Pirelli World Challenge – The Circuit of The Americas – March 6-8

The Circuit of The Americas in Austin will begin the 2015 racing season by hosting the Pirelli World Challenge on March 6-8. This event is three days of nonstop, high-octane sports car racing on the 3.4-mile road course.

The Pirelli World Challenge will feature world-renown automakers like Aston Martin, Bentley, Audi, Lamborghini, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Porsche and Toyota. The races will run in 50 minute increments with standing starts, and no scheduled pit stops or driver swaps. Friday will be dedicated to practice sessions, with qualifying and races on both Saturday and Sunday.

Fans can see their favorite cars up close and meet drivers in the designated open paddock area. Additionally, fans can purchase passes to designated parking in manufacturer’s parking areas.

Two of the featured vehicles include the Bentley Continental GT3 and the Aston Martin GT3 V12. Both are based off of similar models from their respective manufacturers. The Bentley Continental GT and Aston Martin Vantage GT models are available through Late European in Austin.  

If you are interested in a Bentley or Aston Martin, contact Sonny Morgan at 512.401.4607 through Late European or sonny@lateeuro.com.  

For ticket information, visit www.circuitoftheamericas.com, www.ticketmaster.com or call 512-301-6600 (extension 1).

Pirelli World Challenge Schedule:

Friday, March 6

8 to 8:40 a.m.: Pirelli World Challenge — TC - TCA - TCB Practice

8:55 to 9:25 a.m.: Porsche Cup GT3 Practice

9:40 to 10:20 a.m.: Pirelli World Challenge — GTS Practice

10:35 to 11:15 a.m.: Pirelli World Challenge — GT - GTA - GT Cup Class Practice

12:25 to 1:05 p.m.: Pirelli World Challenge — TC - TCA - TCB Practice

1:20 to 1:50 p.m.: Porsche Cup GT3 Practice

2:05 to 2:45 p.m.: Pirelli World Challenge — GTS Class Practice

3 to 3:40 p.m.: Pirelli World Challenge — GT - GTA - GT Cup Practice

3:55 to 4:25 p.m.: Porsche Cup GT3 Practice

Saturday, March 7, 2015

8 to 8:30 a.m.: Pirelli World Challenge — GTS Qualifying

8:45 to 9:15 a.m.: Porsche Cup GT3 Qualifying

9:30 to10:15 a.m.: Pirelli World Challenge — GT - GTA - GT Cup Qualifying

10:30 to 11:20 a.m.: Pirelli World Challenge — TC - TCA - TCB Qualifying/Race No. 1

12:20 to 1:30 p.m.: Race No. 1 Pirelli World Challenge GTS

1:45 to 2:30 p.m.: Race No. 1 Porsche Cup GT3

2:45 to 4 p.m.: Race No. 1 Pirelli World Challenge GT - GTA - GT Cup

4:15 to 5:15 p.m.: Race No. 2 Pirelli World Challenge TC - TCA - TCB

Sunday, March 8

8 to 8:30 a.m.: Warmup - Porsche GT3 Cup

8:45 9 a.m.: Warmup - GTS

9:15 to 9:30 a.m.: Warmup - GT Classes

9:45 to 10:05 a.m.: Porsche Cup GT3 Qualifying

10:20 to 11:35 a.m.: Race No. 2 Pirelli World Challenge GTS

12:25 to 1:10 p.m.: Race No. 2 Porsche Cup GT3

1:25 to 2:55 p.m.: Race No. 2 Pirelli World Challenge GT - GTA - GT Cup & March to the Grid

3:10 to 4:10 p.m.: Race No. 3 Pirelli World Challenge TC - TCA – TCB

Aston Martin DB10s in Rome for “Spectre” Film

Filming for the 24^th James Bond film, “Spectre,” has officially started in Rome. After wrapping up filming car chases in the UK, now Aston Martin’s DB10s will be filmed racing and chasing on the historic streets in Italy.

In fact, four DB10s were on set, one with a driver rig attached to its roof for the stuntman scenes. Only ten of these cars will be made, all for the movie, and none sold to the public. One of the rumored chase scenes pits the DB10 against the Jaguar C-X75 at dawn, (likely driven by a villain or henchman).

Besides being a movie car, the DB10 previews the look of future Astons, especially the DB9 and their newest “halo” car – the Vulcan. The DB10 was designed with movie director Sam Mendes; it’s essentially a V8 Vantage with the clean, pure line body design of the original DB5. The vehicle is almost as wide as a One-77, with power coming from a 4.7-liter V8 engine.

If you are interested in an Aston Martin or other luxury vehicles, contact Sonny Morgan at 512.401.4607 through Late European or sonny@lateeuro.com.

2016 Aston Martin Vulcan

Aston Martin is set to unveil “something very special” at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. The all-new vehicle is dubbed the “Vulcan,” and that’s basically the extent of the released information.

Aston Martin released a 21-second teaser video for the Vulcan with high-octane engine roaring, but it shows little about the physical appearance. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait long for the official reveal on March 3^rd in Geneva.

The vehicle is named after the iconic British bomber, the Vulcan, and is proposed to be a track-only supercar. Major competition for this car includes the Ferrari LaFerrari FXX K and McLaren P1 GTR.

“It turns out Gaydon [Aston’s HQ] was an RAF base which hosted Vulcans,” said an Aston Martin insider. “It just felt like the right name for an Aston Martin!”

The exterior and interior of the Vulcan are mysteries, but are suspected to be tailored for track performance in terms of cockpit convenience features and engine-layout design. However, the teaser video does provide insight into the Vulcan’s drivetrain. The engine featured in the video sounds like a V-12, which could mean its equipped with a 5.9-liter V-12 capable of delivering over 700 horsepower and could reach 60 mph in three seconds. Another point about the drivetrain from the video is that it sounds like a motor-sport sequential transmission, adding to the Vulcan’s track performance capabilities.

The price is undisclosed at this point, but it is rumored that Aston Martin will only make 30 units in its first year of production. This in turn will drive the purchase price up, possibly exceeding $2 million.

If you are interested in an Aston Martin or other luxury vehicles, contact Sonny Morgan at 512.401.4607 through Late European or sonny@lateeuro.com.

2015 Aston Martin Vanquish Review

The 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish coupe and Volante offer a world-class super-luxury GT experience. Updates to the 2015 model year make it quicker, faster, more efficient and even more fun to drive.

Starting at $284,995 for the coupe or $302,995 for the Volante roadster, the 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish is also among the most luxurious in the world. The 2015 Vanquish continues to live up to expectations with exquisite materials, hand-built craftsmanship and thrilling dynamics.

Though the styling is similar to the Vantage and the Rapide, Aston’s top GT uses a carbon fiber body shell instead of stamped metal. The sharp crease along the side and the one-piece trunk-lid/wing spoiler are examples of this tech-enabled display of muscular sculpted design.

The interior looks like a modern super-GT, featuring quilted or stitched leather, solid metal trim and high-quality plastics. The seating options are comfortable and offer plenty of headroom in both the Vanquish coupe and the Volante models.

The primary difference with the 2015 model is the upgraded gearbox. The previous Touchtronic II six-speed automatic gearbox has been replaced with the smoother, quicker and more efficient Touchtronic III eight-speed automatic. The improved gearbox makes the car livelier during sporty driving, smoother around town, and more engaging to operate.

In addition to a new gearbox, the 2015 Vanquish engine has a new Bosch management system to match the increased performance capabilities of the new transmission. This allows the 6.0-liter V-12 engine’s 568 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque to push the car to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds—with the Volante reaching 60 mph in 3.8 seconds.

Feature-wise, the Vanquish offers the luxury necessities: navigation, excellent audio from a 1,000-watt Bang & Olufsen system, iPhone integration, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, and Wi-Fi.

If you are interested in the 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish or other luxury vehicles, contact Sonny Morgan at 512.401.4607 through Late European or sonny@lateeuro.com.   

2016 Bentley Bentayga

Bentley has officially revealed its first ever SUV, which will be called the Bentley Bentayga. The vehicle is now in the final phases of testing, and is predicted to be available for sale in early 2016. However, the full production car will be publicly
unveiled at a motor show later this year.

The original Bentley SUV concept, dubbed the “EXP 9 F,” was first previewed at the Geneva Motor Show in 2012. It was later confirmed that the manufacturer made significant design changes in response to customer feedback, which contributed to the current ‘sportier’ Bentayga design.

“Bentayga is a name that reflects what we know our SUV will do better than any other car in the world – combine the best automotive luxury with outstanding performance to take the Bentley experience to new environments,” said Wolfgang Dürheimer, Bentley Chairman and CEO.

The name Bentayga comes from a combination of ‘Taiga,’ the world’s largest snow forest crowning the northern hemisphere, and from ‘Rogue Bentayga,’ which is a rugged peak in the Canary Islands. The diverse environments that inspired the name for this SUV capture the wide variety of climates and terrains the Bentayga can handle.

Not only is the Bentayga 4x4 the first SUV from Bentley, but it will also be the first model featuring a gasoline-electric powertrain. There are two models to be expected, one with a 6.0-litre W12 engine and the other with a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. Schreiber also hinted that it will be the first Bentley to use a diesel engine and be the first model to feature plug-in hybrid technology from 2017 onwards.

“Bentley is in a good position as part of the VW group,” said Schreiber. “With technology like hybrids you need lots of investment. Smaller companies will struggle, so it’s a good opportunity for Bentley to use synergies from the VW group. For example, batteries can be used across numerous models.”

The all-new SUV price starts at $215,000 with additional packages available costing close to $306,000. Bentley’s plan is to sell 3,000 to 4,000 SUVs a year, making it a sizable piece of the Bentley line-up in the US.

If you are interested in the Bentley Bentayga or other luxury vehicles, contact Sonny Morgan at 512.401.4607 through Late European or sonny@lateeuro.com.