridges, however, on this occasion, we have made an exception, mindful of Aston Martin’s prowess for design.

“When viewing the design of an Aston Martin, you will note the firm’s distinctive front grille, first seen on the DB Mark III of the late 50s. Likewise, the scoops and side strakes found on the company’s modern-day models are functional elements, intended to improve airflow while enriching the overall appearance of each car.”

“At Girard-Perregaux we share a similar philosophy. For example, when the Maison released the now-legendary Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges in 1867, it transformed three functional elements into attractive aesthetic features and demonstrated an approach that we continue to employ today. Finally, this latest partnership provides a fascinating chapter in Girard-Perregaux’s 230-year history.”Marek Reichman, Aston Martin Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer adds: ‘The greatest of the challenges we faced with the design of this new timepiece were those of scale, as you can imagine. We had to consider lines and proportion on a far smaller scale than we are used to in the realm of automotive design. That said, good design is good design, whether it is a watch or a car, the principles remain the same. I’m delighted with the finished watch and congratulate everyone who worked on this project as this collaboration has produced a timepiece of great beauty.

The Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges – Aston Martin Edition, a limited edition of 18 pieces, is immediately available worldwide in all authorised Girard-Perregaux retailers.

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ASTON MARTIN CELEBRATES 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST SPORTS CAR IN TO NORTH AMERICA AT PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE 2021

ASTON MARTIN CELEBRATES 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST SPORTS CAR IN TO NORTH AMERICA AT PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE 2021

Exclusive Club House – Aston Martin Club 1913 – located on the iconic 18th Fairway of the Pebble Beach Links Golf Course

  • 70 Years after first entering the American market, Aston Martin’s activation at the 2021 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will be its biggest ever
  • Two major Aston Martin product introductions planned; one global reveal and one North American debut
  • Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team AMR21 on display recognizes the brand’s return to Grand Prix racing after 60 Years
  • From Goldfinger to No Time to Die; Aston Martin honors long-standing relationship with James Bond franchise

Gaydon, Warwickshire: 70 years on from the brand first entering the American market, Aston Martin will return to the prestigious Monterey Car Week in 2021 with its largest ever presence on the peninsula as Aston Martin Club 1913.

Positioned at a custom-built 11,300 sq. ft. (1,050 sq. m.) luxury Club House in a prime location overlooking the hallowed 18th fairway of the Pebble Beach Golf Links above Stillwater Cove, Aston Martin’s 2021 space honors both the past and present, while simultaneously looking forward with the introduction of two new products that point to the brand’s performance car future.

Highlighting the weekend, Aston Martin Club 1913 will host the North American debut of the new Aston Martin Valhalla – following its reveal at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone – as well as a global reveal of an exciting new product which extends the brand’s performance credentials a step further.

In addition to the two debuts, Aston Martin’s activation on the peninsula this year will also include a selection of the brand’s specials, core sportscars, GTs and SUV, recognizing the British ultra-luxury brand’s past, present and future.

Guests visiting Aston Martin Club 1913 will enjoy a display which celebrates the brand’s return to top-level Grand Prix racing after more than 60 years, using technology derived from Formula One® racing endeavors to inform the brand’s new mid-engine road car strategy. Sharing the luxury space, Aston Martin will also honor its relationship with the James Bond film franchise spanning more than 50 years. In addition, vehicles which embody the leading-edge capabilities of the marques bespoke service, Q by Aston Martin – cars like the visceral V12 Speedster – will be on display for guests to see first-hand for the first time in America.

70 Years of Aston Martin the Americas
2021 is an auspicious year for Aston Martin in the Americas; it’s the 70th anniversary of the brand selling its first car in North America. 70 years of manufacturer sales in the United States and, later, Canada, is a major milestone and, over the course of those seven decades, the business has seen itself taken to the hearts of luxury sports car enthusiasts across the continent.

Indeed, around one in four of all Aston Martin cars built to date have found their first owners in North America, making the region hugely important to the commercial performance of the brand.

Shortly after entering production in 1950 with its then-new DB2 saloon, Aston Martin elected to expand its foothold and begin sales in the Americas as a way capitalizing on the region’s new-found taste for European sportscars in the immediate post-war years. As part of a fledgling public relations push to raise awareness for the brand in the states, a 1951 DB2/4 was shipped to the U.S. for testing with key automotive enthusiast publications.

Road & Track magazine was among the first publications to get its hands on the car and wasted no time in properly evaluating it with none other than soon-to-be world champion Grand Prix driver Phil Hill at the wheel. Testing and evaluation by U.S. publications was a success; Road & Track proclaimed it to be “…one of the best handling and fastest cars ever tested….”  In fact, after concluding the evaluation Hill walked away from the test so impressed, he decided to purchase the test vehicle itself; becoming one of the first buyers of the DB2 in North America, taking delivery on 15 September 1951.

The success of the DB2 in North America cannot be overstated. Of the 411 cars built, around a third made their way direct from the Aston Martin factory to owners in the United States. 70 years on from its humble beginnings in 1951 there have been ebbs and flows for the business. Today however, one thing remains the same; Aston Martin the Americas still accounts for roughly 30% Aston Martins sold worldwide annually, making it the brand’s largest market by volume. Unit sales in the Americas more than trebled to over 1,000 vehicles in H1 2021 representing 36% of global sales with an increased mix vs prior year with strong performance from DBX.

In 2021, Aston Martin the Americas counts 35 dedicated dealers across the United States, with a further five dealers in Canada, as well as individual locations in Mexico, Chile, Peru and most recently, Brazil.

Reflecting on the 70-year association between Aston Martin and North America the marque’s Chief Executive Officer, Tobias Moers, said: “For seven decades now, enthusiast drivers in the United States and Canada have had the chance to enjoy some of the greatest cars we have yet made. Around a quarter of all the cars we have ever made have been sold in North America; American and Canadian investment, management and support have played a major part in the company’s history. I am very happy to see us celebrate not only this important anniversary, but also the enduring link between our brand and the knowledgeable and hugely enthusiastic brand of owners who enjoy our cars in North America today.”

A Global Product Reveal and a North American Debut
Underscoring the prestige and provenance of the vintage cars selected to be displayed in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Aston Martin has chosen its space overlooking this year’s event to globally debut a new product from the brand which extends the company’s performance credentials a step further. The new product will be revealed Thursday, 12 August at a private VIP event and later available to view at Aston Martin Club 1913 from Friday, 13 August, by invitation.

Following its global reveal at the British Grand Prix in July, Aston Martin will bring its new Valhalla supercar to the Monterey Peninsula where enthusiasts, brand fans and prospective owners can see it first-hand. With development led by Aston Martin’s CEO, Tobias Moers, Valhalla is the latest and most significant product of the brand’s Project Horizon strategy to-date; a car which will broaden the model portfolio to reflect Aston Martin’s presence in Formula One®, set best-in-class standards for performance, dynamics and driving pleasure, and drive the transition from internal combustion to hybrid and later, full-electric powertrains.

With worldwide production volume strictly limited to 999 examples over two years, Valhalla is a car which will broaden the model portfolio to reflect Aston Martin’s presence in Formula One®, set best-in-class standards for performance, dynamics and driving pleasure, and drive the transition from internal combustion to hybrid and full-electric powertrains.

Valhalla heralds a new definition of Aston Martin. With a mid-engined 950PS (937HP) plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain, carbon fibre structure and aerodynamics shaped by the pioneering philosophy first seen in the revolutionary Aston Martin Valkyrie, Valhalla will bring the perfect balance of hypercar performance and advanced powertrain, driving dynamics and uniquely sophisticated design materials to truly redefine the supercar sector. Read more about Valhalla here.

Q By Aston Martin Specials – V12 Speedster
Aston Martin will bring its V12 Speedster to America for display in Monterey, this latest example finished in the iconic Aston Martin Racing Green.

Created by luxury British marque’s bespoke customisation service ‘Q by Aston Martin’, the Aston Martin V12 Speedster is a truly visceral driver’s car which celebrates open-air motoring and draws inspiration from both the brand’s rich racing history and aeronautical design. Demonstrating the skills and meticulous planning of Q by Aston Martin and Aston Martin Design, the V12 Speedster is a living show car, underlining the company’s commitment to deliver customers a stunning driver’s car, using the engineering ingenuity and advanced materials evident throughout the entire Aston Martin range. Just 88 examples of the Aston Martin are available to buyers worldwide. Read more about V12 Speedster here.

50 Years of James Bond
The relationship between the James Bond film franchise and Aston Martin is one with more than 50 years of history behind it such that the two are often synonymous with one another. Ahead of this Autumn’s premiere of the latest film within the Bond franchise – No Time to Die – Aston Martin will celebrate its relationship with the world’s most famous spy with a display that celebrates the first Aston Martin to feature in one of the films, the iconic, 1964 DB5.

Guests visiting Aston Martin Club 1913 will also be treated with the opportunity to see the £2.75 million + taxes DB5 Goldfinger Continuation car – one of just 25 customer cars – created in association with the producers of the James Bond films, EON Productions, and featuring a broad suite of working gadgets first seen on screen in the 1964 James Bond film, Goldfinger. Read more about the DB5 Goldfinger Continuation cars here.

The latest, and 25th, film in the Bond franchise – No Time to Die – premieres 8 October in the United States and features the most Aston Martins of any James Bond film yet, with four cars from the ultra-luxury brand; the 1964 DB5, a classic Aston Martin V8 first seen in 1987’s Living Daylights, the latest DBS Superleggera and the 2019 Valhalla concept. All told, Aston Martin vehicles have been featured in 12 of the franchise’s films, with No Time to Die Aston Martin’s 13th James Bond film.

“The past 16 months or so have been a time of unprecedented uncertainty for many around the world, including those of us at Aston Martin, but we’ve also taken this time to undertake a radical transformation, positioning ourselves for the future,” said Renato Bisignani, Head of Global Marketing and Communications for Aston Martin. “With a new leadership team in place, an exciting portfolio of new products to look forward to and new partnerships, the 2021 Monterey Car Week is very much the culmination of all this hard work; it’s only fitting this is our largest activation ever.”

Aston Martin Club 1913 is located at 1536 Cypress Drive in Pebble Beach, overlooking the 18th fairway of the Pebble Beach Golf Links. Access is by invitation only from Friday, 13 August through Sunday, 15 August. Guests interested in visiting the brand space may contact their local dealer for more information.

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ASTON MARTIN V12 SPEEDSTER: a puristic limited edition for the most demanding drivers

Wednesday 4 March, Gaydon: The Aston Martin V12 Speedster has made its global debut today, with just 88 examples of this puristic limited-edition model set to hit the road.

Created by luxury British marque’s bespoke customisation service ‘Q by Aston Martin’, the Aston Martin V12 Speedster is a truly visceral driver’s car that draws inspiration from both the brand’s rich racing history and aeronautical design. Today’s example is showcased in a conceptual F/A-18 livery, also curated by the same artisans.

ASTON MARTIN V12 SPEEDSTER: a puristic limited edition for the most demanding drivers

Aston Martin Lagonda President and Group CEO, Dr Andy Palmer said: “It makes me enormously proud to reveal Aston Martin’s latest, most exciting special model today. The V12 Speedster is an incredible demonstration of the breadth of capability and determination from the ‘Q by Aston Martin’ team, who have worked tirelessly to create this stunning, two-seat sports car aimed at our most demanding and enthusiastic customers.”


Conceived a little over 12 months ago, the V12 Speedster has undergone an intensive development programme, going from drawing board to production reality within that short period. Demonstrating the skills and meticulous planning of ‘Q by Aston Martin’ and Aston Martin Design, the V12 Speedster is a living show car, underlining the company’s commitment to deliver customers a stunning driver’s car, using the engineering ingenuity and advanced materials evident throughout the entire Aston Martin range.


Utilising Aston Martin’s latest bonded aluminium architecture, the V12 Speedster utilises elements from both the DBS Superleggera and Vantage model lines to create its own unique platform. With independent double wishbone front, and multi-link rear suspension with coil springs and adaptive damping offering Sport, Sport+ and Track modes, the V12 Speedster also benefits from standard 21-inch forged centre lock alloy wheels. Carbon Ceramic Brakes of 410mm on the front axle and 360mm at the rear are also standard equipment.


Over the V12 Speedster’s unique chassis is a bespoke body constructed almost entirely from carbon fibre. Miles Nurnberger, Director of Design, Aston Martin Lagonda, said: “With the V12 Speedster we do go back a step and look into our past for inspiration. Since the DB11 launch, everything has been focused and very forward looking. Here though, we find a different tempo. There’s clear lineage from the 1959 Le Mans winning DBR1 to our Centenary celebratory CC100 Speedster Concept in 2013. There is also a bit of 1953 DB3S in the mid-section, so it really is our latest incarnation of the Speedster concept. It’s also inspired by fighter jets as much as it is by our history, and it has been created to deliver an incredibly visceral experience, hence why it is a V12, rather than a V8. With the V12 Speedster we are amplifying all the emotional strings that we can to the absolute maximum.”

Nurnberger adds: “No roof or screen, a big engine, low, with broad shoulders and exaggerated and emotional styling with twin humps and the spine separating the driver and passenger. The light, low, rear end contrasts with the bold, enlarged grille, unique headlights and bonnet nostril at the front. The bonnet nostril we haven’t done in a very long time, but we’ve brought them back. It’s a neat trick visually to allow us to win some space for the V12. It creates this iconic looking vent.”

The interior specification pushes new boundaries, using a mix of traditional and modern materials. Structural satin carbon fibre, contrasts with traditional hand-crafted Saddle Leather, chrome, aluminium and even 3D printed rubber. Visually and physically the interior reduces mass, for a leaner, efficient style, but one that retains all the emotion and craftsmanship Aston Martins are renowned for. In front of the passenger is a removable leather bag in place of a traditional glove box, while there’s additional storage space under the rear bumps for luggage.

Unveiled here today at Aston Martin’s Gaydon HQ, the V12 Speedster has been shown in a conceptual specification that is inspired by the legendary F/A-18 and will be available for customers to order. Born from an exciting new collaboration with Boeing and created by the brand’s bespoke customisation service ‘Q by Aston Martin’, this striking livery takes the legendary fighter jet for inspiration and is finished in Skyfall Silver, with contrasting satin black on the exhaust tips, vent grilles and vanes. The dark theme is carried through to the interior, with satin dark chrome, machined aluminium, black leather, black technical textile, black carpets and vivid red Aston Martin scripted door pulls, creating a purposeful look for this conceptual styling.


Powering the V12 Speedster is Aston Martin’s scintillating 5.2-litre, Twin-Turbo V12 engine, with a peak output of 700hp1 and 753Nm1 of torque. Front mid-mounted, the all alloy, quad cam 48-valve engine is mated to a ZF 8-Speed automatic transmission with a limited-slip differential driving the rear wheels. The V12 Speedster is able to accelerate to 62mph (100km/h) in 3.5 seconds on the way to a limited top speed of 186mph (300km/h)1.


The iconic V12 engine promises scintillating performance, but further underlining the V12 Speedster’s abundant character and unparalleled commitment to a thrilling drive is an even more invigorating aural signature. To create this Aston Martin’s engineers have created a bespoke stainless-steel exhaust system exiting centrally into the diffuser surface at the rear of the car for an even more rousing, characterful sound from the drivetrain. With the V12 Speedster, every element of the drive is experiential, most obviously the removal of the windscreen adding to the visceral engagement, heightening the driving experience to new levels.

Matt Becker, Aston Martin Chief Engineer, said: “for raw, driving thrills the V12 Speedster is unparalleled, the fully open element of the car adding a new dimension to the experience. It engages on every level, delivering a precise, involving driving experience, with agility and poise backed by abundant power from Aston Martin’s twin-turbo 5.2-litre V12. Driving doesn’t get any purer than this.


 
Aston Martin Lagonda President and Group CEO, Dr Andy Palmer said: “nothing demonstrates Aston Martin’s commitment to providing unique, special models to its customers more than the V12 Speedster. The 88 hand-built cars will be sought after by driving enthusiasts and collectors alike all around the world. I’m excited not just about what they offer drivers, but of what it represents. The V12 Speedster not just showcases our incredible engineering capability and ambition, but also celebrating Aston Martin’s rich heritage.”

Orders are now being taken for the V12 Speedster, with pricing starting at £765,000 including VAT and deliveries expected to begin in the first quarter of 2021.

www.astonmartin.com

 

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