Aston Martin knows a thing or two about developing a luxury sedan fit for long, country-crossing road trips as they’ve been doing it for decades. This longevity comes from a willingness to occasionally break convention and explore whats possible outside of the status quo. Challenging the nature of luxury GT travel resulted in the all electric, all-wheel drive Aston Martin DBX concept.
“I asked my team at Aston Martin to expand their thinking beyond conventions, to explore what the future of luxury GT motoring would look like in years ahead, and the DBX Concept you see before you is the result,” said Aston Martin CEO Dr Andy Palmer.
The form of the DBX combines the well established Aston Martin design language with a forward-looking elegance that is the byproduct of new engineering. Machined billet aluminum contrast the Black Pearl Chromium paint finish, which sits on top of a micro-fine layer of chrome for a level of reflectivity. Active LED exterior lights round out the exterior visual package.
Aston isn’t solely exploring design with the DBX, it’s also demonstrating the unity between opulence and practicality. The interior can comfortably fit four passengers as well as their luggage. Nubuck leather contrasts the cutting edge technology incorporated throughout the cabin.
“A concept car such as this should, in my view, challenge conventional thinking and explore the art of the possible,” Dr Palmer added. This thinking to redefine the Grand Tourer resulted in a concept that takes what we accept for an automobile and tosses it aside, using a fresh approach to mobility instead.
The DBX has more available space to offer passengers due to the lack of engine compartment, as the all-electric concept is powered by electric motors house within each wheel. These motors are powered by lithium sulphur cells while the wheels are steered by an electric drive-by-wire system: no mechanical linkage needed.
Carbon ceramic brakes bring the DBX to a halt and, when it does so, a motorsport-derived kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) captures heat and energy, replenishing the battery.
What part of the DBX will we see on future Aston Martins? It’s something time will tell. We’re sure to see designs evocative of this show car in the future, as well as the uses for a KERS system, if future Aston Martins adopt hybrid or full electric power.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.