Car Sport Show: Aston Martin

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Mazda Shinari Concept debuts new face of the brand in style

When Mazda invited us to Milan to see its new concept car, we knew it must be something important. Normally concept cars get their 15 minutes of fame at an auto show, and then it's off to the next press conference to see what the following automaker will introduce. Not so with Mazda's latest styling endeavor. The Japanese automaker wanted our full and undivided attention, with the center of international design and fashion in Italy as a fitting backdrop.

The Shinari concept, which roughly translates to "resistance to being bent," will serve as a the basis for Mazda's new design language, and many of the styling cues will make it to future production vehicles. That means that the Shinari will essentially affect the design of every vehicle coming from the Japanese automaker for the next several years. An important car for Mazda? You bet.

The Shinari was officially unveiled earlier today, and we spent several hours talking with Mazda's artists about the design and how it will affect the automaker's forthcoming vehicles.

The creation of the Shinari Concept starts with Ikuo Maeda, Mazda's global head of design. Maeda was the chief designer of the RX-8 and the Mazda2 and has been with the company for nearly 30 years, but his connection with the brand goes back even further than that. His father, Matasaburo Maeda, headed the design of the first generation RX-7 back in the 1970s. Mazda runs in the Maeda family's blood and there's no one more qualified to define the look of Mazda's next generation vehicles.

While Maeda has had an influence on Mazda design in the past, 2010 is the first year in which he's had full control. The Shinari Concept represents the first styling concept under his new design theme, KODO, which replaces the controversial Nagare them from the past several years. While the Nagare-styled cars were represented by wavy, flowing lines, a trait that looked great on concepts but was tough to implement on production cars (see Mazda3), KODO is more of an organic style that still takes cues from the natural world, but in a much more solidified and powerful sense. Maeda describes KODO as form with a soul, or bringing form to life, with the three key terms defining the theme being speed, tension and alluring. "There are few products of industrial design that can be compared to living entities which convey energetic motion and which invite affection," he says. "It is this intrinsically emotional appeal of the car that I wish to express when creating Mazda cars."

While Maeda created the theme for the new stylistic direction, the development of the Shinari Concept was actually a collaboration between three of Mazda's design centers in Japan, Germany and the United States. The goal was to make the exterior a product of Japan, while the interior was left to the automaker's Irvine studio. However, each team had input on the final product.

Looking at the exterior, it's easy to tell that the Shinari shares little in common with Mazda's recent designs, although like almost every sedan built today, it has similarities to vehicles from other brands. It's almost as if the Aston Martin Rapide and a Mazda RX-8 cued up some Barry White, enjoyed a romantic evening and the Shinari came out nine months later. That's obviously a compliment, as the Rapide is a stunningly beautiful car and the RX-8 – even this far into its lifecycle – is still a looker. However, the Shinari has a much more complicated design, with more intersecting lines and a surface area that's constantly moving and changing depending on the lighting.

Those who dislike the smiling face of the current Mazda lineup will be glad to know it won't be a feature in future models (Huzzah! – Ed.). The Shinari front end features a "signature wing" that will become a new styling cue for the brand. The wing is formed by a thin aluminum band that starts from the bottom of the grille and goes out and up through the headlamps and continues with a bold fender line moving out onto the sides.

The most impressive aspect of the exterior design was the devotion to the theme in nearly every inch of the concept. The various aluminum pieces found on the exterior have a "twisted tension", and even the slots in the disc brakes follow the same theme. In addition, items like the headlights were designed to have a more natural look and fashioned to mimic the iris of an animal's eye. We're also big fans of the stylish rear view cameras in place of the standard mirrors as well as the trick door handles (although "button" might be a more appropriate description) that require only a simple press to open.

While the exterior is certainly a departure from previous designs, the interior is perhaps the most surprising aspect of the Shinari. Easily the most attractive and stylish interior we've seen in a Mazda (concept or not), it's swathed in authentic aluminum trim, leather-covered surfaces and double stitching at nearly every turn and twist. We're again drawn to the Aston Martin Rapide comparison, especially with the design of the deep rear bucket seats. The gauges, modeled after popular watch designs, up the class quotient and the massive glass roof helps make the interior feel open and airy.

We know many of these elements won't make it into a production car, but Mazda's North American director of design, Derek Jenkins, who oversaw the development of the Shinari's interior, says it's Mazda's goal to add sophistication to future models. "Mazda is really an aspirational type of brand," he says. "Even though we are a mainstream brand we have a customer that wants a little bit more. We monitor premium segments, we monitor premium trends, and the question is ultimately how can get some of that feeling into a more affordable vehicle. We think our customer wants a little bit more sophistication."

One thing that can definitely be seen in future Mazda interiors is a driver-focused cockpit. A close look at the Shinari's interior reveals an asymmetric design that snugly surrounds the driver's seat while leaving the passenger seat more open and relaxed. Jenkins says this will be theme of upcoming Mazda vehicles and help set the brand apart.

Finally, the Shinari also features quite a bit of technology that looks forward to the new applications of driver-automobile interactions. The Human Machine Interface (HMI) is split up into three modes: Business, Pleasure and Sport. Potential uses range from looking up bios of a business contact before a meeting to a rally-style co-pilot feature that could alert the driver of the characteristics of upcoming turns. It's nothing too far-fetched given the current levels of technology, and we wouldn't be surprised to see some of it implemented in the near future.

But more than the tech and the attention to detail, it's the Shinari's overall cohesion that impresses the most. Unlike other pie-in-the-sky concepts, the Sinari is a smart, well executed styling exercise that should be a solid design platform for future models. The muscular lines should translate well into a production car, and customers will always appreciate a more sophisticated interior. And what about the potential of a four-door sports coupe like the Shinari making it to production? Mazda wouldn't tell us whether one is in the works, but they did mention that the "business side of it" was considered when the Shinari was under development. That definitely means there's a chance, and we sure like the sound of a Mazda RX-9.

2011 Audi A7 Sportback Continues 4-Door Coupe Craze

Not to be outdone by the likes of Aston Martin, BMW or Porsche, Audi has jumped into the sportback segment of the automotive market with the new A7. The concept of the sportback is simple. Take a four door sedan but streamline it so it gives off the impression that it is in fact a two door coupe. Then combine in the versatility of a hatchback and POOF… instant sportback. Porsche has the butt ugly Panamera, BMW has the 5 Series Gran Turismo and Aston Martin now has the stunning Rapide.

Design wise it’s difficult to make a car in this configuration and have it look good. In fact up until now Aston Martin was the only manufacturer to nail it. Audi however is coming in hard and fast with the A7 and truth be told, it’s a good looking automobile. The new A7 has design elements that give its body line a low-slung, aerodynamic look and feel. Combine that with the long sloping hood and chopped rear deck lid and you have one aggressive looking gran touring sedan.

From a visual standpoint the A7 is light years ahead of BMW’s 5 Series Gran Turismo and Porsche’s turtle shaped Panamera. The real question though is how is this going to affect the sales of Audi’s other big beauty, the A8. Side by side both cars exude power, elegance and sophistication, as a buyer though I’d think I’d be torn on which one to buy.

From a technical standpoint the new 2011 Audi A7 features fun toys like touchscreen navigation, a Bang & Olufsen stereo system with 1,300 watts of power (that may be overkill), full bluetooth capabilities and just about every current automotive safety feature known to man. Right now there is not too much information for those of us here in the States, but stay tuned because as soon as we learn more, you’ll learn more.

Review: 2010 Aston Martin Rapide

Do you like noir? No, not the perfume, the literary and film genre. You know, hard-boiled crooks, wise-cracking private eyes, Los Angeles under cover of night and blondes so blonde they'll kill you dead. Those blondes are, of course, are better known as femme fatales, and in truth, the color of their hair doesn't really matter. Think Theda Bera, Rita Hayworth, Mary Astor, Barbara Stanwyck and Marlene Dietrich. And let's not forget the lovely Lana Turner – she's the one, in a case of life imitating art, with the daughter that killed Mickey Cohen's strongman/goon Johnny Stompanato. In other words, women so pretty you'd throw your life away just so they know you're throwing your life away.

Here's the free, online-encyclopedia definition of femme fatale in case you're still wondering: "An alluring and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous and deadly situations."

Let's state up front that the 2010 Aston Martin Rapide is not, to our knowledge, unsafe in any way, shape or form. But man, oh man, is it seductive enough to make us overlook every single bad thing about it. That, or walk into an uncovered manhole cover while staring at it. Anyhow, "irresistible desire" and "compromising situations" are this British superstar's raison d'etre. Philip Marlowe would eat his fedora just for a ride. Thankfully, we had to perform no such theatrics: Aston Martin simply let us borrow their car.

Calling the all-new Rapide beautiful is akin to saying water is wet. Its allure is so instantly obvious, so fist-bitingly apparent that the point is moot. Still, until the car was parked in my driveway, just how pretty (fine, stunning) wasn't clear. When in traffic other cars look like refrigerators and washing machines. When parked it's like a Rodin on four wheels. The Rapide, then, is another case, and perhaps the ultimate case, of pictures not doing a car justice. This is not meant as a slight against our ace photographer Drew Phillips, who did a bang-up job capturing the Rapide on digital film. It's just that when compressed down to only two dimensions, many of the achingly gorgeous curves are flattened out. As such, I spent perhaps thirty minutes staring at nothing but the Aston's curvaceous front fender. During that time I had no thoughts of anything else.

Nor should I have. Many pundits have been bemoaning the downward slide of car design since Federal regulations mandated five-mph bumpers and side marker lights. For a ton of reasons too varied to get into here, they're right. The Rapide, however, is a big time, major groundswell of an exception. People were stopping us on the street to guffaw. During the photoshoot, deep in Santa Clarita's meth country, a patrol car with a pair of officers rolled up to hassle us. After "Bad Cop" questioned us and checked our IDs, "Good Cop" jumped out of the Crown Vic, proclaiming, "I can't take it any more" and began snapping his own iPhone shots of the Rapide. This car is beyond lovely; so comely in fact that all its flaws (and sadly, there are flaws) are quickly – if not instantly – forgiven by all the blindest and most aesthetically dead. As such, we're going to structure this review as something of a Choose Your Own Adventure. If, like many, we figure, you don't care about how the car drives, its interior or any of the small stuff and are only interested in the Rapide's luscious shape, skip on ahead to the end. For the rest of you I-dotters and T-crossers, here we go.

One of the reasons for the Rapide's arresting good looks is its length, a length necessitated by the rear doors. That's right, this is the first four-door Aston Martin since the equal parts loved and bemoaned Lagonda (1976-1989), a car, by the way, that Aston Martin weirdly seems to deny ever existed. What to do then with the "first ever" Aston Martin sedan? I decided to show off the Rapide at a gas station where I've made friends with the owners over the years by showing off all the pretty cars I get to drive. The Rapide blew their minds. So much so, that they insisted (insisted) on giving the Aston a free wash and hand detailing. I think they just wanted to touch it. Rightly so, but here's the thing. When you open either of the rear swan-doors, the back windows automatically retract all the way down. Meaning that your freshly washed windows are automatically streaked if anyone climbs in the back seat. A small trifle, of course, but odd, no?

Then there's the backseat which might just be the world's loveliest torture chamber. There's almost no foot room, no shin room, no knee room, no head room and just barely enough hip room for a man. Ladies, look elsewhere. All that said, the Rapide's rear sure is a gorgeous leather and Alcantara dungeon to be packed into. The front thrones are worlds better in terms of comfort, however, the cockpit ergonomics are a disaster. The most prominent control is, of course, the seat heater/AC puck. Literally, your right hand (or left in Britain) most easily comes to rest on a large dial that in any other luxury sedan would control some sort of iDrive-like system. In the Rapide, it's the butt-warmer. Or butt-cooler as the case may be, and you'll never know during the day as sunlight totally washes out the tiny red or blue indicator lights. But don't worry, all of the gauges are illegible when the sun is shining. Speaking of ill-placed controls, the buttons to turn on the beautiful, private jet-style interior lights are positioned right above the fan knob.

Particularly strong hisses and boos are reserved for the pop-up navigation system. First of all, not only is the display tiny and hard to read, but it looked like an afterthought when Aston Martin first did it in the DB9 with left over Ford parts. Guess what? The Byzantine, near impossible to work system is still an afterthought and it's still based on a bunch of junk from the old Michigan parts bin. The worst part? There's no way to close the ghastly thing while the car is turned on (it automatically folds back down when the Rapide is switched off). A hammer and nails might keep it hidden, but in reality, you're stuck with it. I should say that perhaps there's a way to close the nav-screen, but we couldn't figure it out. And we tried. Also, the pop-up display's square, panel-gapped slice into the center of the dash's otherwise lovely wood is gauche. Speaking of gauche (and Ford), there's still way too much Blue Oval inside the Rapide. From the window switches to fuel gauge to the traction control button lifted straight out of an F-150, there is way too much Dearborn in this upper-crusty house. Luckily for Aston Martin, most Rapide owners would rather eat their own ascots than sit inside a pickup truck, so they'll never know the difference. But still...

Besides the binnage, there are just some cheap and screwy things that are out of place in a $211,095 car. For instance, the all-leather and thick carpet Blue Haze and Cream Truffle interior is outstandingly good looking, but why the basic black leather wheel? At least why isn't there any contrasting cross-stitching like one might find in the 2011 Kia Sportage? Perhaps those are options, but why are all of the controls plastic instead of metal? Also, you have to see the dinky, three-inch tall sun visors to understand the joke. Then there's the tiny, gray-fonted readout used to display everything from fan speed to radio information to phone connectivity that would have been considered inadequate in the 1990s. Worst of all, when the Bluetooth connection to your phone fails (and ours failed constantly), the screen says, "Connection Failed," and continues displaying this obvious piece of information until the car is turned off, no matter how many buttons you whack. Not exactly cutting-edge luxury.

Then there's the matter of the push-button automatic transmission. It works just fine, but really? Push-buttons? There are four of them, P for park, R for reverse, N for neutral and D for drive. Easy enough to use, but we question why D is closer to the passenger than the driver. In truth, the Rapide is kind of a dog until you stick it in Sport mode by hitting the big button with an S on it, which shifts less often by holding the gears longer. Thankfully, Aston Martin saw fit to equip the Rapide with proper, column-mounted paddles. When you flip a paddle, the transmission moves out of automatic into full manual mode until (and again) the car is turned off or unless you know enough to re-press the D button. Fine by us, but we image a surgeon's wife or two will be cheesed off when she inadvertently knocks a paddle and is forced to drive to Barney's in first gear at 6,500 RPM. Speaking of 6,500 RPM, that's a tick past redline, and the point where fuel cutoff occurs. We only mention this because according to the tachometer, there is no indicated redline. You might get the impression that the engine's top spinning speed is a lofty 8,000 RPM, but it simply isn't.

But enough grousing – what a mighty bomb of an engine. Six-liters, twelve-cylinders and all the fury such a configuration suggests. Rated at 470 horsepower and 443 pound-feet or torque, this all aluminum mill is unquestionably a perfect fit for the Rapide. Yes, of course, there are faster, more powerful V12s out there on sporty four-door sedans. The BMW 760Li for instance, makes 535 hp and 550 lb-ft from its twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 and can hit 60 mph a full second quicker than the Aston Martin (four seconds bests the Rapide's five). But the big Bimmer looks like a pickle vat when compared to the Rapide, and it sounds like a German engineering convention. Whereas the British V12 is impossibly sweet sounding, endlessly sexy and flat-out wonderful. Biblical, too – especially for a four-door – either an angel's trumpet or a devil's trombone, depending on how far you bury your right foot. Even better is at low speeds when just a little kick from your Bruno Maglis sets off an explosion in the pipes pre-muffler that sounds like its coming out of the rear seats. Of course, that could just be your passenger, screaming from atrophy. To reiterate, the noise this V12 makes is not only intoxicating, but the kind of sound you wish all cars made.

It gets better. I was expecting the big-ish Aston to be straight-line fast, but daft, loose and wobbly in the bends. I'm not really sure what that assumption was based on, but there you have it. I was wrong. Even though it should have been obvious, the fact the Rapide is essentially all the good stuff from the DB9 – potent V12, rear-mounted six-speed transaxle, lightweight VH architecture and near 50/50 weight distribution with new sexy metal and an extra foot of length grafted on – had slipped my mind. Until the corners came. We took the Rapide over the same treacherous canyon road that we used for our V6 sports car comparison test. The Aston was a honey, dancing across the pavement, sashaying through the bends all the while sending essential feedback to my fingertips. Most coupes can't do this; the Rapide is a four-door sports car at last. As our own Michael Harley said in his first drive, "The Aston Martin Rapide is a sports car first, a sedan second." He ain't lying, not one bit.

But it's not a sports car in the modern sense of the word. You see, the Rapide trades brutal, tire-overwhelming, shoved into the seatbacks, traction-control tripping power for understated grace. By no means a light car (4,387 pounds, or about 500 pounds more than a DB9), the biggest Aston does weigh less than the bulk (no pun, no pun) of its super sedan competition – especially its fellow Brits. It is therefore able to glide around a corner rather than murder it. There's no need for manhole cover-sized brakes because the Rapide can carry more speed through a turn. Additionally, since the handling is so predictable and neutral, you won't find yourself caught off guard (or camber) and needing to slam on the stoppers. This Aston Martin, then, at least compared to its German rivals, is dignified in the way it handles back roads. You'll never find yourself in the weeds, so to speak. The Rapide's modus operandi is not a matter of programmers versus asphalt, but rather a consilience of machine and road. For those wondering about ride quality, it's a little stiff though never impolite. "Properly sporty," is how I'll term it. In fairness to the Rapide, we spend 99 percent of our time with the suspension set to Sport. In fairness to our assessment, pushing the sport button didn't seem to make too much difference.

If you decided to skip ahead, here's the point where you can rejoin the narrative. Which, as it turns out, is exactly what future Rapide owners will mentally do. Crap electronics, commoner switchgear, comical sun visors, a tight back seat – what could matter less? If you have the briefcase stuffed with the cash necessary to purchase a Rapide, worrying about all that nonsense would be like not purchasing the Monet because you hate Claude's signature – you're missing the point. Like any great femme fatale worth her ill-gotten diamonds, the Rapide floods your mind with a lake of irrationality. Kiss logic goodbye. And that's okay. As of 2010, no car is as sensual, as erotic, as wordlessly desirable, as flat out cool. Which leads to my final point: Forget about the gumshoes. If James Bond's love interests would stop dying, the Aston Martin Rapide is undoubtedly the car he would use to drop the kids off at soccer practice. Lucky brats.

New Aston Martin DB9

With James Bond making use of the DBS and the long-awaited four-door Rapide finally under production, the DB9 could appear as the lost sheep in the British premium sports car company’s flock. Priced mid-range between the V8 Vantage and DBS the DB9, a vehicle advertising by Aston Martin as ‘the definitive sport grand tourer’, enters into the 2011 model year undergoing an automotive equivalent to a spa renewal treatment.

Far from requiring any reconstructive surgery, the exterior and interior appearance of the so-called ‘revised DB9′ coupe and Volante is only slightly retouched. Lower intake ducts on the front fascia has been redesigned to better coordinate with the large primary grille. The Aston Martin’s air intake is accompanied by a refreshened look for the headlamp lenses. The hind side of the Aston Martin DB9 is also enhanced as the clear lenses over the taillights is now a standard offering.

While the premium car retains its 470 horsepower 6.0 liter V-12 engine, the new Aston Martin DB9 will simply look faster; particularly along the side. Aston Martin’s termed ‘hockey stick curve’ treatment along the bottom door sills is given an more pronounced presence as part of the refit. Engine power spins the large and enchanting 20-inch diamond turned alloy wheels over top of majestic silver brake calipers to complete the DB9’s stylish roll.

Putting importance on keeping the DB9 in vogue, Aston Martin has also committed efforts to insuring the V-12 engined two-door remains firmly connected to the road. Upon the greatest changes for 2011, the DB9 becomes the newest recipient of Aston Martin’s Adaptive Damping System (ADS). An option through the DB9 Sport Pack previously, the now standard equipment ADS is designed to provide optimum ride quality by constantly regulating and adjusting the car’s shock dampers. Featuring a driver-selected sport and comfort setting allows the new Aston Martin DB9 to whether reduce body roll around sharp corners or gracefully overcome ripples in a road.

Understanding that many of us will have to settle with admiring the Aston Martin DB9 from the outside, the privileged ones who get to admire the British sports car’s interior can find a few new changes. For the upcoming DB9s, options such as Double Apex alloy trim and a BeoSound Bang & Olufsen stereo system can now to added.

Priced a little higher than the current model, the new Aston Martin DB9 coupe price roughly equates to $185,648 U.S. while the convertible Volante running $199,328. The first of these DB9s are set for delivering within the month of July sending British motoring excellence across the globe once again.

[Source: Aston Martin]

Ugur Sahin dreams up Aston Martin Gauntlet concept

Some of you might remember Ugur Sahin. He's a designer, specializing in grand touring cars that make our mouths water. Starting with already beautiful designs, he somehow manages to make shapely Chevrolet Corvettes and Ferraris look even better. From the Corvette Z03 to the Ferrari Dino and Ferrari-599-based USD GT-S Passionata, he's created some of the most exotic and graceful shapes we've ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on.

The latest automaker to earn Sahin's attention is Aston Martin. His latest design, the Gauntlet, blends some of our favorite design cues into a wholly unique package that's simultaneously sensual and brutal. Study the images and you might see a bit of One-77 in the mix, along with a dash of DB AR1, or perhaps you are carried back to the old DB3S, a car that Ugur mentions specifically as inspiration for the Gauntlet.

There's also some Maserati GranTurismo mixed with a little Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione as well, but we're definitely not complaining. It's a terrific design that has us wishing that Aston is looking at Sahin's designs for the next DBS and V12 Vantage. For those who still lament the loss of the Vanquish, with its broad shoulders and studly swagger, this might be the car for you. It's definitely earned a spot in our dream car garage.

Geneva 2010: Toyota-based Aston Martin Cygnet

Remember the day when Aston Martins were two-seat sportscars? Yeah, neither can we because a lot's happened since then. The Rapide four-door. The Lagonda crossover concept. And this, the Cygnet.

News first broke that Aston was working on a city car based on the Toyota iQ back in June, with initial details and photos released half a year later. Now the Cygnet has made its official auto show debut here in Geneva, modestly nestled in between the company's Vantages and DB9s.

The idea is to provide existing Aston owners with an urban tender in which to zip around congested city centers like London. Say what you will of the idea, but the fit and finish on the Cygnet look suitably Aston. Just shrunken down and chopped up. With it, Aston Martin just might end up redefining what an Aston Martin is. But a sportscar, good sir, it most certainly is not

Aston Martin could build hybrid Lagonda, all-electric Cygnet

Are hybrid drivetrains befitting of a premium luxury and performance brand? Well, that depends on who you ask. According to such diverse automakers as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Rolls-Royce and even Ferrari and Lamborghini, the answer is 'yes'. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez, though, reportedly believes otherwise. "The current hybrid technologies are not suited to the character of Aston Martin sports cars," explains Bez.

We're not so sure we agree, especially since Aston's long-planned Lagonda revival – which may or may not come wrapped in an ungainly SUV package – is rumored to be equipped with a hybrid powertrain. After all, the torque-rich nature of electric motors certainly wouldn't be a bad thing for a luxury tourer.

A few branches up on the green tree, Aston Martin's tiny Toyota iQ-based Cygnet minicar could quite possibly get a fully electric drivetrain, which would seem to make sense given that car's stated mission as an urban runabout for those times when a V12 Vanquish could be considered overkill. Beautiful, sonorous, splendid overkill...