Pitted against well-established G-Wagon customizers like Brabus and Mansory, Poland’s Carlex Design has its work cut out. “The mission of Carlex is to create and offer the world’s finest lifestyle and collector modifications for the iconic Mercedes G-Class,” the company says on its website. Credit where it’s due, Carlex’s latest custom ride is a frontrunner for the most astoundingly pretty aftermarket G-Wagon to make the rounds this year.

This is the Carlex G63 Fiamma G-Vintage—”fiamma” roughly translates as “fiery,” which accounts for the orange body work that’s been polished to a mirror finish. As Top Gear points out, the most “Vintage” styling cue is definitely the set of 20-inch color-matched rims, which appear to have been heavily inspired by the wheels of the Mercedes 600 “Grosser” luxobarge, produced from 1964 to 1981.

The body has also been raised by 10 cm and widened by 4 cm on each side, and the interior is clad largely in white Nappa leather with orange accents, inversing the exterior’s scheme. Not many other details were given on the Fiamma specifically, other than it was vaguely designed to “shine both on the ski slopes in the morning and under the opera house lights in the evening.” 

“In fashion, similar colors are often used in collections aimed at expressing courage and individuality. Inspiration from fire in interior design results in bold details, such as accents in the color of embers, which add not only style but also energy to the vehicle,” the brand adds. “This combination of classic, elegance, and modernity perfectly aligns with current trends in both fashion and automotive design.”

If no mechanical adjustments were made from the stock vehicle, then it’s got a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 that cranks 577 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque through a nine-speed automatic transmission, though the enlarged body and heightened ride may affect performance and handling characteristics. One thing’s for sure: The G63 Fiamma G-Vintage is a rolling automotive fashion statement.

The previous-gen Ducati Panigale V4 already verged on perfection. Its 1,103-cc “Desmosedici” V4 engine—so named for the desmodromic valve-timing system first implemented by Ducati in the 1950s to achieve more uniform power delivery—was developed from a prototypical race-only MotoGP powerplant. At the hands of rider Álvaro Bautista, the Panigale V4 has won the past two titles in the Superbike World Championship, the pinnacle competition series for production street bikes. It’s the two-wheeled equivalent of a Ferrari SF90 Stradale—a thoroughly race-bred machine that will test your ability at a track and then carry you home on public roads. In late July, Ducati announced the new seventh-generation Panigale V4. And the early consensus is that, even with a seemingly immaculate pedigree, the superbike has somehow gotten even better.

“Ducati’s mission is to enrich people’s lives through technologically sophisticated motorcycles characterized by sensual beauty,” declared Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali when presenting the bike during the Ducati World Première. “The new Panigale V4 continues a history of successes and unforgettable models, which represents the maximum expression of our values of style, sophistication and performance.”

This is the first Ducati in 30 years to employ a double-sided swingarm, which is arguably the most substantial change when compared to the preceding Panigale V4’s single-sided swingarm. There was something undeniably cool about seeing the rear wheel almost float in the space beneath the tail when viewing the old model on its throttle side, but as the RideApart site points out, MotoGP bikes employ double-sided swingarms in pursuit of ultimate performance because, among other reasons, they’re lighter. Indeed, this new Ducati Hollow Symmetrical Swingarm, connected to MotoGP-derived suspension linkages, helps shed 8.4 pounds off the rear. Thanks to the weight loss and a 37-percent decrease in lateral stiffness, the new swingarm should improve traction when exiting corners and increase feel under acceleration.

While the swingarm’s performance benefits may be obvious, many are contending that aesthetic value has suffered. Perhaps Ducati anticipated this gripe, as press materials cite the Ducati 916—widely praised for being one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever—as having inspired the new Panigale V4’s design. The similarities can best be seen in profile, where the balanced horizontal line, created by raising the Panigale V4’s front and lowering its rear, becomes most apparent. The rear-view mirror supports were mounted inside the fairing to further accentuate this line, while the rear LED unit’s “double C” shape and narrow tank are two more elements evocative of the 916.

The powertrain has also been improved—the base Panigale V4’s standard alternator, oil pump and gearbox drum come from the hardest-core performance-minded variants of the previous Panigale. Most of the engine remains largely unchanged; it’s still a stressed element of the chassis, and it’s got four camshafts that move 16 valves. The U.S. version’s power output changes negligibly, with a peak 209 horsepower coming at 12,750 rpm and 89.5 pound-feet of torque at 11,250 rpm. However, several new pieces of MotoGP-inspired componentry have been brought aboard, one of which is Ducati Vehicle Observer. According to Ducati, this algorithm “is able to evaluate a high number of kinematic and dynamic parameters that influence bike behavior and calculate acceleration, forces on the tires and the maximum torque that the vehicle can support.” This capability further enhances the Panigale V4’s comprehensive rider-aid suite, which includes traction control, slide control, wheelie control, launch control and engine brake control.

The all-new dashboard is also lifted straight from Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini’s MotoGP bikes. The 6.9-inch screen, which was optically bonded to ensure readability in all conditions, features a “Track” display that shows a series of new parameters. Among them are “g-Meter,” which indicates the g-force value when leaning, accelerating and braking; “Power & Torque,” which displays the percentage of power and torque delivered in any given moment; and “Lean Angle,” which shows the instantaneous lean angles alongside the throttle level and the pressure exerted on the brakes. A time-split table, with T1, T2 and T3 icons indicating the performance obtained in different sectors of a track, uses the same white, gray, orange, and red colors seen in MotoGP.

Perhaps the single most promising piece of data provided by Ducati is that the Panigale V4, priced at $25,995, is one second quicker than the outgoing model around the company’s test track. And that’s just the base bike: For $33,895, the Panigale V4S offers even racier features, like lighter alloy wheels and an upgraded electronically controlled Öhlins NPX/TTX suspension, ensuring more milliseconds will be dropped from lap times. The next-generation Panigale V4R, the ultimate expression of the Ducati Corse racing program in a road bike, will likely be announced at some point in the near future. Who knows? This generation of Ducati Panigale V4 just might bring about superbike perfection

The new all-electric Lotus Theory 1 joins the new “Lotus Theory” design manifesto that now rests (or rather, speeds) alongside super-SUVs like the Lotus Emeya in rather impressive fashion. The 986-horsepower, All-Wheel-Drive powertrain vehicle carries on the company’s distinctive wedge-shaped silhouette, but with a few more bells and whistles (suffice to say).

The Lotus Theory 1 concept electric vehicle looks not unlike something favored by Bruce Wayne, but the difference truly resides in the details, including the use of recycled in the build of the handsome automobile.

With a top speed of 199 MPH, the Theory 1 concept boasts even more pick-up than its already powerful predecessors like the Emeya — that SUV, for instance, hits 62 mph in under 2.8 seconds, while the Theory 1 concept reaches that speed in under 2.5 seconds, the automaker notes.

Although what’s underneath the hood is impressive enough (not to mention its 70 kWh EV battery system), the interior is just as striking in form and function. The auto manufacturer developed the LOTUSWEAR system for a customized interior experience, built around inflatable pods (housed within the seating system) that provide haptic feedback and road indicators to the driver in real-time.

Even the door system takes a proprietary design approach, and the overall effect is not unlike sitting in an ultra-sleek, road-ready race car (at least, if an early look is to be believed). It’s a fitting system given the Lotus legacy of Formula 1 performance, with a lineup that also includes the imposing  Evija, a rather insane vehicle known as the world’s most powerful street-legal car.

KEF audio rounds out the sleek, stylish interior with high-quality sound, and the automobile is further rounded out with a 360-degree autonomous driving system. And yet, given the envy-inducing power within the stunning new EV concept, it’s a safe bet drivers will want full control over the groundbreaking new vehicle concept — details are mum as to public availability of the latest and greatest from Lotus, but it’s a wish list-worthy ride all the same.

Days after the Rezvani Vengeance rolled through Monterey Car Week, the Montana-based brand specializing in militaristically modified SUVs rolled out an opulent upgrade for the monster of an automobile. Priced at $125,000 in addition to the $285,000 cost of the base vehicle, the “Executive Package” endows the street legal tank with a cabin on-par with that of a fine coachbuilder.

The base Vengeance retains many amenities from the Cadillac Escalade on which it’s built, including an OLED instrument cluster, wireless phone charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 19-speaker AKG sound system, and three rows of seating. This six-figure trim eliminates all traces of the Escalade in exchange for private jet-level creature comforts. Among them are the four massaging, heating, cooling and reclining seats equipped with wooden storage trays and integrated iPads; two jump seats, a TV that doubles as a partition, and Rolls-Royce-aping LED headliner, a snack bar and a Champagne cooler, as Road & Track points out.

Of course, the most eye-catching characteristic is its brutish exterior design, which was reconceived by video game vehicle developer Milan Ivanov in 2023. His work definitely gives the Vengeance rugged visual appeal, but the true VIP experience requires purchase of the $125,000 Military Package, which bolsters the ride with bulletproof glass and body armor capable of stopping AP rifle rounds, underside explosion protection, ram bumpers, magnetic dead bolts, night vision, a smoke screen, run-flat tires, electrified door handles, gas masks, a pepper spray dispenser, a continuously recording security system, and first aid/hypothermia kits.

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At that point, this thing probably weighs about as much as small tank, so customers might as as well kick in another $125,000 to upgrade from the naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 to the supercharged unit, which takes power up from 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque to 810 horsepower and 770 pound-feet of torque. Feel free to continue this daydream in Rezvani’s configurator.

Before anyone else gets their hands on it, the fully functional prototype of any new Aston Martin car is delivered to “Customer No. 1”—aka Lawrence Stroll, the Canadian billionaire who took over the company in 2020. Aston Martin’s executive chairman didn’t merely acquire the storied automaker as an investment; a longtime fan of the marque before he ever took a financial interest in it, Stroll has a personal stake in ensuring any Aston Martin made under his watch is not only best in class, but worthy of ownership by him and his peers.

“As a hugely successful player in luxury retail, Mr. Stroll knows how important it is for any new product to be as perfect as can be,” Renato Bisignani, Aston Martin’s new global head of marketing and communications, says of the billionaire, who made much of his fortune by masterminding the IPO of Michael Kors’ eponymous fashion brand in 2011.

“But besides that, he truly wants a car that he can drive and enjoy every day.” As such Stroll has greenlit a massive investment in development to ensure Aston cannot only compete with the likes of Bentley and Ferrari, but eventually places above them in terms of combining the luxury of one with the performance of the other. Of course, this would be in addition to its own considerable heritage as the brand made famous by James Bond.

We imagine Stroll was especially keen to get his hands on the prototype of the marque’s brand-new Vantage, which he drove extensively in Switzerland (his country of residence), according to Bisignani, adding his input for tweaks to the finished product. Also consulted on the new car was Fernando Alonso, lead driver for the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One team.

Inspired in part by Aston’s groundbreaking, $2 million One-77 supercar, the new Vantage has shed its image as Aston’s “entry level” sports car and gone back to its roots, with an audacious redesign, both inside and out revealing its bloodline—boosted by a hand-built 656-hp, twin-turbo V8 engine good for a top speed of 202 mph, and capable of 0–60 mph in 3.4 seconds.

That’s 30 percent more power than its predecessor, making it the fastest and most driver-focused Aston Martin ever to bear the Vantage nameplate. “The Vantage name has much to live up to, which is why this newest model makes an unwavering commitment to high performance in its purest and most explicit form,” as Aston Martin Lagonda CEO Amedeo Felisa puts it.

“Engineered for real drivers” is Aston’s tagline for the new Vantage, a fitting catchphrase in an age when it seems like most supercars are used more for Instagram likes than actual transportation. “Vantage champions the qualities that have gripped enthusiasts for generations but are increasingly hard to find in today’s sports car market,” as Aston puts it. “Vantage makes a stand for disenfranchised devotees of breathtaking power, razor-sharp handling and the perfect balance of a finely tuned front engine, rear-wheel drive chassis.”

“Aston Martin is blessed with many evocative model names, but none conjure excitement and dynamism like Vantage,” adds the marque’s Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman, who is responsible for some of Aston’s most beautiful vehicles. “To capture the new car’s huge uplift in power and performance, we’ve accentuated its physique, increasing its muscularity and sharpening its sculptural form.”

Reichman notes that, “We took some inspiration from the One-77, but we wanted Vantage to express its intent and potency more explicitly. One look and you know it packs a real punch, but there’s an elegance of form and proportion that hints at the sophistication that underpins its raw power. This balance of instant visual impact and slow-burn charisma mirrors the driving experience and perfectly captures the essence of Vantage.”

The Vantage name first appeared in 1950 when it was used to denote an uprated engine package for the DB2 grand tourer that also proved itself competition worthy. Then in 1964, it was applied as a model designation to a high-performance version of the DB5, becoming the new flagship of the range. A stand-alone Vantage model was introduced in the early 1970s, from which point the nameplate has “played an increasingly prominent role in Aston Martin’s model lineup,” the brand says. “Synonymous with immaculate style, unforgettable performance and inimitable character, Vantage embodies the sporting qualities for which this evocative name has become renowned.”

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Aston launched the much-awaited new Vantage earlier this year with a VIP program based in Seville, Spain, demonstrating that it too is equally at home on road or track, in this case the Circuito Monteblanco, one of the longest circuits in Spain, used for a number of motorsport events throughout the year, including F1 testing. That Seville also happens to be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe only added to its appeal as a backdrop for the ravishing new supercar.

Setting up its launch HQ at the new Nobu Sevilla hotel, Aston brought in British TV presenter, author and wine expert (and Aston Martin owner) Olly Smith to curate a selection of local vintages paired with Nobu’s world-famous cuisine. All serving to underscore Seville’s certified hotspot status, complete with a new luxe book called “Sevilla Arte” from Assouline declaring it one of the most beautiful and captivating locales in the world (can a James Bond movie production be far behind?).

In addition to the Vantage road car, Aston has also introduced GT3 and GT4 racing variants, while a Vantage bedecked in signature Aston Martin Racing Green livery is doing duty as an F1 Safety Car this season as well. With Alonso solidly in the top 10 this year after placing an impressive fourth in 2023—while Aston took fifth overall in the constructor’s championship—he has the rest of the season to rise in the ranks, and is fully capable of doing so. Simultaneously building a dominant presence in international GT racing gives the brand a broader base of customer engagement and reinforces the “real drivers” ethos.

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And in 2025, it plans to double down by aiming for an overall win at Le Mans with the wicked 1,160-hp Valkyrie AMR-LMH hypercar, with hopes to make it a front-line challenger in the FIA World Endurance Championship—something Aston has been building up to with the experience gained not only with each F1 race, but the launch of highly refined new models like the Vantage and DB12. Though they’ve successfully competed more recently in the GTE class, Aston’s last overall win at Le Mans was in 1959 with the DBR1 driven by Carroll Shelby.

It’s safe to say that Stroll would like to add a Valkyrie victory to the considerable accomplishments racked up in his first four years at the helm of one of the world’s most iconic and illustrious auto marques.

If the one-off manual Pagani Huayra Epitome is the ultimate driver’s hypercar, then the Hennessey Venom F5-M Roadster is the ultimate driver’s hypercar you can actually buy. Or could, as all 12 units have already been spoken for. By sticking a manual transmission in the Hennessey 1,817-hp Venom F5, the Texas-based proprietor of extreme internal combustion-born output has created the “world’s most powerful manual production car.”

Gearheads will likely smile as they gaze upon the above image of the metallic knob and stick protruding from the vehicle’s six-speed milled aluminum gate, daydreaming of the dyno-destroying V8 power coursing through the driveshaft to which the stick is linked. And that’s exactly the point. “We always wanted to build a manual Venom F5—and it’s something our clients have been asking for. It’s old school, it’s badass, and it offers ultimate driving engagement,” said company founder and CEO John Hennessey.

But the this Venom F5 is distinguished from its automatic siblings in more ways than one. It also wears a hulking 55-inch “dorsal fin” that reaches from the roof-mounted air scoop to the rear deck. The livery is also exclusive to the F5-M Roadster, featuring exposed carbon fiber with a colored central line and duel, contrasting accent stripes that flow up to the windscreen and down the back of the entire body. This “spine line” is also mirrored beneath the roof onto the central console in the interior, which features a new layout that sees new horizontal air outlets set above a purpose-made aluminum key slot.

Hennessey is keen to point out that they’ve done a topless manual-transmission before, and it earned a particularly impressive accolade. In 2016, the Venom GT set the world speed record for an open-top car at 265.6 mph. With a pedigree like that, it’s no wonder that the new Venom F5-M Roadster didn’t have trouble selling through before the first example was delivered—even with a $2.65 million price tag.

The roar of a fine-tuned engine is the soundtrack of the rolling green landscape south of the Apennine Mountains in Northern Italy. The Emilia-Romagna region is called Motor Valley for a reason. This modest stretch of roughly 8,700 square miles is headquarters to the greatest carmakers in the world—Lamborghini, Maserati, Pagani, De Tomaso, Dallara, Ducati motorcycles, Stanguellini (now defunct), but most of all Ferrari, born from the ashes of World War II. 

Home to farmers who have worked the fields since the time of their Etruscan ancestors, Emilia-Romagna is a land of tinkerers and inventors—people like Guglielmo Marconi, who invented the radio in the late 19th century. An inspiration to the region, he spurred a generation of scientists and dilettantes into retrofitting old tools with up-to-date technology, like putting a motor on a bike and finding room for improvement on a new invention called the automobile. 

Road racing in Italy dates to 1899 when the first racing car appeared in Brescia, just to the north of Motor Valley. Ettore Bugatti won a race in the city that year, driving his Prinetti & Stucchi three-wheeler, which helped spark interest in motor racing in the area. The Targa Florio, an endurance race in Sicily, was popular in the early years, as was the Mugello Circuit. But the race that mattered most was the Mille Miglia, first held in 1927, a 1,005-mile race that took more than 21 hours to finish. To test these new ultra-fast cars, manufacturers thought they would have to build a track. But the ancients anticipated their needs by providing Via Aemilia, a road established in 187 BC that runs 176 miles straight through the region. 

The local nickname for the Ferrari Factory is the “Cittadella” (small city), whereupon entering you’ll find Cavallino restaurant, where Enzo Ferrari used to go with friends. Across from it sits a wind tunnel built by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Renzo Piano, and farther on is fellow Pritzker winner Jean Nouvel’s assembly facility, showrooms, offices and retail space, all under one roof. 

Engines are fabricated on a slow assembly line in the Cittadella, giving Ferrari workers plenty of time to complete all the operations with absolute precision (it takes 16 days to make just one crankshaft). A discrepancy of even a few microns can result in failure. The company is currently producing V8, V12 and smaller V6 engines, whose plug-in hybrid layout increases performance while reducing emissions. Ferrari has announced that it is developing a full-electric powertrain, which is set to be unveiled in late 2025. While collectors seemingly prefer the roar of the combustion engine, the company has already said that its electric cars will maintain the Ferrari DNA, including a simulated version of a screaming performance-engine’s soundtrack.

Road-legal models and F1 single-seaters are assembled in separate factories. Some of the latter, reaching speeds of up to 220 mph, are sold for several million dollars once they reach the end of their racing careers. F1 cars are not street legal and can only be driven on private tracks, like the Fiorano test track near Maranello, which is why most owners prefer to leave them on the premises (there’s a whole building full of them). Doing so allows for regular service and maintenance by Ferrari’s team of professionals. The company offers clients a package enabling them to drive their cars at exclusive dedicated tracks where the factory takes care of transport and logistics. One of the most delicate pieces of an F1 car is the steering wheel, which some clients prefer to keep stored in Maranello for safety.

If it’s a Ferrari sports car you’re after (ranging from around $200,000 to the $2,000,000 for the most exclusive models, like the Ferrari Daytona SP3), you’ll have to be patient. Depending on the market, the waiting list for any Ferrari model is around two years, which is why many new to the brand opt for a pre-owned model. The company does have rules when it comes to customization options, even though the range of personalization is theoretically infinite. Rumor has it that you can’t use certain color schemes that are not in line with the history and DNA of the brand. Also, if you hope to buy a special series car or a limited-edition model, you should know that Ferrari gives priority to its best clients and collectors.

Ferrari himself was a racer before he became a manufacturer. Born in Modena, Italy, on February 18, 1898, he attended the Circuito di Bologna at the age of 10, a pivotal event for the future carmaker. In the years following WWI, the prancing horse that symbolizes Ferrari was borrowed from flying ace and Emilia-Romagna native Count Francesco Baracca, credited with 34 aerial victories. Around this time Ferrari applied to work at Fiat but was rejected, ironic considering Fiat bought more than half of his company in 1969. Instead, he joined Alfa Romeo as a racer. He won his first race in 1924, and five years later he founded Scuderia Ferrari, a racing team driving Alfa Romeo cars. Racking up 11 Grand Prix wins, Ferrari finished his driving career in 1932 when his son Alfredo was born. The renowned Dino marque was later named for him.

Scuderia Ferrari was absorbed into Alfa Romeo in 1937, but disagreements soon caused Ferrari to found his own company, Auto Avio Costruzioni. Due to a noncompete agreement with Alfa Romeo, he couldn’t use the Ferrari name for another four years. Later, when a Ferrari beat an Alfa Romeo for the first time, he’s reported to have said: “I have killed my mother.” 

During World War II, Ferrari’s company produced aircraft engines and machine tools for the Italian military, generating a great deal of capital. In 1943, under threat of Allied bombing raids, the company’s factory was moved to Maranello where it was bombed twice. 

Today, Maranello remains its home. Ferrari S.p.A. was inaugurated in March 1947, auspicious timing as the modern Formula 1 championship started in 1950. After several fatal crashes in the 1950s, the Italian newspaper, “L’Osservatore Romano,” branded Ferrari “Saturn, a devourer of his children.” Illustrious driver names like Italians Tazio Nuvolari, Niki Lauda and Alberto Ascari and Americans Phil Hill and Dan Gurney are just a few of the team’s 4,000 victors and 13 world title winners, including nine in Formula 1 where Ferrari remains the winningest team. “Second is the first of the losers,” Ferrari is quoted as saying.

Ferrari lived at 11 Largo Garibaldi in Modena and frequently attended the opera at Teatro Storchi, just around the corner. From there it’s a short walk to Piazza Roma past the Ducal Palace, a baroque castle currently housing a portion of the Italian Military Academy. Nearby is Duomo di Modena, consecrated in 1184, the former seat of the Diocese, later Archdiocese, of Modena.

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In early May, the region’s manufacturers—Ferrari, Pagani, Lamborghini, Maserati, Ducati and Dallara—fill Piazza Roma with old and new models alike for Motor Valley Fest. This year’s included McLaren Senna and three of the Ducati 916 Senna sport bike, marking the 30th anniversary of the passing of the great Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna. Surrounding the event are races on the region’s tracks, as well as conferences, food tastings and parades.

At the north end of town sits the Ferrari Museum, where exhibitions of the company’s cars are ever changing. Shows like “Ferrari One of a Kind” present bespoke cars, many of which have never been seen before, expressing the personality, taste and desires of individual Ferrari owners. The Ferrari 812 Competizione Tailor Made included a 166 MM that was customized according to Italian industrialist Gianni Agnelli’s family colors, as well as an original gold Monza SP1. Also making its public debut was the Ferrari P80/C, part of the brand’s one-off program that allows owners to customize existing models.

Present your Ferrari Museum ticket at the Autodromo di Modena for 15 minutes on the track at a cost of just $37, that can be extended for $2.70 per minute. Or take the passenger seat and let a professional do the driving. Either way is a one-of-a-kind experience. 

Mille Miglia takes place in June, and last year hosted a Ferrari tribute to the famous race. On display were cars ranging from a pair of 1972 Dino 246 GTs, a trio of Testarossas and a 1978 512 BB to modern sports cars, including five SF90 Spiders, four 812 Superfasts and a LaFerrari supercar. At last spring’s Miami Grand Prix, Scuderia Ferrari took third and fifth behind upset winner Lando Norris driving for McLaren. The team managed only third at Emilia-Romagna with Charles Leclerc at the wheel, but revenge was taken weeks later in Monaco where Leclerc took the top spot and third was awarded to Carlos Sainz, also driving for Ferrari.

Since 1952, Scuderia Ferrari has produced 15 champion drivers and chalked up the most race victories, first- and second-place finishes, podiums, pole positions, fastest laps and points than any other team in F1 history. But winning is simply a by-product of being the best. “Aerodynamics are for people who can’t build engines,” Ferrari once remarked. “I have no interest in being the fastest. I want to be the best.”

Aston Martin’s great grand touring legacy continues with the next-gen Vanquish, introduced with the aggro tagline, “All will be vanquished.” The flagship front-engine supercar’s initial 2004 debut was greeted with higher-than-usual visibility thanks to its starring role in Die Another Day—the final Pierce-Brosnan-led James Bond movie—and two decades of performance automobile evolution have raised expectations significantly.

This third Vanquish generation’s 824-horsepower 5.2-liter V12 comes close to doubling the original’s 460-horsepower rating and significantly improves over the 595-hp rating that came with the final version of the second-gen Vanquish, which reigned from 2012 to 2018.

Aston is bucking trends by eschewing supplemental power from a hybrid system, instead opting for a pure ICE…for now. Alex Long, head of Aston Martin’s product and marketing division, told Car and Driver, “The engine will see us at least until the end of the decade. It’s an engine for today, but it’s also one we can further evolve.” Conceivably, a further evolution could mean the addition of electric motors to the axles. But for now, the V12 gets the spotlight. It’s “a new engine from the ground up,” James Owen, senior manager of vehicle engineering operations, added in a statement to C&D. “There is nothing that is carried over [from the previous V-12]. It’s got a new block, new heads, new intakes, new exhaust ports, new turbos.”

Blistering performance ensues. The 214-mph top speed is the highest achieved by any Aston-badged GT, while 60 mph comes in a claimed 3.2 seconds followed by 100 mph in 6.2 seconds. And just as the 12-pot formula remains, so does Aston’s quintessential design language. The alluring elongated shape comes from a stretched wheelbase that increases distance between the A Pillar and front axle. The fastback-like, drag-reducing Kamm Tail—an feature famously used on the the classic DB6 and reinstated on the special-edition Valour—is accentuated by a powerful shield panel embossed with the name “Aston Martin” and flanked by futuristic new LED light blades from the Valkyrie hypercar. New to the Vanquish is a panoramic roof and a grille offering a 13 percent more surface area over that of the outgoing DBS 770.

Like the DB12 and Vantage, Vanquish is built around a bonded aluminum body structure with double-wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear suspension. Power is delivered through a ZF eight-speed automatic, but for the first time, that transmission is paired with an electronic rear limited slip differential, as opposed to a mechanical limited slip differential. In theory, the e-diff will work with the Aston’s computer to make power delivery adjustments in milliseconds, thereby greatly improving agility when cornering. This, in combination with Pirelli tires engineered specifically for the Vanquish, could translate to one of the most drivable V12-powered cars on the market.

Speaking of the new Vanquish, Aston Martin Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll said, “With the introduction of Vanquish we have crowned Aston Martin’s next-generation sports car portfolio. A true halo model in every respect, Vanquish makes an emphatic statement. One that further delivers on our mission to create the most potent, most beautiful and most exciting cars in the ultra-luxury sports car market. As such Vanquish is the truest of Aston Martins. Immaculately designed and impeccably engineered it sets extraordinary new standards of performance, style and luxury for a new generation of connoisseurs.” 

Priced from $429,000, the new Aston Martin Vanquish will hit dealerships by the end of 2024.

Land Rover was inspired by the sandy shores of Montauk, Malibu, and Oahu’s North Shore to inform the design of its latest limited-edition Defender 110. Dressed in a striking Tasman Blue base coat with a contrasting white roof and white gloss wheels, the Defender Beach Break’s sunny side stripes evoke the dusky rays of some of America’s most celebrated surf spots.

Aside from the exclusive colorway, the beachy brute is equipped with features designed to contend with coastal conditions, including a dedicated “Sand” selectable drive mode, a wading depth of 35.4 inches, 20-inch rims, a Light Cloud powder-coated crossbeam, Light Cloud & Lunar Resist-upholstered seats, and rubber mats that line the floor and cargo area. The interior also boasts an 11.4-inch center touchscreen, 12.3‑inch driver display and a Meridian speaker system, while the exterior gets a silver side-mounted gear box, black fixed side steps and mud flaps.

“The Defender has always been at home at the beach, windows open, surfboards on the roof, wetsuit in the back,” said Land Rover executive Sam Allen. “This limited edition ‘Beach Break’ is an homage to that lifestyle, with a modern interpretation inspired from the legendary US surfing beaches from Montauk to Malibu. These iconic locations are known for their surf culture, casual luxury, rugged shoreline and powerful waves—a perfect destination for Defender vehicles of all vintages.”

Beach Break is built on the 2025 Defender 110 S P300, which runs a 2.0 four‑cylinder engine producing 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Priced from $71,700, the exclusive trim is limited to 20 examples.

The just-announced Saxdor Yachts 340 GTWA, making its debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival, channels classic sport boats of days gone by, as the company builds off the success of previous sporting boat models. The 340 GTWA “is positioned as a keystone in Saxdor’s lineup, offering a long-awaited balance of size and functionality.”

The 34-foot boat is the company’s first wheelhouse walkaround model, boasting space for five-to-six people at its bow (which conveniently transitions into a sunbed). The helm boasts a sliding door for ease of access, while a three-person sofa gives the boat a more leisurely aspect. Its side terraces are “an exceptional feature for a boat of this size that truly sets this model apart in its category,” Saxdor Yachts notes.

A below-deck forward double cabin features what the company calls “ample natural light,” while an aft cabin can also accommodate two people for overnight trips as well as day cruises. The latest and greatest addition joins models like the Saxdor Yachts 400 GTC, embodying what the company calls “the brand’s dedication to delivering a superior boating experience through thoughtful design.”

The 340 model builds off the previous success of the carefully crafted 400 GTC, itself an ode to more accessible, streamlined and yet stylish boating. Saxdor Yachts notes the flagship 400 GTC, with two forward double cabins and a “luminous, cozy interior) is an ode to practicality as well as luxurious design: “Every inch is impeccably designed, balancing practicality with a sense of style that impresses at every glance.” For boating that goes above and beyond, the new 340 GTWA (price to be announced) appears to float handsomely among the existing Saxdor Yachts lineup.