Aston Martin 5th / 6th November 2018 Photo: Drew Gibson Aston Martin is venturing into a brave new world with a brand-new vehicle, the DBX. It will be the first SUV the marque has ever built, and were finally getting a real glimpse of what it will look like when completed.The video shared by the brand to YouTube starts off with images of the DB11, a delicious two-door with a silver roof panel, but then changes to a silhouette of the DBX, underscoring the relationship between the two vehicles.Obviously, the second you see the grille it is instantly recognizable as an Aston Martin. The DBX looks to heavily borrow from the styling of the DB11 which is a good thing, because that is one gorgeous automobile.The teaser shows almost nothing else, and Aston Martin is keeping pretty mum on details of the DBX. This is brand-new territory for Aston, and were sure it will want to get it absolutely perfect before showing it off. Making it beautiful is a good start; making it drive well will be another.Speaking of, Aston has been testing the vehicle in harsh, off-road environments all over the world, although its unlikely most people who buy the SUV will use it that way.Being a real SUV, however, means it will have to be able to handle any type of weather system, and also offer a modicum of capability in terms of things like towing and payload ability, so hopefully Aston can deliver on those expectations.The DBX will be unveiled some time in December 2019, when all questions will be
Origin: Aston Martin teases new DBX SUV with video of grille
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Mercedes-AMG gives the 2020 GLC 43 a new grille to make it look more AMG
Mercedes-AMG is giving the 2020 GLC 43 some AMG touches to make it more recognizable as the brands entry-level performance AMG SUV. Both the SUV and the four-door fastback (which they call a coupe) have been given the treatment.Thanks to the AMG-specific radiator grille with its vertical chrome-plated fins, it is very quickly clear: these GLCs come from Affalterbach, reads the press release, but theres more to the update than that. The bumper is also new, as well as the rear exhaust tips, of which there are now two; the headlights have also been updated to LED, and remind us of the AMG GT.The interior of the GLC 43 has been given the AMG treatment as well; it now features digital AMG-specific gauges, a flat-bottom steering wheel and a few red trim accents. There are even Chevrolet bowties on the steering wheel as a nod to the mid-engined Corvette! Oh, wait, those are controls for the infotainmentour bad. The latest edition of MBUX is also present, to go along with the updates 12.3-inch instrument cluster and 10.3-inch touchscreen. For the actual added performance, AMG has given the GLC 23 more horsepower, for a total of 385; thats matched by 384 lb.-ft. of torque from the 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6.Although Mercedes claims this is an entry-level performance vehicle, well guess that it still isnt cheap, but will have to wait until actual pricing and availability is released near the end of the year to find out for
Origin: Mercedes-AMG gives the 2020 GLC 43 a new grille to make it look more AMG
The Aston Martin DBS GT Zagato has a trick ‘breathing’ grille
Aston Martin has been killing it these days with its excellent new design language and exciting upcoming supercars, but what has really been setting our hearts on fire is the return of Zagato and its wild coachbuilt DBS GT.We think youll agree the car is stunning to look at, but newly released renders of the car reveal theres more beneath the beauty the cars got personality as well. Specifically in the form of an active aero grille.Weve seen active aero before, but not like this. Some 108 diamond-shaped carbon-fibre pieces right up front on the car move and shape the incoming air to suit the needs of the aerodynamic profile. When the car is off, they remain closed, but once the ignition is turned on, the entire grille flutters and opens up.There is also no rear window, which, to us, makes sense Zagato is an Italian coachbuilder, and the first rule of Italian driving is whats behind you doesnt matter. In reality, the reason theres no back window is because carbon fibre is lighter than glass. Dont fret though, a rear-facing camera captures those slower than you and displays them on the infotainment screen. Also, dont forget you get an Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato continuation car with your purchase, which has plenty of rear glass. The older Zagato should also fulfill your need for a classic straight-six sports car, with 380 horsepower and a four-speed manual transmission.Under the hood of the new car is a ferocious 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12, the only acceptable engine for a machine like this.There will only be 19 DBS GT Zagatos built, each sold for a princely 6 million pounds ($9.8 million) although that seems like a pretty good deal considering you actually get two
Origin: The Aston Martin DBS GT Zagato has a trick ‘breathing’ grille
BMW grille debate should focus on 7 Series, says design director
Debate over BMW’s ‘over-sized’ grille design should be focused on the BMW 7 Series alone, according to the group’s design director Adrian van Hooydonk. Discussions regarding BMW’s controversial grille designs ramped up this year with the launch of the facelifted 7 Series, and grew louder with the reveal of the BMW X7. However, van Hooydonk believes the criticism – led by UK commentators according to BMW’s monitoring – has now incorrectly put a focus on BMW grille designs as a whole. “I don’t think it should be a BMW brand discussion at all, but rather one of the 7 Series alone,” said van Hooydonk. “All of our other cars are world cars, where the various tastes of the market tastes converge with no discrepancies, but the 7 Series sits separately. “In Europe – the smallest market – the buyers are understated, but in the US and China – where most 7 Series are sold – they are younger and more extrovert. When we launched the new 7 Series (in 2015) it was criticised for not looking different enough, so the message for the facelift was clear: make it stand out. And now we have.” However, van Hooydonk predicted that the separation in global tastes would not last long, pointing to feedback that he is increasingly receiving from BMW’s Shanghai design centre. “I hear from them that design tastes in China are developing rapidly,” he said. “Yes, they still want a modern look that pushes boundaries, but they are increasingly calling for subtle too. The gap is narrowing down, so I see the 7 Series design coming together with the rest of the range in a short time.” Asked about the X7’s grille design van Hooydonk argued that it was in proportion to the car and smaller than those found on rival brands, including Range Rover, the Audi Q7 and Mercedes GLS. “Yes, the X7’s grille is bigger than other BMW’s – but so is the X7 bigger than any BMW before it. That one is in proportion. “Don’t worry, I don’t want the brand to turn into an oversized kidney grille brand – but I believe we understand the reasons for what we have done with the 7 Series and that the issue will solve itself thanks to evolving tastes in the markets for which the grille was
Origin: BMW grille debate should focus on 7 Series, says design director
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