Aston Martin announces two new models after take over

22-Mar-2007 • Bond News

If you haven't already heard, Ford Motor Company has sold Aston Martin from its PAG luxury division. The lucky buyers, a consortium comprised of David Richards of the British engineering and motorsport firm Prodrive, which currently runs Aston's DBR9 sports car team, plus two Kuwaiti investment firms and a Texan banker and Aston collector, purchased 90-percent of the profit-making British sports car maker for just under $1bn; Ford will retain the remaining 10 percent. Dr. Ulrich Bez, the current Aston CEO, also signed a contract to extend his role as CEO for another five years, ensuring project continuity into the future. Now that the ink is dry on the contract, the new owners are eager to let the world know exactly what its plans are - reports Car Pages.

The first announcement is to do with the Rapide four-door, which we figured was headed for production. The gorgeous sedan that debuted in concept form at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in January will be launched by 2009. Constructed from the versatile VH aluminum platform, and most likely powered by a V12 engine, its sights are set on the wealthyconnoisseur who values a car's driving dynamics as much as its styling. Think of it as a step up from the driver-oriented Maserati Quattroporte or Audi S8, but with greater exclusivity. The successor to the futuristic Lagonda, the Rapide represents a side of Aston Martin not seen since the '80s.

Aston wants to build between 1,000 and 2,000 of these four-door coupes per year, a much larger volume than the initial projection of 300 to 500 units. Combined with the production of the "baby" V8 Vantage and the DB9, Aston's total vehicle production would jump to 7,000 units, a figure that's not at all shabby for a carmaker that was on the verge of bankruptcy just over decade and a half ago. In order to fulfill the production demands, Aston would hire an additional 200 workers for its Gaydon assembly facility, expanding the total production crew to 2,000.

But before the four-door Aston lands, the range will get a booster shot with a new model. The new car will be called the DBS, but it won't be a glorified DB9, the vehicle sharing the same name that starred in the James Bond flick, Casino Royale. Bez remarked, "... it won't be a direct replacement for the Vanquish either, because we prefer to carve out a new identity for the car, however it will be our flagship product, and will use our VH platform."

With the current Vanquish being phased out after a successful run, the DBS is expected to arrive by the end of this year, with a possible debut at Frankfurt. Bez also spoke of a vehicle called the DBX, which might serve as the replacement to the DB9, and potentially feature all-wheel drive, a first for the company.