include Hummer contacting vehicle manufacturing from GM

General Motors has reached an agreement to offload Hummer onto China's Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery, with Tengzhong taking an 80 percent stake and a private investor consuming the rest.

Details on the deal (available in the press release after the jump) include Hummer contacting vehicle manufacturing from GM, with the General's Shrevport and Mishawaka plants continuing to produce vehicles through June of 2011, with a possible extension until 2012. A recent report says the sale will net GM around $150 million, although the transaction still has to be approved by both U.S. and Chinese regulatory agencies, which could come later this year or in early 2010.

Tengzhong, which only produces commercial trucks and industrial equipment, has never entered into consumer vehicles before, but according to Yang Yi, chief executive officer of Tengzhong. "We are excited about some of the initiatives already underway at HUMMER that we believe our investment will be able to accelerate, particularly related to the creation of the next generation of more fuel-efficient vehicles to meet not only future regulations but also customer expectations."

2009 Meet Brian Deese, the 31-year-old in charge of breaking up GM

Many of us ABers being in our early- to mid-30s, we're less amazed that another of our ilk has risen to a decisive government position. We are, after all, a generation on the rise. The surprising part about Brian Deese's story is that he's been instrumental in shaping the Obama administration's moves to save General Motors, and this is his first official tour of duty in Washington. What qualifies a guy who hasn't even finished his Yale Law degree to steer President's automotive task force around? From what's been said about Mr. Deese, his quick ability to boil down the often competing economic and political aspects of any given issue.

Deese piped up in favor of Fiat's rescue of Chrysler, pointing out with a memo that a fire sale of the ailing automaker would send unforseen ripples out into the economy as a whole. Speaking out in such an influential manner is definitely unusual considering Deese doesn't appear to be an auto enthusiast or business propeller-head with his nose buried in studies and reports about the car industry. A childhood spent in the Boston suburb of Belmont, Massachusetts under the parentage of a college professor an an engineer, Deese did his undergraduate time at Middlebury College in Vermont before heading to Washington to work for Nancy Birdsall on international aid. A turn with former Clinton policy wonk Gene Sperling before the move to Yale, Hillary Clinton's bid for nomination brought Deese back to DC. With friends in Washington, Deese found himself hooked into the Obama team, and from there he's been running busily around our nation's capital.

If General Motors can successfully navigate Chapter 11, we'll all get to see just how well Brian Deese has done digesting the thorny chestnut that is saving our domestic auto industry.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage Specifications

2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Specifications

Drivetrain
Layout	Front Engine, RWD
Transmission	Rear-Mounted 6 Speed Manual
Engine
Type:	DBS-Sourced V12
Horsepower	510 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque	420 lb-ft of torque @ 5750 rpm
Exterior
Body Type	2 Door, 2 Seat Sports Car
Curb Weight	3700 lb.
Performance
Acceleration 0-60 mph s:	4.1 seconds
Lateral Acceleration	1.3g
Top Speed	190 mph

Base Price: 2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage: Reported $250,000

2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Pictures

Aston Martin Vantage Gets V12 Power, New Exterior High on Style

The Aston Martin Vantage has broken cover with a 12 cylinder model featuring some new exterior design and performance technology that should bring the aging Vantage back into relevance. The 2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage, as the new British sports car is aptly called, gets a big bump in power and a new stability control system to help put it to the road.

Shaking the "grand tourer" moniker often applied to larger, more unweildy Aston Martin models, the V12 Vantage is pure sports car through and through. A 6 speed conventional manual is mounted behind the driver for better weight distribution and drives the rear wheels.

The V12 powerplant is the same excellent unit found in the current DBS, producing 510 horses and 420 lb-ft. of torque, good for 4.1 seconds through 60 mph and a top speed of 190 mph, Aston says.

On the outside, the 2010 V12 Vantage gets a host of minor styling changes to differentiate itself from "lesser" V8 Vantage models, most noticable of which is the louvered hood. Carbon fiber front and rear air dams, as well as low and lean skirts from Aston Martin Racing round out the package.

2010 V12 Vantage pricing is not yet announced, we'll have to wait for Geneva for that. Initial reports have put the V12 Vantage at around $250,000.

For those who want a piece of serious Aston Martin performance but don't want to drop a cool million for the exclusive One-77, Aston Martin may have just the remedy. Expect a V12 Vantage release date of Q3 2009.

-RSportsCars






V12 Vantage: Aston Martin's Most Exhilirating Sport Car

Official Aston Martin Press Release

• Fastest and most agile Vantage ever; ultimate performance interpretation of the Vantage range
• Purposeful, striking and functional styling signalling performance capabilities
• Everyday usability associated with a modern Aston Martin
• Race-derived technology used throughout

Gaydon, Warwickshire, Wednesday 4 February 2009. Aston Martin will present the most potent production sports car in the marque’s 95-year history at the Geneva motor show on 3 March. Based on the hugely successful V8 Vantage, the V12 Vantage will feature a 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 bhp (380 kW / 517 PS), and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque with a top speed of 190 mph (305 km/h) and 0-62 mph (0-100 kp/h) time of 4.2 seconds.

The latest incarnation of the Vantage family has been designed to provide a unique character, appealing to different driver tastes and complementing the other models in the current Aston Martin line-up.

The original V12 Vantage concept was unveiled to guests at the opening of the Aston Martin Design Studio in December 2007. Continuing the marque’s impressive record of bringing concepts through to production, Aston Martin engineers have brought the V12 Vantage to market in an incredible 12 months.

Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez said: “This is the ultimate performance interpretation of the Vantage range, combining our most agile model with our most powerful engine. It represents the definitive driving package; providing spectacular performance to ensure a dynamically thrilling and everyday useable driving experience.

“The V12 Vantage has a unique character, one unlike our other cars. This will appeal to different people with different tastes, allowing more people to enjoy the Aston Martin experience.

“This also illustrates one of Aston Martin’s key strengths – the ability to act quickly and turn concepts and ideas into reality.”

Designed for the focused driver, every component of the V12 Vantage has been honed with pure driving enjoyment in mind. Benefitting from race-developed materials and components, and featuring lightweight carbon fibre; performance and agility have been tuned to perfection.

Visually enticing, the V12 Vantage expresses its performance potential through its purposeful stance created by enhanced aerodynamic and cooling aids optically widening the car, while retaining traditional understated Aston Martin design. Equally inviting, the cosseting interior permits the driver to extract maximum performance ability from the car while also enjoying customary levels of Aston Martin comfort on longer journeys. High levels of power and torque are available at all engine speeds making the V12 Vantage responsive and tractable in any driving situation.

The V12 Vantage will be built at Aston Martin’s global headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire joining the DBS, DB9 and V8 Vantage model lines which are built in the state-of-the-art production facility combining hi-tech manufacturing processes with traditional hand-craftsmanship. Production will be limited up to 1,000 examples over the life span of the car, making the V12 Vantage a truly exclusive driver’s car.

Deliveries of the V12 Vantage are expected to commence during quarter three 2009 with prices to be confirmed at the Geneva motor show.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS

It has been 10 minutes since I stepped out of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS, and my fingertips are trembling on the keyboard. This should not have been a surprise to me, as the V12 RS is the most powerful and quickest car ever to sport the Aston Martin wings. If the production version that goes on sale for about £150,000 midway through next year is anywhere near as exciting as this one-off prototype, it will cause an absolute sensation.

On the face of it, the V12 Vantage RS is little more than a standard Vantage with the DB9’s V12 engine shoehorned into it. Okay, the heavily vented bonnet and enlarged rear wing should give a clue, yet they don’t prepare you for this engine being a pure racing unit as powerful as that in the DBR9 racer.

Nobody is talking precise numbers, but there’s general agreement that it produces at least 600bhp. The car also has semi-racing suspension, carbon-ceramic disc brakes and a kerb weight of 3,300lb – some 286lb less than the normal Vantage despite the greater weight of a 6 litre V12 over the 4.3 litre V8. The savings have been made by removing soundproofing, airbags and air-conditioning, and fitting a number of carbon-fibre panels.

The RS has about the same power as Ferrari’s quickest car, the 599GTB, but weighs some 880lb less. So all other things being equal, in a drag race between the Vantage and Ferrari’s fastest, the Italian stallion would be left choking in the dust of this very British bulldog. Again, no numbers are quoted, but 0-60mph in 3.5sec and 0-100mph in 7sec won’t be far from the truth.

Frankly, I’m staggered they even let me drive it, let alone drive it as fast as I possibly could, because it’s the only one in existence. Its performance was so explosive and its reactions so immediate that I realised just how soft, damped and compliant even the most entertaining sports cars have become. And I realised that even in uncut form I prefer the Vantage RS approach.

There are no electronic safety nets – traction control is provided by your right foot – and if you take liberties with the car it will reward you with the most direct route to a painful encounter with the undergrowth. But treat it well, take charge without abusing it, and you will emerge bursting with pride that you tamed so feral a beast.

I drove it at the Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France on the same day that Aston was testing its Le Mans racers. Usually, putting road and racing cars together on the same track is a recipe for carnage due to vast speed differentials, but while the Vantage’s lack of slick tyres and huge wings meant it couldn’t stay with the racers in the corners, on the long straights it was so fast that it gained on them. I only backed off at 170mph because a lack of downforce on the front end made it wander across the track.

When the car goes on sale, issues such as this and the disconcertingly inconsistent response of the brakes will have long since been ironed out. My only worry is that people at Aston Martin will feel the need to further sanitise the car, detune the engine and load it with all sorts of heavy, needless gimmickry in an attempt to justify what is bound to be a fairly steep list price.

There is no need: this car will be built in tiny volumes: David Richards, Aston’s chairman, told me he envisaged making just 600 over three years. When the V12 Vantage RS takes its place in the marque’s lineup, it will do so at roughly the same time as the four-door Rapide, which will be the most cossetting and sumptuous Aston ever made. Something is needed at the other end of the scale to balance it out and show that Aston Martin has not gone soft in its old age, and there is no better machine to do that than the one you see before you here.

So please, Mr Richards, I know the law will require you to put back the airbags and emissions equipment, but everything else is down to you: when you’re told the production version must be softer, slower and more forgiving . . . just don’t listen to them.

Vital statistics

Model Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS
Engine type 5935cc, 12 cylinders
Power/Torque 600bhp @ 7000rpm / 501 lb ft @ 5600rpm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Fuel/CO2 n/a
Performance 0-60mph: 3.5sec approx. Top speed: 205mph approx
Price £150,000 approx
Verdict The best car Aston Martin has ever made
Date of release Summer 2009

The opposition

Model Ferrari 430 Scuderia £172,500
For Power unit; uncompromising nature
Against Expensive; not as pretty as it should be

Model Porsche 911 GT2 £131,070
For The fastest Porsche; easy to drive
Against Very pricey; not as involving as a GT3

Aston Martin's V12 Vantage

Aston Martin has been dangling the V12 Vantage in front of us for a while now, since the concept was first shown in December 2007. Now, they’ve stopped the teasing and got it ready for production.

Looks great, doesn’t it? All beefy and pumped up, with the 6-litre V12 almost bursting through its heavily louvered bonnet. At first glance, not much has changed from the original concept version. But look deeper and you’ll notice Aston’s engineers have been doing their thing to make sure it goes like an Aston should.

The grille, splitters, sills, bumpers and boot have all been altered, while the engine itself has been slightly repackaged – fitting the big V12 to the Vantage’s chassis was the biggest headache and wasn’t just a case of slotting it in. Thankfully, Aston’s blokes got their spanners out and made it happen, which we’re pretty pleased about.

The concept was a stripped-out, lightweight racer of a thing, but most of that has been lost to make the production version as easy to live with as a regular Vantage. Except this version has 510bhp, 420lb ft of torque and hits 62mph in 4.2 seconds…

Only 1000 will be made, and deliveries start later this year. We’ll have ours in blue, please.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage Goes to Nurburgring

Click to enlarge [V12 Vantage Nürburgring 24 Hour]
V12 Vantage Nürburgring 24 Hour
Aston Martin makes a comeback for the fourth consecutive year at the 37th ADAC Nurburgring 24-hour race, set to start on May 23, with its new V12 Vantage. The driver of the V12? Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin CEO.

“This is the final engineering durability test for the V12 Vantage programme. We will be subjecting the car to the toughest assessment yet under public scrutiny as we successfully did with the Vantage N24 programme,” Bez said in a release.

Featuring a 6.0l V12 engine, which develops 510 horsepower and 570 Nm of torque, the car has undergone only little modifications for the race. It will be as close to production standard as possible, the major differences being the safety enhancements brought to the car.

“We already have a proven track record at the Nurburgring racing our road cars with limited modification and in 2009 we also celebrate our 50-year anniversary of winning the ADAC Nurburgring 1000 km with a DBR1,” added the CEO.

The V12 will be shoed with specially selected Pirelli P Zero Circuit Racing slick tires to enhance the performance of the car. The tires are designed to withstand the car’s 190 mph top speed and its 4.2 seconds naught to sixty acceleration time.

The V12 will not be the only notable presence at the 20,000 miles plus endurance race, as the yellow V8 Vantage, (the original inspiration behind the N24/GT4 program) will also be making a return to the Nordschleife.

“The Vantage N24/GT4 programme has been a huge success to date. Since its inception in 2006, no standard N24 from the factory or customer team has failed to finish a 24-hour endurance race in 13 starts around the world – a remarkable testament to the durability of the Vantage,” David King, Aston Martin head of motorsport said.

For enthusiasts, the V12 Vantage will become available in July, with a starting price of £135,000. Only 1,000 units will be built.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage 510HP Revealed Ahead of Geneva Show

Described by Aston Martin as "the most potent production sports car in the marque's 95-year history," the V12 Vantage is essentially the production version of the 2007 V12 Vantage RS concept car and it will be officially revealed at the Geneva Motorshow on 3rd March. Based on the V8 Vantage, the V12 Vantage features a naturally aspirated 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510HP (517 PS), and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque. Exclusively available with a six-speed manual transmission, the rear-wheel-drive British sportscar has a top speed of 190 mph (305 km/h) and 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time of 4.2 seconds.

Unique to the V12 Vantage is a 'Sport' button which allows the driver to choose between two powertrain modes, the default 'normal' that provides a more progressive throttle response for everyday use, and the Sport' mode that delivers a sharper throttle response together with a sportier exhaust note.

In order to accommodate a wider wheel and tire combination for improved grip and traction, Aston Martin's engineer's modified the Vantage's rear suspension that now features a more compact dual-rate spring design. The ride height of the V12 Vantage has also been lowered by 15 mm, while the spring rates have been stiffened by 45% and the anti-roll bars are 15% (front) and 75% (rear) stiffer than the standard car.

The coupe sits on a set of lightweight 10-spoke 19" alloy wheels shed with wider Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires that have been specifically designed for the V12 Vantage enabling it to generate the highest cornering forces of any Aston Martin - up to a peak of 1.3g according to the company.

Stopping power is provided by the standard Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brakes with 398 mm discs at the front and 360 mm at the rear while the brake callipers feature six pistons at the front, four at the rear and have a larger brake pad area compared to the V8 Vantage. The CCM brakes are said to be some 12.5 kg (28 pounds) lighter than conventional brakes.

The V12 Vantage stands out from its less powerful V8 sibling thanks to the aerodynamic add-ons and cooling aids such as the bonnet louvres, the new side sills derived from the N24 race car, the more pronounced boot 'flip'' and the new rear carbon fibre diffuser.

Complementing the exterior changes, the V12 Vantage's interior features a revised instrument cluster with clearer dials, carbon fibre door handles as well as additional light weight materials in the form of Alcantara that are used throughout the cabin.

Production of the V12 Vantage will be limited to between just 300-500 examples per year with deliveries expected to commence during quarter three 2009. For those interested, prices are to be confirmed at the Geneva motor show.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage: Specification

Body:
Two door, two seat coupe body
Bonded aluminium structure
Aluminium, magnesium alloy, composite and steel body
Extruded aluminium door side impact beams
High Intensity Discharge Headlamps (dipped beam)
Halogen projector headlamps (main beam)
LED rear lamps

Engine:
All alloy quad overhead cam 48 valve 5935cc V12
Compression ratio 10.9:1
Front mid-mounted engine, rear wheel drive
Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves

Maximum Power
510 bhp (380 kW / 517 PS) at 6500 rpm

Maximum Torque
570 Nm (420 lb.ft) at 5750 rpm

Acceleration
0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.2 seconds
0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds

Maximum Speed
190 mph (305 km/h)

Fuel Economy
Urban 11.64 mpg 24.26 l/100km
Extra Urban 24.05 mpg 11.74 l/100km
Combined 17.28 mpg 16.35 l/100km

CO₂ 388 g/km

Transmission:
Rear mid-mounted six speed manual gearbox. Alloy torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft
Limited slip differential
Final Drive Ratio 3.71:1

Steering:
Rack and pinion
Column tilt and reach adjustment

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

Wheels
Front: 9" x 19"
Rear: 11" x 19"

Tyres:
Front: Pirelli P Zero Corsa 255/35 ZR19
Rear: Pirelli P Zero Corsa 295/30 ZR19

Brakes:
Front: Ventilated Carbon Ceramic discs 398 mm diameter with six piston callipers
Rear: Ventilated Carbon Ceramic discs 360 mm diameter with four piston callipers
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with Track mode
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
Traction Control

Length: 4380 mm (172.5")
Width: 1865 mm (73.5") (excluding door mirrors)
2025 mm (80") (including door mirrors)
Height: 1241 mm (49")
Wheelbase: 2600 mm (107.9")
Fuel tank capacity: 80 litres (17.6 Imp. Gal. / 21.1 US Gal)
Weight: 1680 kgs (3704 lb)

Interior:
Carbon fibre door pulls
Memory seats and exterior mirrors (3 positions)
Sports seats with 10 way electric adjustment, including height, tilt and lumbar
adjustment
Dual stage driver and passenger front airbags
Side airbags (Sports seats only)
Heated rear screen
Automatic temperature control
Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays
Trip computer
Cruise control
Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system*
Bluetooth telephone preparation*
Powerfold exterior mirrors
Rear parking sensors
Auto dimming interior rear view mirror
Tyre pressure monitoring*
Alarm and immobiliser
Remote-control central door locking and boot release
Battery disconnect switch
Tracking device (UK only)

In Car Entertainment
160W Aston Martin Audio System
MP3 player connectivity

Options

Lightweight seats with 6 way adjustment, including front and rear height adjust. (Does not include side airbags or Passenger Airbag Cut-Off Switch)
700W Aston Martin Premium Audio System with Dolby® Pro Logic II®
Piano Black facia trim
Graphite Alloy facia trim
Personalised sill plaques
Garage door opener (Europe only)
Tracking device**
First aid kit
Ashtray and cigar lighter
Boot mounted umbrella
Front parking sensors
Heated seats (Sports seats only)
ISOFIX and fixed-height passenger seat (Sports seat only)
Battery conditioner