2003 Aston Martin Db7 Vantage Volante All Options on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG formalize technical partnership

The development of a partnership between Mercedes-Benz and Aston Martin has been a long time coming. The news dates back to 2008, and over the five years since was supposed to lead to a rejuvenation of both the Maybach and Lagonda brands. That program ultimately fell apart, but the tie-in was forged afresh in July when the two automakers signed a letter of intent over a renewed partnership. And now that partnership has been formalized.
In a deal just announced, Mercedes-AMG will build a new V8 engine for Aston Martin that will power a new generation of luxury GTs for the British marque, presumably to replace the 4.7-liter V8 in the Vantage. The relationship appears to be similar to the one already in place between AMG and Pagani, only in this case, will involve Daimler taking as much as a five-percent stake in Aston Martin and an observer seat on Aston's board.
The technical partnership is also set to lead to the supply of electric and electronic systems, and could incorporate "additional areas of cooperation in the future." Whether that will include a fresh attempt at reviving Lagonda remains to be seen, as does the future of Aston's long-serving, Ford-based 6.0-liter V12 engine. But for now you can read the full announcement below.

Aston Martin DBS, Superleggera names resurrected for a new ‘Super GT’

Aston Martin has announced it's bringing back the time-honored DBS name. Originally used in the 1967-1972 GT car, the name was briefly resurrected for a DB9-related model made from 2008 to 2012, and then put back on the shelf. The new car, which Aston refers to a "flagship Super GT," will be introduced in June, as mentioned in a teaser video that somehow reminds us of the xenomorph creature in the "Alien" sci-fi movies. But it's not going to be a big, heavy bruiser, as Aston is also adorning it with a Superleggera badge, referring to super-lightweight construction and dating back to the classic Carrozzeria Touring days of the DB4, DB5 and DB6. Sources such as Autocar say the new, Vanquish-replacing model would have the turbocharged 5.2-liter V12 from the DB11, but tuned for considerably higher output than the DB11's 600 horsepower — perhaps 700 hp is in order. Official power figures have not yet been released, but June isn't that far away. Announcing the re-birth of an iconic name. A distinctive moniker, set to be proudly worn once again by Aston Martin's flagship Super GT. DBS Superleggera.https://t.co/W7Z6SuJFbW pic.twitter.com/1e4ePW84sl — Aston Martin (@astonmartin) April 17, 2018 Related Video: Aston Martin Luxury Performance dbs

Aston Martin posts deep quarterly loss as coronavirus pandemic dents sales

LONDON — Aston Martin posted a deep first-quarter loss after sales dropped by nearly a third due to the impact of the coronavirus crisis, though the luxury car maker said production of a crucial sport utility vehicle was on track. Aston Martin, popular for being James Bond's carmaker of choice, suffered a torrid time since it floated in October 2018, seeing its share price tumble from 19 pounds to around 40 pence. Dire conditions forced the company to bring in Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll to invest in the firm, while Aston said it will continue to review future funding and refinancing options to boost liquidity. The pandemic hit demand and forced factories around the world to suspend production. However, Aston resumed operations as its Welsh plant last week but not at its other site located in southern England as yet. "We were obviously fairly significantly hit by COVID-19, starting with China in January but more clearly in what we saw as it came across towards Europe and the United States," Chief Executive Andy Palmer told Reuters. The company posted a pre-tax loss of 119 million pounds ($145 million), compared with a loss of 17 million pounds ($21 million) last year, and said it could no longer provide an annual outlook. Its full-year loss in 2019 came in at 104 million pounds. Shares were down 5% at 36 pence, as of 07:35 GMT on Wednesday. The carmaker said production of its DBX SUV, which is key to boost volumes and appeal to new buyers including more women, was on track and had a strong order book. The luxury brand, which has seen core retail sales slump by an annual 31%, has furloughed staff, introduced additional safety measures and cut the pay of its senior management as part of measures to handle the crisis caused by the pandemic. Stroll, who hopes to pursue a turnaround partly by sharing Formula One technology with the firm's range of road cars, leads a consortium that took a 25% stake in the company earlier this year as part of a capital raise worth 536 million pounds. "Given the ongoing uncertainties, as is prudent, the company continues to review all future funding and refinancing options to increase liquidity," the company said on Wednesday.   (Reporting by Costas Pitas; Editing by James Davey and Sherry Jacob-Phillips)