Aston Martin DBS Volante

Making its debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month, the new drop-top will line up alongside the V12 Vantage and new Lagonda luxury saloon, giving show goers a triple treat of fresh metal.

Described by Aston Martin as the “the ultimate open air motoring experience”, the DBS Volante gets the same mighty 6.0-litre V12 as the coupe and stunning looks with a fabric hood that closely follows the silhouette of the coupe.

Capable of dropping at the touch of a button in just 14 seconds and at up to speeds of 30mph, the roof automatically stows under a re–sculpted tonneau cover, which maintains the slick look of the coupe. And as you can see, all the styling cues from the storming DBS coupe are carried across.

The front end gets sleek air intakes, a low splitter and bonnet air vents, the side skirts are lower while at the rear are clear lens covers for the taillights, a subtle boot-lid spoiler and a diffuser. While the bonnet, front wings and boot lid are made from carbon fibre, the DBS Volante is quite a bit heavier than the coupe.

To cope with the loss in stiffness associated with the removal of the hard-top, extra strengthening – including a rigidly mounted rear subframe – has gone into the bonded aluminium chassis chassis. As a result the Volante tips the scales at 1810kg – some 115kg more than the coupe.

Despite this extra weight, performance isn’t really affected. Under the bonnet lies the same 6.0-litre V12 as the DBS coupe. Based on the same unit that powers the DB9, it gets an uprated airbox, which takes peak power to 510bhp and torque to 570Nm. Standard transmission is a six-speed manual gearbox with the option of Aston Martin’s semi-automatic Touchtronic ‘box.

The Volante posts almost identical performance figures to the coupe, accelerating from 0-62mph in just 4.2seconds (0.1seconds down) and hitting the same top speed of 191mph. Carbon ceramic brakes do the stopping while adaptive dampers and double wishbone suspension with 20-inch alloy wheels and sticky Pirelli P-Zero rubber should mean the Volante is prodigious around corners. Inside the luxurious 2+2 cabin gets a bespoke Bang and Olufsen sound system as standard.

On sale this autumn, the DBS Volante is expected to cost around £170,000 – some £11,000 more than the coupe.

Bentley Supersports

Meet the fastest, most powerful Bentley in history – the stunning Continental Supersports!

Packing a 621bhp 6.0-litre W12 engine, the brutish two-seater coupe can accelerate to a top speed of 204mph. But it’s also green too, as it’s capable of running on renewable biofuel as well as petrol.

Making its worldwide debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, the mighty machine will go on sale in the UK in Autumn, where it will sit above the 200mph Continental GT Speed as the flagship sports car in the Bentley range.

The result of two-year project by a small number of Bentley designers and engineers, the Supersports is the fastest and most driver-focused Continental yet.

As well as more power, it gets uprated brakes and suspension, a ‘Quickshift’ automatic gearbox and a tweaked four-wheel drive system. It has also undergone an extension weight-saving programme, with lightweight components such as carbon-fibre seats helping it shed 110kg over the GT Speed on which it’s based.

The most obvious change is the muscular bodykit, which packs flared rear wheelarches and wider side sills to cover an increased rear track, larger twin exhaust pipes and a modified rear valance, plus 20-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels. A new dark-smoked steel finish is applied to all exterior ‘brightware’, including the front grille, lamp bezels, window surrounds and wheels.

At the front are a host of intakes and twin bonnet vents, which help provide 10 per cent more air to the uprated 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 engine. With increased turbo-boost pressure, it produces 621bhp at 6,000rpm – 21bhp more than the GT Speed – and another 50Nm of torque taking output to a staggering 800Nm between 1,700-5,600rpm.

Together with the weight loss and the Quickshift transmission, which reduces shift times by 50 per cent, the Supersports does 0-60mph in 3.7 seconds, 0-100mph in 8.9 and jumps from 50mph-70mph 2.1 seconds. With a top speed of 204mph, the Supersports is the fastest Bentley ever made.

The engine is also Bentley’s first ‘FlexFuel’ unit, capable of running on E85 bioethanol or petrol or a combination of the two. The firm has committed to making its entire range FlexFuel-compatible by 2012 and claims that biofuel reduces CO2 output by 70 per cent from its production to its use in a car. Although it’s unlikely the Supersports is much cleaner than the xxg/km GT Speed at the tailpipe, or any more economical.

Positioned as the most driveable Continental GT ever, the Supersports’ rides 10mm lower at the front and 15mm lower at the rear. The anti-roll bars get new geometry, there are new bushes to increase stiffness while the power steering system has been tuned for improved feel.

The Continuous Damping Control (CDC) system has also been tweaked for better response, while the four-wheel drive system now sends power 40:60 per cent in favour of the rear wheels, rather than 50:50 of the standard GT Speed. Ultra-sticky Pirelli tyres, standard fit carbon ceramic brakes and a revised traction control system, which allows more wheelslip, complete the dynamic upgrades.

“The Supersports is an immensely capable real-world supercar with agility and traction in all driving situations”, says Brian Gush, director of chassis and powertrain engineering. “The new rear-bias all-wheel drive and retuned ESP allows the driver to fully exploit the potential of the W12 engine and optimised chassis.”

As you’d expect, the cabin is luxuriously trimmed, but the Supersports uses new, non-traditional Bentley materials including carbon fibre and Alcantara suede. A strict two-seater, the rear seats are replaced by a luggage area while up front, the lightweight sports shells feature carbon-fibre backs and can be individually tailored to the owner.

The headlining, rear compartment and the seat centre panels are finished in Alcantara high quality suede-like material, while the seats get soft-leather with a ‘diamond’ upholstery pattern as do the steering wheel and gear lever. Carbon-fibre replaces the wood veneer on the centre console and facia.

No prices have yet been revealed but the Supersports is expected to cost in excess of £150,000. A limited production run is likely too.

Renault Clio

Sharpened up Clio arrives with an all-new look and a hot GT model...

Take a look at Renault's new family favourite. This is the facelifted Clio, which has been revealed here for the first time in sporty new GT guise.

The refreshed supermini lands in May with a face to match that of the new Megane and Laguna, lowering the main radiator grille below the bumper to give it the same sleek look as its bigger brethren.

The Clio outsells the next most popular Renault by two to one in the UK, but last year sales fell by over a third compared to 2007. The new GT will help stem the losses by creating a bridge between the rampant Renaultsport hot hatches and the more sensible models below.No engines have been announced, but we’re expecting to see the 138bhp two-litre petrol and the highest power 1.5-litre diesel under the bonnet.

The GT’s suspension will be stiffer and lower compared to the regular Clio and you’ll spot plenty of visual clues to its sporting pretensions, including extensions to the sills and lower grille, and twin exhaust pipes. Inside, the seats loudly proclaim the GT status and there’s also drilled aluminium pedal covers.

Meanwhile the whole range comes with the option of cut-price in-built sat nav. Thanks to a tie-up with TomTom, the usually steep bill has been slashed to “hopefully well below £500”, according to a Renault spokesman.

The fixed system can be updated on-line via a removeable SD card and it comes with traffic warnings, speed camera locations and speed limit information. Engines are expected to follow the current line-up, dominated by the 1.2 petrol and 1.5-litre diesels. Only the lower powered diesels fall into the £35 band-B tax bracket at the moment, but that could change with the launch of the new model.

New interior trims will be offered, but any owners of the current car looking to swap will be hoping Renault has cured the misting problem highlighted by several Clio III drivers.

Aston’s fastest Vantage roars in

V12 supercar promises 190mph top speed and will features lighter, more muscular body.

Meet the fastest, most powerful Vantage ever! This is Aston Martin’s new V12-engined supercar – a striking machine which packs race-derived technology into a stunning body. And Auto Express has been given access ahead of its world debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show.

The V12 Vantage was first seen as the RS concept in 2007, and the production version has lost little in its translation from dream to reality. Under the many bonnet louvres lies a mighty 6.0-litre V12 producing 510bhp and 570Nm of torque. That’s 90bhp and 100Nm more than the regular 4.8-litre V8 Vantage. The powerplant is hooked up to a six-speed manual gearbox driving the rear wheels. This means the new model does 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds and accelerates on to a top speed of 190mph.

The new hand-built unit has been developed from the same V12 found in the bigger DB9, as well as the LMP1 Le Mans 24 Hours racer.

Engine airflow is improved by an intake bypass that opens up at 5,500rpm, along with a revised induction system and re-profiled inlet ports. The bigger unit is 100kg heavier than the V8, but by fitting carbon ceramic brakes, new 19-inch 10-spoke aluminium alloys, lightweight inner body panels and optional carbon and Kevlar seats, Aston has kept overall weight gain down to only 50kg.

The rear suspension is more compact to accommodate wider wheels and tyres, while the ride height is lowered by 15mm. In addition, the springs have been stiffened by 45 per cent, and the front and rear anti-roll bars by 15 per cent and 75 per cent respectively. As a result, the V12 Vantage is said to generate up to 1.3G of cornering force.

Most of the body panels are new, and the car looks just as aggressive as the concept. More muscle has been added to the standard model’s meaty shape, with some inspiration from the N24 race car.

At the front is a new splitter, while the bonnet features neat louvres, the side skirts are deeper and there’s a pronounced boot spoiler.

These changes are designed to improve the aerodynamics, although there are plenty of stylish updates, too – such as neat spotlights in the front spoiler and clear lenses in the tail-lamps.

Inside, the instrument dials are easier to read, while carbon fibre door pulls are accompanied by Alcantara suede. The new centre console also features a Sport button which sharpens throttle response and opens up baffles in the exhaust, giving the car a sportier sound.

A three-stage traction control system is also added to the mix. In normal mode, the Dynamic Stability Control package is automatically on, but selecting ‘track mode’ raises the level at which it intervenes, allowing the driver to slide the car more before the system cuts in.

Aston Martin says it will limit production to 1,000 models, with deliveries starting towards the end of the year. Prices haven’t been confirmed, but it is expected to cost just under £140,000.