Aston Martin DB11 By Q

Aston Martin DB11 By Q

Aston Martin has announced a significant expansion to its bespoke Q division prior to Geneva Motor Show. Perhaps the most significant change to Q by Aston Martin is the announcement of the new Commission division. Q by Aston Martin Commission will handle any wild customization requests owners may have. Q Commission will be able to create totally bespoke vehicles offering its clientele greater design freedom than ever before. The formation of Commission comes on the back of the successful one-off CC-100 Speedster Concept and Vantage GT12 Roadster models which were handled by Q by Aston Martin. Aston Martin design boss Marek Reichman said it is 鈥渇ulfilling a creative need - we're experts providing a consultation, like a Savile Row tailor or a yacht builder. In terms of material choices we now have so much, we now have materials that show patina as customers want that sense of age and history. Also at Geneva, the brand will present an additional extension to Q by Aston Martin dubbed Collection. Customers will be given a greater choice of trim options and paint finishes. To mark the launch of this expansion, the company will showcase an Aston Martin DB11 finished in Zaffre Blue with forged carbon fiber details.

The 2020 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 is the new range-topping performance model in the 718 Cayman lineup. Rather than the turbocharged flat-four engines used in other Caymans, this model has a naturally aspirated flat-six. It has been three years since the Porsche Boxster and Cayman ditched their naturally aspirated flat-sixes for turbocharged flat-fours. While we still haven鈥檛 made peace with that change, Porsche鈥檚 bean counters say customers didn鈥檛 seem to mind. Like their predecessors, the 718 models find about 25,000 new owners a year globally, and the impressive performance figures speak for themselves. Despite that, the new 2020 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 confirms what corporate actuaries won鈥檛 admit: Cars this good deserve equally special engines. The new 718 Cayman GT4 uses a 4.0-liter, 8000-rpm, bored, stroked, and turbo-free version of the 992-generation 911's 3.0-liter 9A2EVO engine. Hitting the high notes requires new cylinder heads, valves, pistons, connecting rods, and crankshaft. The intake manifold, with two resonance flaps, is also new.

The free-breathing six-cylinder makes 414 horsepower at 7600 rpm and 309 pound-feet of torque from 5000 to 6800 rpm. That鈥檚 an increase of 29 horses over the 2016 GT4, which made identical torque. The only gearbox paired to this engine is a six-speed manual. Porsche says it could have wrung 400 horses from the turbo four that powers the 718 GTS but used this flat-six instead to avoid turbo lag altogether. Why not detune the GT3鈥檚 4.0-liter engine instead? Because when Porsche flips its flat-sixes 180 degrees to mount them in the middle (with the transmission behind the engine), that leaves no room for the 911 GT3鈥檚 external oil tank. Even without borrowing the GT3's magic, Porsche promises this engine will deliver the nasty cold starts and raspy symphony of its classic (or three-year-old) models. In modifying this new model from the current-generation 718 Cayman, Porsche spaced the exhaust pipes farther apart as on the GT2 RS and stretched them into ovals that sit in a large new diffuser.

The low stance, new front bumper, larger side intakes, and towering wing identify the GT4 as the top of the 718 Cayman food chain. The GT4, which Porsche says can hit 188 mph, has an adjustable wing that helps it generate 50 percent more downforce than the last generation did, up to 330 pounds. It borrows the 911 GT3鈥檚 front suspension and brakes鈥?5.0-inch rotors all around with six-piston calipers up front and fours in the rear, or 16.1-inch front units and 15.4-inch rears with the optional carbon-颅ceramics鈥攁nd adaptive dampers from the GT3 RS. The ABS and stability-control programming are RS spec, too. While the new engine employs the usual composite oil pan, forged pistons, and plasma-coated cylinders, it鈥檚 the first flat-six Porsche to feature cylinder deactivation. Deactivating the auto stop-start function disables the cylinder deactivation. As in previous GT4s, there are no driving modes. These cars are always in Sport, although a button allows drivers to enable or disable automatic rev matching. In all other manual 718s, rev matching can鈥檛 be turned off unless you鈥檙e willing to forgo stability control, too. U.S. models get pull straps instead of door 颅handles and either one-piece buckets or 18-way power seats. Europeans can delete the stereo and order a roll bar, six-point harnesses, and a fire extinguisher as part of the Club Sport package. Otherwise, it鈥檚 an all-black affair on both continents, with silver stitching and faux suede on the seat inserts, steering wheel, and shift lever. Full leather is available with silver, yellow, or red stitching.

The styling is largely borrowed from the Model 3 inside and out, just like its platform, but the higher proportions suit it well especially from the rear three-quarter view. The interior is a masterpiece of minimalism with the Model Y getting a 15-inch rectangular infotainment touchscreen perched upon a simple dash with strip of unvarnished wood breaking up the swathes of grey plastic. The panoramic glass roof adds to the natural ambiance, and the seats, made from vegan materials, are a nod to the brand鈥檚 sustainable purpose. It鈥檚 also Tardis-like; the front boot and rear, with the split seats down, enabling 1,900 litres of cargo space, according to Tesla, and the option of seating for seven. The car doesn鈥檛 require a key; instead, it connects to your smartphone for seamless entry and exit. It also talks to the Tesla Mobile app so you can autonomously summon the car, fix the temperature, track the car remotely.