Aston Martin rips out the gauges, flaunts touchscreen-laden Autolink Rapide S at CES

By Andrew Hard Published January 8, 2016

When its vehicles are stylishly ferrying James Bond away from baddies on the big screen, it’s easy to forget that Aston Martin is a relatively small company. In terms of total employee numbers, the automaker from Gaydon, Warwickshire, England has roughly a third of the personnel that Ford has working at a single production facility, which means the manufacturer has a far smaller resource pool to draw from.

We’ve discussed Aston Martin’s partnership with Mercedes-AMG in the past — the German brand will supply Aston with engines for the next several years — and the company’s pairing with VC firm ChinaEquity on the RapideE concept has been well documented. At CES 2016, the automaker revealed the Autolink Rapide S, a new concept born from a collaboration between Aston and a firm dubbed “the Netflix of China.”

Aston-Martin-+-Letv-Autolink-Rapide-S-001 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Autolink Rapide S is an infotainment showcase featuring Chinese entertainment company Letv’s Internet of the Vehicle (IOV) system. The sports car’s center console has been ripped out in favor of a 13.3-inch HD touchscreen, and the instrument panel has been similarly replaced with a 12.2-inch screen that displays digital instrumentation and gauges. The IOV suite has also upgraded the Aston’s electronics by adding Letv’s latest speech-recognition technology and a remote monitoring system.

Recommended Videos

“After a few months of effort, we finished the integration of an Aston Martin vehicle and the Letv IOV system,” said Ding Lei, co-founder of Letv’s car division. “We have successfully equipped this supercar brand with over 100 years of history with an ‘Internet brain.’”

“Aston Martin is renowned for the beauty and quality of its hand-crafted cars,” explained Dr. Andrew Palmer, Aston Martin CEO. “The integration of Letv advanced connected technologies into this bespoke environment is a natural progression as we look to the future demands of our customers.”

Letv also happens to be the financial backer for the cutting edge Faraday Future FFZERO1, which was also revealed at CES 2016. Read more about the car and its slick modular platform here.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…

Cars

You can now lease a Hyundai EV on Amazon—and snag that $7,500 tax credit

amazon autos hyundai evs lease ioniq 6 n line seoul mobility show 2025 mk08

Amazon has changed how we shop for just about everything—from books to furniture to groceries. Now, it’s transforming the way we lease cars. Through Amazon Autos, you can now lease a brand-new Hyundai entirely online—and even better, you’ll qualify for the full $7,500 federal tax credit if you choose an electric model like the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, or Kona EV.
Here’s why that matters: As of January 2025, Hyundai’s EVs no longer qualify for the tax credit if you buy them outright, due to strict federal rules about battery sourcing and final assembly. But when you lease, the vehicle is technically owned by the leasing company (Hyundai Capital), which allows it to be classified as a “commercial vehicle” under U.S. tax law—making it eligible for the credit. That savings is typically passed on to you in the form of lower lease payments.
With Amazon’s new setup, you can browse Hyundai’s EV inventory, secure financing, trade in your current vehicle, and schedule a pickup—all without leaving the Amazon ecosystem.
It’s available in 68 markets across the U.S., and pricing is fully transparent—no hidden fees or haggling. While Hyundai is so far the only automaker fully participating, more are expected to join over time.
Pioneered by the likes of Tesla, purchasing or leasing vehicles online has been a growing trend since the Covid pandemic.
A 2024 study by iVendi found that 74% of car buyers expect to use some form of online process for their next purchase. In fact, 75% said online buying met or exceeded expectations, with convenience and access to information cited as top reasons. The 2024 EY Mobility Consumer Index echoed this trend, reporting that 25% of consumers now plan to buy their next vehicle online—up from 18% in 2021. Even among those who still prefer to finalize the purchase at a dealership, 87% use online tools for research beforehand.
Meanwhile, Deloitte’s 2025 Global Automotive Consumer Study reveals that while 86% of U.S. consumers still want to test-drive a vehicle in person, digital tools are now a critical part of the buying journey.
Bottom line? Amazon is making it easier than ever to lease an EV and claim that tax credit—without the dealership hassle. If you're ready to plug in, it might be time to add to cart.

Android

Gemini AI coming to cars as Android Automotive update suggests it’s due soon

The 6.8-inch Pioneer digital media receiver installed in a vehicle's dashboard.

Google appears to be getting ready to sends its Gemini AI into cars through an Android Automotive update.

This would make sense as Android Automotive already uses Google's Assistant to help with those much-needed in-car hands-free requests.

Cars

Watch from the passenger seat as the new Porsche 911 GT3 sets a record at the Nürburgring

911 GT3 with Weissach Package (Manual Transmission), Nürburgring Nordschleife 2025, Porsche AG

If you've ever wanted to race at top speeds around one of the most iconic racetracks in the world, then now is your chance. A new Porsche 911 GT3 just set a record for the fastest time around the Nürburgring in a road car with a manual transmission, knocking almost 10 seconds off the previous best time. And Porsche has released a video of the run filmed from the cockpit, so you can experience the thrills for yourself.

The record was set by legendary driver and Porsche brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister at the wheel of a 911 GT3 with the Weissach package, setting a time of 6:56.294. That's 9.5 seconds ahead of the previous record set by the Dodge Viper ACR in 2017 -- though there's some math involved in these time calculations as the track was reconfigured in 2019.