Back in May, on the banks of Italy’s Lake Como, Aston Martin debuted what is perhaps its prettiest car in years. Dubbed the Vanquish Zagato, the striking two-door combined classic British proportions with the Italian design flair of Zagato, resulting in something elegant, evocative, and undeniably beautiful. Lake Como’s vibrant waters looked dull by comparison.
Three months late,r at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Aston may have outdone itself. The Vanquish Zagato Volante takes everything we loved about the coupe and rips the top off, adding sunshine and freedom to an already winning formula. Some of the better elements of the hardtop are now missing — the “double bubble” top and cascading roofline, for example — but the open-air experience appears to be more than worth it. Plus, it’ll be easier to hear that sweet, sweet engine.
Like its fixed roof sibling, the Vanquish Zagato Volante is powered by a naturally aspirated 6.0-liter V12 that produces an impressive 592 horsepower. Zero to 60 mph is dealt with in just 3.7 seconds, and even though that’s a hair slower than the hardtop due to the convertible’s extra weight, it’s quick enough to leave most sports cars staring at the Volante’s lovely caboose.
“The Vanquish Zagato Volante illustrates the ways in which Aston Martin design can evolve in collaboration with such a trusted and long-standing partner,” said Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman. “Vanquish Zagato Volante continues Aston Martin’s new century of innovation and creativity, strengthening the association between these great automotive marques in the process.”
Whether it’s the gaping grille, the side strakes above the front wheels, or the Vulcan-style LED taillights, the Vanquish Zagato Volante’s exterior blurs the line between function and art. By comparison, the interior looks relatively understated and clean. As a cherry on top, though, Aston Martin’s Q division can add even more personalization to the car, including herringbone carbon fiber trim, anodized bronze detailing, and Bridge of Weir leather. So not only is this one the best-looking cars in the world, if you have enough coin, you can make it your own.
The Vanquish Zagato Volante will be built in a limited production run of 99 units, with deliveries starting sometime in 2017.
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.