GWA Tuning channels the Mercedes-Benz C111 with Ciento Once prototype

What’s even better than a supercar? A one-of-a-kind factory prototype. And few drummed up as much excitement back in the 70s as the Mercedes-Benz C111. The experimental showcase demonstrated the epitome of performance technology and aerodynamics, and still stands as one of the most advanced prototypes ever devised in Stuttgart… or anywhere else for that matter. And now it’s back.

GWA Tuning, a Benz tweaker out of San Antonio, has breathed new life into the C111 formula with a recreation called the Ciento Once (Spanish for “one hundred eleven”). The one-off eschews the Wankel engine of the original for the AMG M120 V12 that drives the Pagani Zonda, driving 408 horsepower in this case through a six-speed transmission with the brakes from the S55 AMG and the rolling stock from theSLS. Have a closer look in the gallery below, and do try to keep the drool from puddling on the keyboard.

60 out of 77 Aston Martin One-77 supercars already sold – at $1.87M each

The One-77 is the rarest of all Aston Martin models, with a grand total of 77 units for the rest of forever (well, assuming they decide against a Volante model). Add in a body that is made with copious amounts of carbon fiber, a 750-horsepower V12 and hand-formed aluminum panels and you’re looking at a price tag of $1.87 million. If you’re thinking that that’s more money than you’re likely to make in the next lifetime, we’re on the same wavelength, but not everyone is tuned to the same frequency.

Inside Line reports that fully 60 of the 77 One-77s are already spoken for, leaving only 17 copies of the ultra-mega rare English exotic up for grabs. And what One-77 owner doesn’t want a mini-Aston for when driving their $1.89 million supercar is just too big for the country club? IL claims that many One-77 buyers are opting to spend the extra $30,000 for the Toyota IQ-based Cygnet. Hey, $30,000 may be a lot of coin for a gussied-up Toyota, but then again, the Cygnet likely isn’t the only $30,000 option available in Aston’s catalog – and it drives all by itself.

Aston Martin releases updated 2011 Vantage GT4

The Aston Martin Vantage GT4 has only been racing for two years, but in that time has garnered notable accolades: Wins at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, Spa 24 hours and this year’s European GT4 Cup, just to name three.

The Gaydon firm has made revisions to the 2011 model, incorporating lessons learned from the roadgoing V12 Vantage, including better aerodynamics and greater downforce, as well as a new option that includes racing-tuned ABS and a new traction control system developed by Bosch. No specific numbers were released, but Aston Martin says that it has reworked the GT4′s 4.7-liter V8, as well, providing improved horsepower and torque numbers.

We’re sure these new changes will help the GT4 secure a few more wins in the 2011 racing season. You canfollow the jump for more details or just ogle it in the gallery of high-res photos below.

Aston Martin displays production-ready Cygnet at Harrods in London

Aston Martin is dead serious about marketing the new Cygnet to luxury buyers in crowded metropoli (yes, we made that up…) like London. And to that end, the upscale British automaker is unveiling its new city car at no less prestigious a location than Harrods.

More than an ordinary department store, Harrods is a veritable London institution, with 360 departments spread out over seven floors of upscale shopping. The Cygnet is being shown in a ground-level window display there until December 11.

This marks the first time the production-ready Cygnet is being seen in public, with production set to begin in the new year. Full details in the press release after the jump, with high-resolution images in the gallery below.

Aston Martin Rapide Luxe raises the stakes

If you’re in the market for a luxurious four-door, you’d be hard pressed to do better than the Aston Martin Rapide. But now the British automaker has announced an even more exclusive package called the Rapide Luxe.

Over and above all the bells and whistles that come standard on the Rapide, the Luxe trim gets you a selection of exclusive color options (including Quantum Silver and Concours Blue), a custom-fitted leather luggage set matched to the hides of the car’s interior, a rear-seat DVD entertainment system, plus glass switchgear and keyfob. Just when you thought the existing Rapide was as good as it gets…

Follow the link for a closer look and check out the images in the gallery below for more details.

Aston-Martin One-77 world’s most powerful normally-aspirated road car?

Aston Martin continues to march forward with its One-77. The soon-to-be-ultra-rare hypercar is closer than ever to production, and according to the minds behind its creation, when it hits the street, it will boast the world’s most powerful naturally-aspirated production car engine. With 750 horsepower and 750 lb-ft of torque, the 7.3-liter V12 is a marvel of automotive and acoustic engineering.

Despite the company’s plans to produce just 77 examples of its halo model, Aston Martin says that it’s bent on making sure that each and every one of the vehicles can stand up to the same level of abuse as the rest of its production fleet. That means that somewhere out there, a One-77 prototype is being flogged in the world’s most brutal climates.

Aston Martin has released the fourth installment of its video series on the One-77, complete with all of the long, slow-motion shots your little heart could possibly desire and a glorious soundtrack. If you’re lucky enough to have secured a One-77 for yourself, the company says that deliveries should begin during the first half of 2011. Hit the jump to take a look and for a quick read over the press release.

James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 sells for $4.6 million

At least one lucky bidder has reason to celebrate today after managing to win a 1964 Aston Martin DB5 that was famously used in two classic James Bond movies, Goldfinger and Thunderball. May we suggest marking the occasion with a vodka martini… shaken, not stirred?

Harry Yeaggy’s winning bid of $4.6 million (2.9 million pounds), which includes 12 percent in auction fees for RM, will see the car that Sean Connery famously piloted make the trek all the way from London to Ohio, U.S.A. Proceeds from the sale will benefit former owner Jerry Lee’s eponymous charity.

Apparently, the car is fully roadworthy in the UK, even with its dual machine guns behind the driving lights, revolving license plates, ejector seat, rear blast shield, slicer wheel caps and console-activated oil slicks. Somehow, we imagine Yeaggy won’t have nearly as much use for those Q-special features as Bond did…

2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage

Sketched drawings of imaginary sports cars covered my notebook as an elementary school pupil. Assembled in the ether of a daydream, each penciled design came from an imagination unrestrained by reality, with nary a concession to things like outward visibility, bumper heights or ground clearance. Engines were huge, tires were wide and bodywork was unbelievably sleek. It didn’t matter that none of the drawings represented real cars. From my naive perspective, I could bring the world’s coolest cars to life in two-dimensional black and white.

Thirty years later, I find myself sitting in the driver’s seat of a 2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage. To a car guy, this artful amalgamate of aluminum, magnesium, carbon fiber, leather, rubber and glass represents pure sensory overload. As a jaded automotive journalist, I’m supposed to maintain a poker face when presented with such an objet d’art. Plainly, I am struggling today.

Benz, James Benz: Rumors resurface of Aston/Mercedes tie-up

Reports are surfacing once again hinting at possible future collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and Aston Martin. Earlier reports had forecast that the two firms could share engines and even platforms, the aborted Lagonda crossover concept reportedly having been based on the Mercedes GL-Class. Additional reports had further suggested that Daimler was looking at buying stake in Aston, however neither bit of gossip has materialized into anything tangible as of yet.

That could change, however, according to Britain’s weekly Autocar magazine, in speaking with Mercedes chief Dieter Zetsche. The affable Dr. Z hinted at possibly sharing technology – the kind of stuff which a small company like Aston couldn’t develop on their own – with AML in the future. That could include, of course, anything from airbags and spark plugs to engines and platforms, leaving the door wide open for speculation, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

Hypermiler Wayne Gerdes: After 2,269 miles and 59 mpg, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid “kicks ass”

Last fall, hypermiler Wayne Gerdes proposed to Hyundai that he drive a 2011 Sonata Hybrid across the country to help the automaker get the vehicle from the media launch location in California to Ann Arbor, MI, saying he thought he could do it with fewer than two tanks of gas. Of course, he proposed it on October, when the temperatures were still pretty warm and before he knew what the Sonata Hybrids’s fuel tank capacity is. Back then, he told AutoblogGreen today, he thought, the car was “worth 65 [miles per gallon] in the summer. In the winter, with the mountains, that’s a crapshoot.”

Gerdes recently finished the drive, which totaled 2,269.3 miles and squeezed out 59.58 mpg. Along the way, Gerdes learned that the car can hold at least 20.6 gallons, because that’s how much he managed to put in at the first fill up. The Hybrid’s official stated capacity is 17.2 gallons (the standard Sonata holds 18.5 gallons), but official numbers are not something that concerns Gerdes too much. The EPA rates the Sonata Hybrid at 40 mpg on the highway, and he would need much more than that to make the drive without filling up three times.

In the end, Gerdes learned that, “This thing, on the highway, will eat up anything. In fact, it came damn near the Prius, but it’s a heavier car. And I’m a big Prius fan.” The Sonata Hybrid is not a great city car, Gerdes said, but he did have plenty more praise for the vehicle that took him coast to coast (he first drove to Georgia before coming north to Michigan), and you can find that after the jump.