Celebrity Life

Swiss-owned and Warwick, UK-based Reforged, which specialises in the re-creation – and partial reimagination – of contemporary classic cars, has announced that its latest project will begin production in September.

Named the Aston Martin Callum Vanquish 25, it’s a limited-edition (restricted to 25 automobiles) of one of the British manufacturer’s most beloved GT cars of modern times, but featuring some 350 changes to engineering, design and materials overseen by its original designer Ian Callum.

Probably the most celebrated British designer of his generation, the Scottish-born Callum was, until recently, head of design at Jaguar, but he also presided over styling at Aston at a time when both marques were owned by Ford. With the Callum Vanquish 25, he’s revisited one of his favourite designs, with the objective of making it a more relevant proposition for the 21st century’s third decade (the Vanquish was introduced in 2001 and ceased production six years later).

Mechanically, the revisions include new dampers, roll bar a wider track, lowered ride height, sharper steering and three larger wheel choices, and buyers also have the option of three transmissions – automatic, semi-auto and manual. The 580bhp V12 engine has also been subtly modified, with a new carbon intake system and tuned stainless-steel headers that promise an appropriately emotive exhaust.

Aside from the bigger wheels – ever a Callum favourite – exterior changes are subtle, though the car can be ordered in a range of colours that Reforged describes as “infinite”. Attention to detail is also meticulous, with what the designer says are “flawless surface finishes, tight shut lines and a crafted interior that I believe you’ll enjoy spending time in”. As for the interior, the refreshed Vanquish features Bridge of Weir leather upholstery, a range of new surface materials that includes brushed or dark chrome and walnut, personalised luggage by Mulberry and a removable dashboard clock/pocket watch by Brit company Bremont; eight trim colours are also available.

The Callum Vanquish 25 joins another limited run of Heritage Twin Astons based on the V12 Vantage Zagato, which Reforged is currently building. Expect a UK price in the region of £550,000, and as that includes a personal consultation with one of the great car designers of our age you could almost say it’s a bargain.

The post Vanquish Reborn – A Limited Edition Aston Martin Hits the Road appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

When Italian car manufacturer Maserati chose diesel engines to power its Ghibli saloon and Levante SUV, enthusiasts scratched heads in disbelief: could oil ever be an appropriate fuel for one of the most emotive names in automobile history?

For whatever reason, though, the company now appears to be backtracking, with the news that it’s begun replacing diesels with mildly hybridised (MHEV) petrol engines, the first example of this being the roll-out of a facelifted Ghibli with a turbocharged 2-litre, four-cylinder unit – whose 48-volt technology accumulates and then recovers kinetic energy – under its bonnet.

For a manufacturer more commonly associated with V8 (or, at the very least, V6) power, a 2-litre four-pot might sound even less acceptable than the oil-burning six it replaces, but Maserati is eager to point out that the new motor is easily up to the task. The engine, which in its basic form is shared with FCA stablemate Alfa Romeo, has been tweaked to provide 325bhp and a fairly hefty thwack of torque – and as all of the latter is available from just 1,500rpm, and also comes with a further e-boost from the MHEV system, performance is at the very least on par with that of the outgoing power units. Moreover, the company says it offers significantly reduced emissions compared with the diesel, and the new car is considerably lighter than the outgoing one, too – by some 80kg.

Performance figures for the revised Ghibli certainly look impressive: maximum speed is in the region of 260km/h, with a 0-100 acceleration time of 5.7 seconds. Those figures come with appropriately rorty noises from the exhaust system, which the engineers have reworked to provide a properly Maserati-like soundtrack.

The new internals come with a gentle massage of the car’s exterior and interior, with the adoption of the colour blue both outside (on the three side ducts, brake calipers and c-pillar trident badge) and in (seat stitching) denoting its MHEV credentials. Also new are a front grille with revised vertical bars resembling tuning forks, and restyled rear lights.

This, however, represents merely a first step in the Modena company’s EV programme, an eventual objective being the full electrification of its entire fleet. Next year should see the launch of new, all-electric GranTurismo and GranCabrio models – so enjoy those fruity Maserati sounds while you can. They’ll soon be a thing of the past.

The post Singing the Body Electric with Maserati’s New Ghibli appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.