Latest news with #AstonMartin
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Feed The Inner Child: Lego Technic Aston Martin Valkyrie
Read the full story on Backfire News Beloved toy brand Lego has made Technic sets of many iconic cars, and now it's come out with one for the Aston Martin Valkyrie. The automaker and toy company worked together to transfer the bold, revolutionary design and engineering of the hypercar into a combination of plastic result is something we're sure will fascinate both young and older gearheads, especially those who are big fans of Aston Martin. Thanks to its unique appearance, many have been enthralled with the hypercar, so it's not a huge shock that a Lego version has been created. Anyone lucky enough to snag this Lego Technic set will get to put together more than 700 pieces, many of them in Podium Green, just like the real Valkyries often wear. It's the kind of toy you can display prominently in your home or office. Since this is a Technic building set, this Lego creation is more functional than you might expect. Not only do the gullwing doors open fully, the steering can be controlled via a lever mounted to the top of the toy hypercar. Opening up the shroud over the V12 engine reveals the pistons move and the differential also spins. That alone makes this an educational experience for parents or grandparents to build and play with this Lego set along with little ones. After all, teaching kids about cars is a higher form of love. It's possible this Lego set might make some kids huge fans of the Valkyrie and Aston Martin in general. Created using Formula One technology, the Valkyrie not only is a consumer model used on public roads, it's also a competitive racecar. Aston Martin uses it for endurance racing in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship. The Valkyrie also competed in this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. Image via Aston Martin
Belfast Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
Dan Harper on why this could be his year at the ‘big one' after years of bad luck
The Hillsborough driver is making his fourth start at the twice-around-the-clock race with his regular German co-driver Max Hesse, and one-off team-mate, Austrian Philipp Eng. There is a real sense that this could finally be Harper's year as he has had to endure bitter disappointment on his three previous visits. Back in 2022, his silverware hunt was banished by a puncture, with the same fate befalling him last year, while in 2023, the car Harper was sharing had to be retired after it got caught up in an incident during the night. Only last Sunday, Harper and Hesse scored a first GTD Pro victory in the America IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at the Six Hours of Watkins Glen International in New York State. A day earlier, Rowe Racing triumphed at the Nürburgring 24 Hours to take BMW's total victory count around the famous 'Green Hell', in Germany, to 21 from all starts. Eng, meanwhile, has an enviable Spa record and is one of the most decorated drivers in the history of the Ardennes classic having won there three times, twice with Rowe Racing. 'I'm looking forward to the big one this weekend,' said Harper, who is being reunited with Rowe Racing for the first time since the World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup title decider in Saudi Arabia last December. 'We have had some bad luck at Spa these the last few years; on every occasion, we have been in contention for a podium, including 2024 we were fighting for the victory right up until the end only for a puncture before the last pit stop to deny us. 'We are competitive there which is encouraging, the BMW has been very strong there, and Rowe Racing are a fantastic and well-organised team who do very well in the longer endurance races, as they demonstrated at the Nürburgring last weekend with their win. 'Everyone in the team is naturally in good spirits, and myself and Max arrive at Spa on the back of our first win in IMSA, so yeah, I am really looking forward to it,' continued the 24-year-old. 'Having Philipp onboard is a boost, too. He has a great record a Spa with three victories, most recently in 2023, so I'm very excited to be sharing the car with him for the first time.' A 75-car field featuring machinery from 10 manufacturers such as Aston Martin, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini and Porsche will line up for the 77th instalment of the 24 Hours of Spa, which begins on Saturday afternoon at 3.30pm UK time.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
UK Car Output Hits 76-Year Low
UK car production plunged to its lowest level since 1949 last month, as Aston Martin and other British carmakers halted exports to the United States amid president Donald Trump's escalating trade war. Data released on Friday by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) found that UK factories turned out just 49,810 cars and vans in the month of May, down 33 per cent on the year and the worst monthly performance in 76 years, outside the COVID-19 shutdowns of 2020. The collapse comes after Trump imposed steep tariffs on foreign-made cars, prompting British firms like Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover to suspend US-bound shipments from April. Exports to the US fell by 55 per cent in May, slashing the American market's share of UK automotive exports from 18 per cent to just 11 per cent. Exports to the EU, meanwhile, dropped 22.5 per cent. The trade standstill could ease next week, however, when a new UK-US trade deal comes into force. Under the agreement, the US will reduce its automotive import tariff from 27.5 per cent down to 10 per cent of the first 100,000 UK-made vehicles shipped annually. The deal, announced by Trump on 16 June during the G7 summit in Canada, follows weeks of turbulence triggered by his so-called 'liberation day' tariffs blitz, which raised levies across steel, car and aluminium imports from US trading partners. Aston Martin, which had slashed exports to the US at the end of April in response to tariff chaos, saw its shares plunge from 119p to below 60p during the height of the fallout. Although the FTSE 250 stock rallied nearly 13 per cent on the day the deal was announced, it has since remained stuck in a rut, closing at 70p on Wednesday. The carmaker's chief executive, Adrian Hallmark, said the firm was now scrambling to capitalise on the new trade window. He said: 'It comes live on the 30th June… so we're planning to invoice three months' worth of sales in a 24-hour period.' Still, Hallmark welcomed the deal, noting that British carmakers were now 'less worse off than some of (their) European and non-European competitors'. Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, acknowledged the damage inflicted by the tariff war: 'While 2025 has proved to be an incredibly challenging year for UK automotive production, there is the beginning of some optimism for the future'. He remained optimistic, pointing to the trade truce and the UK's new industrial strategy, which promises to cut energy costs for manufacturers by up to 25 per cent. Even before the tariff flare-up, Britain's carmakers were facing growing pressures. The government's zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which compels manufacturers to hit rising EV sales targets, has triggered structural changes across the sector. Stellantis last year cited the cost of ZEV compliance in its decision to close its Luton factory and consolidate products at Ellesmere Port. Ford, meanwhile, cut 800 UK jobs as part of a broader European retrenchment. Cyril Aboujaoude, co-founder of private equity firm Tioopo Capital, said: 'This deal has the potential to mark a positive shift in the UK-US industrial trade, but its long-term value will depend on more than short-term quota relief.' He added: 'Long term visibility is essential – not just for the major auto manufacturers, but for the mid-sixed, high spec engineering firms that represent the future of UK innovation'. By City AM More Top Reads From this article on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Aston Martin Unveils Ultra-Luxury Private Residence in Tokyo's Most Desirable Location
Aston Martin Unveils Ultra-Luxury Private Residence in Tokyo's Most Desirable Location originally appeared on Autoblog. If the article detailing Aston Martin's residence tower in Miami left you wanting more, you're in luck! The British automaker recently revealed N°001 Minami Aoyama, Tokyo, its first ultra-luxury residence in Asia, and what a residence it is. View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article Created in partnership with Japanese luxury real estate developer VIBROA Inc., the four-story residence is situated in Tokyo's Omotesandō neighborhood, a renowned shopping district located between Harajuku and Aoyama. Right away, the façade stands out thanks to its vertical metal louvers, whose appearances change as the sun rises and falls in the sky, reflecting off their surface. Glimpses of the interior can also be seen between the louvers. The first floor houses the spa facilities, including a sauna and spa bath with natural Hinoki timber cladding and a specially designed audio system. Right next door is a landscaped private terrace, with its own outdoor Onsen pool and seating. Oh, and about that audio system, the entire residence has a Bowers & Wilkins Audio System wired in, so your tunes can play in any room. View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article The basement takes advantage of the site's sloping nature to house a gym, wine cellar, a golf simulator system, a private spa, and three en-suite bedrooms. The two-car garage, or "automotive gallery" as Aston Martin refers to it, features adaptive lighting and a wave-textured metal ceiling. The cars can also be from within the house, thanks to the glass panel that separates the garage from the lounge and meeting room on the ground floor. Natural light was reportedly a high priority when building the residence, and as you ascend to the rooftop terrace, the materials transition from dark to light "to mirror the journey towards the light." The terrace contains a kitchen facility, a section of planted green roof, and tremendous views of the Tokyo Tower. Oh, and speaking of that staircase, Aston Martin and VIBROA Inc. call it an "origami staircase," made from folded steel and illuminated by a pendant chandelier. View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article The two companies also curated some very fitting Italian furniture for the residence, ranging from bespoke wardrobes to kitchen cabinets by Italian brand Molteni&C. The kitchen sports black lava stone surfaces and gray oak cabinetry, with "nebula steel" and pewter metal accents throughout. If you're worried that these are all off-the-shelf pieces, fret not, as reportedly many of the pieces were custom-designed under Aston Martin's direct supervision. I'm a design nerd, whether it's modern minimalism, 1970s kitsch, or everything in between. I was already entranced by Aston Martin's Miami residences, but their Japanese residence knocks it out of the park. It's clean, yet it doesn't feel empty. The various materials and colors used throughout, like the wood and dark metals, create a cozy, modern, and classy ambiance simultaneously. View the 6 images of this gallery on the original article Aston Martin and VIBROA Inc. don't mention a price tag or owner, of course, but considering the prices of their Miami residences, and the fact that this was built as a private residence, it's probably a figure that us mere mortals can't comprehend. Aston Martin Unveils Ultra-Luxury Private Residence in Tokyo's Most Desirable Location first appeared on Autoblog on Jun 27, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Norris leads McLaren practice one-two after Dunne shines
SPIELBERG, Austria - Lando Norris led Formula One leader Oscar Piastri in a McLaren one-two in second practice for the Austrian Grand Prix on Friday after George Russell went fastest for Mercedes in the opening session. Norris had handed his car to Alex Dunne for an impressive F1 practice debut for the Irish rookie and Formula Two leader, but the Briton was right up to speed as soon as he got back behind the wheel. After Russell's best of one minute 05.542 seconds in the early afternoon, Norris -- 22 points behind Piastri in the title battle after 10 of 24 races -- lapped in 1:04.580 with Piastri 0.157 slower. Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen, a five-times winner at his team's home circuit, was the only other driver under the five second mark with a 1:04.898. Russell, winner from pole position in Canada two weeks ago after the McLarens collided, was sixth in practice two with Lance Stroll a surprise fourth for Aston Martin and Charles Leclerc fifth for Ferrari. Verstappen was without regular race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase for the weekend due to personal reasons with Simon Rennie taking over. Dunne, given track time as part of team obligations to give rookie drivers F1 experience, was the talk of the first session when he lapped fourth fastest and only 0.069 slower than Piastri. Still only 19 and the first Irish driver in 22 years to take part in a grand prix weekend, he thanked the team over the radio as the chequered flag fell. "A little boy's dream came true, and this is definitely the best day of my life," he said. "Thank you everyone for letting me do this, and thanks to Lando as well for trusting me with his car." McLaren team boss Andrea Stella cautioned not to read too much into the time, however. "Alex has been quite diligent and impressive, and then he also had the chance to show some speed and, no surprise, he is a fast driver," said the Italian. "I think we need to be a bit careful looking at the lap times, because his came later on in the stint when the fuel was down. But I think encouraging and impressive in terms of Alex himself, and also I think a good session for McLaren." Austria has the shortest lap of the year in terms of time and all but 20th-placed Haas driver Oliver Bearman were within a second of Russell in the opening session. Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was ninth and 10th respectively in the sessions as Ferrari made a difficult start to their preparations with mechanics working on both cars during practice one. Hamilton was also warned for impeding Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli. "I didn't see Antonelli," he said over the radio after the Italian went wide to avoid a collision. Leclerc sat out that session with Swedish reserve Dino Beganovic getting some track time and finishing 18th. Fernando Alonso had a big spin in his Aston Martin but kept the car out of the barriers. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
