By Jake Lingeman, AutoWeek

We love one-off specials almost as much as we love the supercars upon which they're based. And if you're a tuner trying to pick a good chassis, we can't think of a much better place to start than the Aston Martin V12 Vantage.

That's what Danish company HBH did for its Bulldog GT. The Bulldog takes its general form from the shapely Vantage, though the rear gets a small lip spoiler on top and the body panels surround the rear fascia. Side strakes adorn the doors and rear quarter similar to those found on Aston's One-77. The front is slightly more stylized than the Vantage donor car, with a wide aperture and a black grille.

By Greg Kable, AutoWeek

Aston Martin has rekindled its association with famed Italian design house and coachbuilder Zagato on a rebodied and re-engineered version the V12 Vantage.

Set to be one of the stars of this weekend's Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este on the shores of Lake Como in Italy, the Aston Martin V12 Zagato commemorates the 50th anniversary of Aston Martin's first collaboration with Zagato, the DB4GT Zagato.

By Michael Bettencourt for MSN Autos

New York City, N.Y. – Nissan’s plug-in Leaf hatchback has been crowned 2011 World Car of the Year, marking it as the first all-electric vehicle to do so.

When Chevrolet won the honours for World Green Car of the Year, it didn’t bode well for the all-electric Leaf. After all, if an all-electric car was beaten out by a gasoline-powered plug-in hybrid for an environmental award, what might that say about Nissan’s hatch? Furthermore, having been trumped by the Volt in the green stakes, few expected the Nissan to overcome larger, faster, and more luxurious World Car of the Year rivals, namely the Audi A8 and BMW 5 Series.

By Greg Migliore, AutoWeek

Virage means to bend or turn in French, and Aston Martin uncorked a knee-buckling curve on Tuesday night. The British brand of luxury and sport will add another model, called the Virage, to its vaunted lineup, replete with a 490-hp V12 displacing 6.0 liters.

Naturally, there will be a Volante version to complement the range, which will be slotted between the DBS and the DB9. Revealed in pictures, the car will make its global debut at the Geneva motor show next week.

By Brad Constant, AutoWeek

Aston Martin has designed three special-edition DB9 models named Carbon Black, Quantum Silver and Morning Frost.

The Carbon Black and Quantum Silver models are both sport editions with a six-speed Touchtronic II automatic transmission and a remapped sports exhaust that provides a more evocative sound, the automaker said.

By Julian Rendell and Greg Migliore, AutoWeek

Perhaps the single most breathtaking car of the fall auction season, a 1964 Aston Martin DB5--better known as the James Bond car--sold for $4.61 million to Ohio collector Harry Yeaggy on Wednesday at the RM Auctions Automobiles of London sale.

The Aston was expected to sell for more than $5 million, and the sale fell a bit short of that, registering a final bid of 2.6 million British pounds, or $4,114,760. Buyer's premiums raise the total sale price to $4.61 million.

The car received just two bids, starting at 2.5 million pounds ($3.9 million). The moment was one of the most anticipated in recent auctions, though it opened in a rather flat manner as one “bidder” shouted out 10 million (pounds) for the opening salvo, and it was not taken seriously by the auctioneer.

By Izzi Bendall, AutoWeek

With little more than a week to go, RM Auctions is gearing up for its fourth-annual Automobiles of London event. It's set for Oct. 27, with preview times beginning on Oct. 26. The lots are diverse and offer a little something for everyone. Here's a look at what to expect:

FOR THE MOVIE AFFICIANADO

Used in the James Bond movies Goldfinger and Thunderball, the 1964 Aston Martin DB5, which is being hawked at the “Most Famous Car in the World” is fitted with several Bond modifications, including a bulletproof shield and a smoke screen. The car is expected to sell for more than $5.56 million.

The 1969 Lamborghini Islero GTS driven by Roger Moore in the film The Man Who Haunted Himself will also cross the auction block. This Islero is one of only five right-hand-drive cars built, and is estimated to sell for between $151,000 and $215,000.

Gallery: Top 10 bond cars

By Izzi Bendall, AutoWeek

Aston Martin said on Monday that the Cygnet--a reworked version of the Toyota iQ city car--will go into production in 2011.

The Cygnet, which was shown as a concept car at the Geneva motor show in March, is just less than 10 feet long.

"Our customers need a small car for urban and city use and they want the right tools for the right job, to downsize creatively without compromising intelligence, artistry and personality," said Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez.

By Mark Atkinson, MSN Autos

The merits of offering halo models can be debated endlessly, but a good portion of the auto manufacturers think it’s worth the extra time and effort involved. Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini all offer extreme vehicles in the SLS AMG, 911 GT2 RS, 599 GTO and Reventon respectively.

Aston Martin is eager to be a part of the club. Despite selling six-figure V8 and V12-powered sports cars, the company is in the midst of promoting its new One-77 hypercar, which will have a price tag of $1.8 million. However, The Times of London reports that Aston has secured its biggest single sale ever – for 10 of them.

By Mark Atkinson, MSN Autos

Spring has sprung, the weather is warming, and thoughts of smoking tires and high-octane fuel are running through our minds. Similarly, two legendary automakers have chosen today to announce their plans regarding the world’s two most important 24 hour races.