The one-of-a-kind sports car was penned by Chrysler design guru Virgil Exner, who always hoped Chrysler would include a roadster in its lineup. The XNR featured a powerful six-cylinder engine that pumped out 250 horses and gave the XNR a top of speed of 150 mph. Ultimately, the project never got the green light, and the XNR was shipped back to Carrozzeria Ghia in Italy, where it was built. (autoblog.com)
Second model from the new Spanish automotive engineering consultancy IFR Automotive. Powered by a BMW-sourced 4.4-liter V8 engine paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox or six-speed manual. 60 mph from a standstill in under three seconds on its way to a top speed of 189 mph. (autoblog.com)
First model from the Spanish automative design and technology company IFR Automotive. The Aspid is a featherweight luxury sportscar powered by a 400bhp supercharged 2.0L four-cylinder engine. Combined with a curb weight of just 1,543 lbs., the Aspid can reportedly reach 62 mph in an astonishing 2.8 seconds.
It is also the only car in the world to meet both FIA safety requirements and European homologation standards. This means it already has the strength within its main body structure to avoid the need for an additional roll cage. It can be driven from the road directly onto the race track without the need for any special preparation. And after a hard race the car is robust, durable and safe enough to be driven again on public roads.
At the start of the 1987 James Bond film 'The Living Daylights', we see our hero, played for the first time by Timothy Dalton, driving 'B549 WUU' a V8 Volante with Cumberland Grey coachwork and upholstered in black leather. This car was in fact the personal transport of Victor Gauntlett, the Chairman of AML. (astonmartins.com)
There was quite a long waiting list for AM V8s, and they ended up having to buy a handful of used cars to repurpose for the movie. Also, as you might have spotted in the film, Bond's car begins as a drop-top Volante and morphs into a tin-top Vantage - the explanation that we're given is that Q 'winterised' it.
But anyway, the key function of any 007 car is to bristle with gadgets. So what did this Aston have? Well, the most obvious additions are the outriggers - extendable skis to stabilise it on snow - and the afterburner for short bursts of bonkers acceleration. There were also missiles behind the spotlamps, lasers in the wheel centres, retractable tyre spikes for traction, a heads-up display for the missile system, a military radio scanner disguised as a Philips cassette player and - naturally - a self-destruct button. (sucksqueezebangblow.co)
(Photos from astonmartins.com, sucksqueezebangblow.co & imcdb.org)
