Britain put son as how
CARe to join me? I’m California dreaming. Out on the West Coast of America, the world’s super-rich are gathering this week for the Monterey Car Week and Pebble Beach Concours d’elegance to see the latest supercars, on which they will be spending millions of pounds.
But it will be helping our international exports and securing UK jobs as Aston Martin, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, McLaren and Range Rover showcase the best of British automotive expertise.
Today, James Bond’s favourite marque, Aston Martin, unleashed its most powerful Vantage Roadster yet — the first to use a massive new 700 hp, 5.2-litre V12 twin-turbo powertrain.
Linked to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and promising an ‘unforgettable adrenaline rush’, it propels the two-door, two-seater soft-top from rest to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, up to a top speed of 200 mph.
Aston says it offers ‘monstrous performance’ and describes it as ‘the ultimate expression of style, sound and speed’.
Running on 21 in wheels, the new flagship Vantage costs from about £372,000 (£310,000 plus VAT).
Only 249 are to be sold globally and order books have already closed because of ‘ unprecedented demand’. Production is to start in late summer, with first deliveries in autumn and early winter.
Earlier this week, Aston Martin unveiled for the California show a new 195 mph two- seater open- cockpit DBR22 with a 715 hp 5.2-litre V12 petrol engine and a near £2 million price tag.
The DBR22 is a 21st-century salute to the classic DB3S of 1953 and the DBR1 of later in that decade.
Tomorrow, Bentley will take the wraps off its new W12-engined Mulliner Batur coupe.
And Bugatti is launching its fastest- ever cabriolet — a 260 mph, 1,600hp Mistral Roadster costing £ 5 million and capable of accelerating from rest to 62 mph in 2.5 seconds.