A Whole new Level of Sexy

2012 Aston Martin Virage

It seems that Aston Martin want to expand their current line-up by building a car in-between the powerful DBS and the sleek DB9 and make it as sexy as the Rapide. They call it the Virage and it dates back to the classic Le Mans Virage back in the 1990s. This one, however, has the body of a sexy lady and the soul of race car driver. Aston's 6.0-liter V12 engine that's in the DB9 has been tweaked from 470 to 490 horsepower. 0 to 60 is done in less than 4.6 seconds on its way to a top speed of 186 MPH. The standard transmission is a 6-speed Touchtronic 2 transmission with paddle-shifters. And yes, for those who love having their hair blow in the breeze, this car is also available as a volante.

2012 Aston Martin Virage Volante

Now you may be thinking the Virage is merely a replacement for the old DB9 and in fact, it isn't. The DB9 will still be here until who knows when. This may seem a bit strange that Aston Martin would build car that's just a prettier DB9. But, as long as it stays pretty, I'm sold. Check it out at Geneva next week.

Vantage Point

2011 Aston Martin V8 Vantage S

The Vantage is getting more and more powerful by the moment. Last year, we saw the V12 Vantage take form. This year, the V8 Vantage is adding an S to its mark to signify that it's now more powerful. And I really do mean more powerful. The last Vantage had 420 horsepower. This one has 430, a 10 horsepower increase from the last one. 0 to 60 is now done in 4.4 seconds with a new top speed of 189 MPH. This trumps the last generations speed of just 183 MPH. This speed is achieved thanks to Aston Martin's new 7-speed ShortShift II semi-automatic transmission. The car also borrowed some lightweightyness and stylings from its big brother, the V12 Vantage. The V8 Vantage S will be available in coupe and roadster versions...

2011 Aston Martin V8 Vantage S Roadster

...starting this summer.

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Lotus Bonding

2011 Lotus Evora James Bond Edition

It seems that James Bond has grown fond of Lotus's, or so we think. This Special Edition Evora is actually a prop on the set of the new James Bond film coming next year, but Lotus do have an intention of selling this car with the livery you see here for $72,000. It won't have any awesome gadgets that Bond has on his cars, except for this exclusive red metallic color that you can't get anywhere else. As for James Bond, Aston Martin fans, don't worry. He's still going to be in the magnificent DBS.

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World of Clarkson

Jeremy Clarkson

Life is swell if you are a Jeremy Clarkson. First off, you're the most offensive person on the face of the earth and there's nothing anyone else can do about it. That must feel great. You can totally diss a religion, have them get angry at you, and do absolutely nothing about it. That's awesome! Next, you have a pretty awesome car collection including a Ford GT, an Aston Martin DBS, an Austin-Healey Sprite, a Caterham Seven R400, and many more. Then, you're the host of a popular motoring show known as Top Gear that's worth over $10 billion and is watch by over 350,000,000 people around the world. You're a very popular guy. And now, you've got an iPhone app on the AppStore with your name on it called iClarkson, showcasing your best car reviews from the Audi R8 to the Maserati Quattroporte. It costs $7.99 and you can get it now on the AppStore. Then again, if you are a Jeremy Clarkson, you've always been fond of the iPhone, as I will prove below with some videos.




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Head Start to Success

2011 Pagani Zonda Tricolore (Test Drive Unlimited 2)

So, today, I'll be posting my last ßeta video for TDU 2 showcasing all of the awesome stuff you can do in the game. But, why sit down and drool at the cars when you can get acting right now! Go ahead and pre-order the game from any game store applicable. Different stores have different pre-order DLC's. The magnificent Pagani Zonda Tricolore One-off seen here is a PC exclusive when you pre-order it from Steam.

2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI Spyder

The Audi R8 V10 Spyder and...

2010 Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder

the Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder are GameStop exclusives. When you pre-order TDU 2 from there, you will also receive TDU 2 Casino Online giving you instant access to the many roulette games and slot machines available. 

2011 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport

The fastest car in the world is back, and this time, it's on Ibiza. To achieve this car right out of the box, pre-order TDU 2 from Walmart.

2010 Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black

The sexy looking Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black is a Best Buy exclusive. It pushes all the right buttons of luxury and sport.

2007 Ferrari 612 Sessanta

This limited-edition Ferrari 612 Sessanta is a Kmart exclusive. It was built in honor of Ferrari's 60th anniversary and was limited to only 60 units. It's been hailed as one of the greatest Italian grand touring cars of all time.

2010 Jaguar XRK Black Pack

Direct-2-drive is another store worthy of giving you two cars: the Jaguar XKR Speed Pack & XKR Black Pack. Once you have these two, you pretty much can do anything you want with it and get away with it and it'll be okey because you've got a Jaaaag!!!

2010 Ford Shelby GT500

Pride of America! The Ford Shelby GT500 is an Atari exclusive. You can get just be pre-ordering it off the site.

2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Carbon Black

Another Carbon malarkey. The V12 Vantage Carbon Black is an Amazon exclusive. This car just defines itself as a whole.

So, there you are: the pre-order bonuses for TDU 2. Act fast though: February 8th is coming sooner than you think.

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Test Drive Unlimited 2 (Hands On): Final ßeta

2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI Spyder

This is it, ladies and gentlemen: the final TDU 2 ßeta test before its February 8th release date. I've inspected a lot of things in this game and it seems that it will actually do well. I know I said before that this game wouldn't be good because of the lack of cars, but it seems that Atari is up to something more than just racing. Everything about this game feels somewhat realistic, and that includes the handling. In the last installment, handling was the #1 problem. Now, it seems that TDU have addressed it with better turning and more realistic car feel. The cars are actually impressive themselves, all 101 of them. Since the beginning, I've been driving the Ferrari California, Aston Martin DBS, Audi TT-RS, and Audi Q7 V12 TDI. All of them are good cars. They've been designed carefully and their physics are almost precise. But, there's one car that I've been trying to achieve since the beginning and haven't driven, until now, and you're looking at it. This Audi R8 Spyder makes me feel like Tony Stark in Iron Man 2. Fun fact: the car was actually supposed to debut in that movie. Anyway, the only way for me to achieve this car in the ßeta was to win it in the Slot Machines at Casino Island. After many tries, over 1000 to be exact, I finally won it. Just goes to show: gambling is addicting. Anyway, I was able to enjoy this awesome V10 Spyder on Ibiza racing with soon-to-be TDU friends and rivals. Check out the video below of all the stuff I did on Ibiza. The Audi video will be on later.



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Well Done, Aston Martin!

2011 Aston Martin Rapide

As 2010 comes to a close, I've been roaming the internet looking at what cars made the top lists of 2010. I'm startled to say that out of most of the lists I've seen, the Aston Martin Rapide made the top on almost every list. Well done, Aston Martin! You've created a rather brilliant grand-tourer.

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V12 Symphony

2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage (Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit)

Aston Martin has been known for building cars with a presence, preferably ones with 12 cylinders. Their latest and greatest creation, the V12 Vantage, emulates that presence thanks to its custom rear exhaust pipes and 6.0-liter 510 horsepower V12 engine. That engine has been around the company for centuries. The DB9, DBS, and Rapide have used it as well. It's even softened the hearts of racing fans when they hear it coming from a race car like this...

2010 Lola-Aston Martin Gulf LMP1

Aston's V12 racing machine uses the same 6.0-liter V12 engine that the V12 Vantage uses, but only for racing purposes. Due to FIA regulations, the engine had to be a little bit more powerful than the original. So, instead of producing 510 horsepower, it produces 650 horsepower. That is impressive though because Aston Martin doesn't believe in turbochargers or superchargers any more. This engine is purely natural. And because it's lightweight (only 900kg), it's very fast. It was able to show Audi up at a couple of 24-hour races. So what happens when you combine a V12 exotic with a V12 racer? Only Aston Martin knows, which is why they posted a video of what would happen. Check it out.

If James Bond Ever Did Le Mans

2011 Aston Martin Le Mans Racer #007

What you are looking at is the future of Le Mans racing for Aston Martin. Before, they had a hardtop racer. But now, they've gone open-top. Well, this is just a sketch of what the car is supposed to look like, but expect it to look similarly like this in real life. No stats on the car have come out yet, but expect it to have an Aston Martin V12 engine placed inside it. A name for this car hasn't been revealed either, but Aston Martin is giving you the chance to name the all new Le Mans Racer. The person who gives the best name will be part of the company's history and win some hot Aston Martin swag. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up here.

Aspiration is Key

1992 Porsche 968

We now live in a time where cars make power seem easy with Turbochargers and Superchargers. But, what about the cars that don't have these things? Where have they gone? Not to worry, some companies haven't been swayed by the ways of the turbo. So, here's a list of some cars that are powered by just power and pure engineering.

2009 Honda S2000

1. Honda S2000
This was and still is the fastest and most powerfully Naturally Aspirated 4-cylinder in the world with a rating of 240 horsepower and a top speed of 150 MPH. It handled corners gracefully and was a well known drifting machine. It was one of the greatest looking Hondas of it's time, since most Hondas are ugly, except the CR-Z.

2008 TVR Sagaris

 2. TVR Sagaris
It's a pantomizer this car. To this day, it still is the fastest and most powerful naturally aspirated V6 car on the planet with a power rating at 405 sharing it with its brother, the Tuscan S, and a top speed of 200 MPH. It was lightweight, quick, and unbelievably crazy. And it was all this without need of a turbo. Britain does it again!

2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

3. Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
Germans are crazy, and it's proved with this Merc. This year, Mercedes-Benz unleashed this German beast with a new 6.2-liter V8 engine producing 563 horsepower making it the most powerful Naturally Aspirated V8 in the world. It could hit a top speed of 198 MPH and hit 60 in 3.7 seconds making it very quick. It's also very good looking with its top model LED lights and signature Gullwing Doors. So there you are, one crazy German supercar from Mercedes-Benz.

2008 Bristol Fighter S

4. Bristol Fighter S
The British have done it again! This swoopy coupe is the fastest and most powerful naturally aspirated V10 car in the world with 628 horsepower and a top speed of 210 MPH. Might I add that this was made possible because of the all-mighty Viper. Since Chrysler and Bristol have been sharing engines since 1961, Bristol thought they'd use a Viper engine in their supercar and tune it a little bit to make it better. It might be cheating, but the outcome was magnificent.

2011 Aston Martin One-77

5. Aston Martin One-77
This is the most powerful naturally aspirated V12 of all time. The numbers: 750 horsepower, 0 to 60 in 3.4 seconds, 221 MPH, $1.7 Million. This is an artsy car with it's many curves and lines. It's very beautiful with big eyes and sexy grille. This is an ideal non turbo supercar. Now, it might be the most powerful, but it isn't the fastest.

1997 McLaren F1

6. McLaren F1
Even though its V12 engine was surpassed by an Aston Martin, the mighty McLaren F1 is to this day the fastest naturally aspirated car in the world with a top speed of 240 MPH with only 627 horsepower in its engine. When it was released, it was one of the greatest vehicles ever created; and it still is.

So there you are: your non-turbo heroes. Feel free to honor them.

Aston Special

2011 Aston Martin DB9 Specials

The legendary DB9 gets some special edition makeover for 2011. Three new Special Editions are in store and have been customized to fit performance and luxury amenities. First, there's the Carbon Black Edition. Similar to that of the DBS and V12 Vantage editions, the DB9's will have a black exterior, black interior, black leather seats, carbon fiber console, carbon fiber foot pedals, carbon fiber wheels, and, well, you know the rest. There's also the Morning Frost Edition with Pearlescent Silver exterior, silver brake callipers, silver wheels, metallic bronze leather interior, and every bit of silver you can get with a DB9. Then, if you like being fast, daring, and exclusive, there's the Quantum Silver edition for all your James Bond needs. This features a Quantum Silver exterior (of course), luxurious Obsidian black interior, luxurious black center console, all your James Bond amenities and more. All three of these special DB9s will feature the same 6.0-liter 470 horsepower V12 engine that it's had over the years. That engine will be connected to a 6-speed Touchtronic II automatic transmission. So, if you thought the DB9 was dead, well, think again.