Dr. Ulrich Bez is quite proud with what his boys have done with the Aston Martin One-77 supercar.

Now, despite the German influence to the car, Aston Martin as a marquee is still as British as Bovril. So there’s no fitting place to showcase the One-77 on the prowl in city streets other than London.

Here’s the One-77 making its first public outing in the UK as part of the supercar run from London to Silverstone. The event’s to promote the FIA GT1 World Championship.

If you’ve forgotten what monster Aston Martin the One-77 is, then let us go through some key details. The car’s powered by a massive 7.0L V12 that dishes out 700 bhp. Initial tests were able to push the car past 220 mph.

Only 77 cars will be made and are priced above the Veyron at £1.2 million.

Aston will be racing in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring this year and since one of their new cars need the additional hype, they decided to build a race-ready version of one of them.

Thank goodness, it’s not the Aston Martin Cygnet/Rich Man’s Toyota iQ. They wil be racing with a race-ready Aston Martin Rapide.

The Rapide is Aston’s take on the concept of a speedy four-door to rival the likes of the Porsche Panamera and the Maserati Quattroporte.

Aston has used souped up racers before in such events. The Rapide, however, will only sport a few safety and suspension modifications plus slick tires. Aside from those, the car will be nearly standard trim.

The Rapider racer will be driven by Aston Martin chief Dr. Ulrich Bez and Aston engineers.

Now this is getting pretty interesting. Aston Martin’s monster – the One-77 – in action.

The car’s powered by a massive 7.3L V12 that’s capable of dishing out north of 700 horses. The car can go from 0 to 60 in just 3.5 seconds and can blow way beyond 200 mph. In one test, Aston was even able to plow the thing all the way up to 200 mph.

This car is absolutely no pansy. And the Aston styling definitely helps match some good looks to all that muscle.

Only 77 of the cars will be ever built.

Source: World Car Fans

Call it hubris but Dr. Ulrich Bez gets his own special edition Aston Martin edition. Meet the Aston Martin DBS UB-10 – a limited edition Aston that’s built to commemorate Dr. Bez’s 10 years in the company as CEO.

Mechanically, the cars are pretty much the same but they are styled according to Bez’s own taste. And by looking at the car, Bez has quite the sense of style for a German.

The cars get an Azurite Black paint job and metallic bronze leather interior. The car’s fascia is also finished with Cryptic Titan. A numbered plaque will also be hand signed by Bez.

Only 40 of these cars will ever be built split between a set of coupes and another set of convertibles.

10. Toyota Prius

While die-hard gear- and petrolheads aren’t throwing in the towel yet in this econmentalist revolution that has affected the motoring industry, we have to admit the the impact of the hybrid. It might be slow to drive and you might look like a smug and sanctimonious bastard who likes the smell of his own farts owning one. But it did challenge the status quo regarding cars and saving the planet. And quite frankly, whether we like it or not, that’s where motoring is headed.

9. Ariel Atom

It might not be the car you can live with everyday but it’s a track day car that any middle-aged middle-class person can consider gifting himself with while contending with mid-life crisis. It melts your face and ruptures your spleen. The car redefined power-to-weight ratios. It offers more excitement than six-figure supercars.

8. Nissan GT-R

Forget about Porsches, Lambos, Koenigseggs and Paganis, as far as supercars are concerned, we’re giving it to Nissan. Why? It’s because Nissan has proven that it can shame every self-respecting supercar maker by making a car that’s arguably better at half the price. And if there’s a digital technological showcase, this is it. Makes you forget that it’s a Datsun.

7. Ford Focus Mk2

The Focus might have started its life in the late 90s but the Mark 2 made it one of the better cars of the decade. It looks good, performs well, practical, and wouldn’t make you destitute trying to own one. As a hatchback, it has got the best-ever EuroNCAP ratings for its class trumping rivals like the Renault Megane and Volkswagen Golf. The ST and RS variants made the ordinary man think that a decent fast car isn’t only for thoser who can buy supercars. And it’s available in more markets than most of its US rivals.

6. Aston Martin DB9

Being Aston fans, we know there should be an Aston somewhere in the list. We were really going for the DBS but realized that the DB9 was the car that Aston Martin got right. Without their achievement with the DB9, the DBS would’ve been horrible. The DB9 showed that Aston can make a great-looking great car.

5. Audi R8

Out of almost nowhere, Audi decided to join the supercar fray with the R8. And that’s really something especially since the Volkswagen Group already has Lamborghini to make insane supercars. The thing is, apart from the LED headlamps and that silver thing running down its the side, the R8 isn’t really insane. Sort of a sensible man’s supercar but better in almost (if not all) respects than a Porsche 911. The R8 is one of the best-driving supercars (performance and ease of driving it) our there in the market.

4. Ferrari F430 Scuderia

I know what you’re thinking. If there’s a Ferrari to make this list, it should be the flagship Enzo. But no. The Scuderia is probably the best example of the stripped-down super car by far – proof that you can make a car better by subtracting and not adding. Just take note of the fact that this car is faster than the Enzo around Ferrari’s own track. At less than half the Enzo’s price. And yes, it’s a Ferrari.

3. Fiat 500 Abarth

In a decade that saw people lose jobs and money, Fiat has given us the best cheap and cheerful vehicle – the 500 Abarth. You can now forget the Mini when thinking of small zippy cars because the 500 Abarth is definitely “it.” The real driver’s alternative for owning and driving a great performing car without requiring you to acutally rob a bank. Too bad there’s a long waiting list before you can get one if you decide to.

2. Honda FCX Clarity

We’re really putting it all on black with this one. Notice there’s not one pure electric vehicle in the list? That’s because we think that waiting hours for a car to get back on the road again has sent motoring back into… oh we don’t know. Not even horse-drawn carriages needed 8 hours to get going again. Sure, hydrogen tech has yet to be perfected but the car really is fit for the future. As James May said, “The reason it’s the car of the future is because it’s just like the car of today.

1. Bugatti Veyron

The essence of engineering – taking Newton’s laws of physics and throwing them out the window. Oh sure, Shelby Supercars decided they can build the faster Utimate Aero but nothing trumps the pantomime-effect of the Veyron. It’s fast all right. But you know you’re looking at something different. Something majestic.

As far as Aston Martins go, the Carbon Black is indication that they’ve taken their sleek cars and put them into dapper tuxedos and injected them with steroids.

Meet the Carbon Black Special editions of the Aston Martin DBS and Vantage.

Perhaps a key feature of the Carbon Black editions is their black paint job which is done manually (by hand) and takes 50 hours to both apply and quality check. Now that’s something to brag with your Crystal-sipping mates.

So what’s new with them aside from the Carbon Black paint job? The cars sit on 10-spoke diamond-cut alloy wheels with black detailing. The blackness doesn’t stop there as well. Inside, the seats, made from carbon fiber and Kevlar, are covered by Obsidian Black leather seats.

The cars also get the 700w Premium Audio Sytstem in the V12 Vantage and the Bang & Olufsen in the DBS.

Source: Aston Martin

Now, Aston is reported to have some financial issues leading some to question Aston’s future in the business. The reason’s Doubts on Aston’s future emerged when part-owner Investment Dar of Kuwait said that it is having problems refinancing its debt.

The economic downturn has hit Investment Dar hard and has made arrangements with its creditors for extensions to allow restructuring. Investment Dar’s control in Aston has been financed partly by international banks.

Investment Dar took over part of the business after Ford sold Aston Martin in 2007.

Source: Autocar

The V8 engine’s retuned and a sports exhaust system’s been fitted to the car. It dishes out a rated 439 bhp – a significant boost from the 375 bhp from stock engine.

To cope with the power boost, the car gets a revised suspension. Other bits include side air vents, a revised grill and front and rear bumpers. The car also features red calipers, and removable red tow hooks to match the red interior.

As the “Frost” in name goes, this tuned Vantage is only available in pristine matt white body paint. Aside from the paint, the car is fitted with aero bits. The car sits on bespoke alloys.

Source: Auto Evolution

“This concept is akin to an exclusive tender for a luxury yacht,” says Dr. Ulrich Bez, the chief executive officer of Aston Martin. “It allows us to apply Aston Martin design language, craftsmanship and brand values to a completely new segment of the market.”

The Cygnet will use most of the components of the Toyota iQ, but will feature a new exterior, along with a new and more luxurious interior. The new car will be built at Aston Martin’s Gaydon facility, expecting a turnout of between 1000 to 2000 units annually.

Aston Martin paid £20,000 for the deal to create its version of the city car concept. What Aston Martin is targeting is the world’s smallest luxury saloon once it goes on sale before the end of 2010. Bez added that the company is aiming at a third of Aston Martin owners who also own a car similar to the Mini in size and function.

This V12 Vantage came out as a concept last year and Aston Martin will be debuting the production version of the car this March in Geneva.

The V12 is a 6.0L 510 bhp monster which helps the Vantage get from 0-62 mph in just 4.2 seconds and reach a blistering 190 mph. That’s 90 bhp more than the V8 version of the Vantage and is quicker by 0.5 seconds from 0-62.

Minor cosmetic tweaks for the V12 Vantage are larger air intakes, side skirts, new alloys and a ventilated hood. At the rear, it’s got new dual exhaust with tuned tips and a larger rear spoiler.

Source: World Car Fans download romy and michele s high school reunion

• salton sea the movie