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Aston may build fewer than 100 Lagonda super saloons

Aston Martin has owned the Lagonda nameplate since the late '40s, but in the roughly 70 years since that acquisition, the use of the name has been kept largely exclusive for four-door models. The two most famous modern Lagondas are the angular, futuristic sedan built in the '70s and '80s and the infamously ugly SUV concept from the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. UK magazine Car claims that the classic name could make its return on a svelte four-door as soon as this summer, which makes sense considering our spy shooters recently caught what looked like a modernized incarnation of the 70s super saloon last month. Interestingly, while Aston Martins are rare birds as-is, Car says that the neo-Lagonda could be even more scarce – its sources suggest that the model could be limited to under 100 units. That's because Aston Martin's Q customization service is reportedly taking up construction duties for the project, and with its small team, that means production is going to be slow, limited and very expensive. Even covered in camo as spied above, there's something special about the new car. The squinting headlights and thin A-pillar echo the '80s model in a modern way and make this four-door look a lot sportier than the Bentley, Maserati and Rolls-Royce models that it will likely compete against. It's rumored to be using composite body panels to keep weight down. The powertrain is said to be an evolution of the Rapide, Aston's sole existing four-door model. The Lagonda would use Aston Martin's 5.9-liter V12 with power tuned to around 600 horsepower, backed by an eight-speed automatic replacing the Rapide's elderly six-speed unit. That would put power just short of an Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG, but the composite panels could lend it a weight advantage. The latest rumor only indicates the Lagonda's unveiling sometime later this summer, with no exact date or location. Still given the relative completeness of the test car, it doesn't look like it could be too far away. We can't wait to see it when the camo comes off.

Mercedes to offer SL, GL platforms to Aston Martin?

The agonizingly slow courtship between Aston Martin and Mercedes-Benz has been a regular topic of conversation ever since the 2009 Lagonda Concept debuted, riding on a Mercedes GL chassis. Beyond that one polarizing concept, though, nearly every other attempt to pair the two brands up in a major way has fallen through. Only the technical partnership between Mercedes and Aston for certain components from AMG, which was negotiated back in July, has held up so far.
That may finally be set to change, according to an excellent profile of the two brands' relationship from Automobile, which claims that two platforms will unite the Germans and Brits. The first tie up is, not surprisingly, a sports car.
As Aston Martin's VH platform - which underpins every car that comes out of Gaydon - continues to age, the pressure will well and truly be on Aston to find a next-gen replacement to underpin the successors to the Vantage, Vanquish, DB9 and Rapide. Automobile claims Mercedes has just such an architecture, in the form its new modular sports car platform. This new platform is slated for the next-generation SLK and SL and is still in its design infancy.

Bond stunt driver Jessica Hawkins joins Aston Martin as 'driver ambassador'

LONDON — James Bond movie stunt driver and W Series racer Jessica Hawkins has joined the Aston Martin Formula One team as 'driver ambassador'. The team of four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll said in a statement on Wednesday that she will work with partners and "across a variety of disciplines". If somewhat vague on detail, the new job could involve the 26-year-old Briton showing off some of the skills featured in the yet-to-be-released Bond movie 'No Time to Die'. "I enjoy sending cars sideways almost as much as I do racing," she told Reuters. Aston Martin, the fictional British secret agent's car of choice, has played up the Bond connection since returning to Formula One this season in a rebranding of Silverstone-based Racing Point. Their F1 car launch in March was presented online by "Quantum of Solace" actress Gemma Arterton, with Bond actor Daniel Craig delivering a message of support. Hawkins, a former British karting champion, also has racing credentials although far from the level required to obtain a Formula One super-license. The all-female W Series is supporting Formula One and Hawkins follows defending champion Jamie Chadwick, who has a development role with Williams, in forging a connection to an F1 team. Daughter of an air-conditioning fitter, her racing career stalled for lack of cash until the Formula Three-level W Series came along in 2019 with all costs paid. "When I was 10 or 11 I was named the female most likely to make it to Formula One and it never materialized," said Hawkins, who recalled once beating future Red Bull F1 driver Alexander Albon. "I may not have made it... but I'm certainly proud of where I am and the journey I've been on to get to where I am." Related video: F1 training, Ken Block and Pikes Peak | The Autoblog Show Ep 04