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Aston Martin names new CFO

Aston Martin is on the verge of a resurgence, instituting (among a great many other things) new top leadership, and that includes a new chief financial officer. Mark Wilson comes to Gaydon with a wealth of experience at British sports car manufacturers, having previously worked for Lotus and McLaren. His most recent posting, however, was as CFO and COO at renewable energy insurer G-Cube Underwriting. He'll take up his new job as Chief Financial Officer (and his place on the executive board) at Aston Martin on June 8, reporting directly to Andy Palmer, who in turn took up his job as CEO just this past September. Considering Aston was recently injected with an influx of cash, hiring a new money man was probably prudent. But hiring new top personnel, of course, isn't the only change Aston is making. It's got a new platform in the works, a new engine under development with Mercedes-AMG and a raft of new projects in the pipeline. That includes the replacement of every one of its models by the end of the decade and the addition of as many as three new model lines – particularly the DBX crossover that could be the first new Aston built in America. ASTON MARTIN NAMES MARK WILSON AS NEW CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 14 May 2015, Gaydon: Aston Martin today announces the appointment of Mark Wilson as Chief Financial Officer. Joining the business on Monday 8 June, Wilson, will report directly to Aston Martin CEO Dr Andy Palmer and take a place on the Executive Board at the company's global HQ in Gaydon, Warwickshire. With a strong track record of senior automotive experience already accrued with McLaren Automotive and Lotus Cars Ltd, Wilson joins the luxury British sports car maker from renewable energy insurer G-Cube Underwriting where he held the post of Chief Financial and Operating Officer. Welcoming Wilson to the team, Dr Palmer said: "Mark joins us at what is, undeniably, an extremely exciting time for Aston Martin. We are currently implementing the largest investment plan in our history which will see a total remake of our product portfolio. By the end of the decade, not only will our current line-up have been replaced entirely, we will have added up to three extra model lines and entered new market segments.

Aston Martin confirms its third mid-engine hypercar

Consider the rumors confirmed. Aston Martin will build a third mid-engine hypercar that's currently codenamed 003, following the Valkyrie (code 001) and track-specific Valkyrie AMR Pro (code 002). Aston Martin says 003 will borrow lots of technology from its forebears, including hybrid electric propulsion and carbon fiber-intensive construction. But there are some significant changes being baked into this third hypercar that will set it apart from the first two. First up, Aston Martin will use a turbocharged engine in 003. Both versions of the Valkyrie used naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 powerplants co-developed with Cosworth. We don't have any power specifications for the turbocharged hybrid drivetrain of 003 yet, but we know the Valkyrie's V12 puts out as much as 1,130 horsepower from its gasoline-burning engine and electric motors. We can't say for certain, but we wouldn't bet against Aston pushing that figure further into the stratosphere with the turbo-enhanced unit that will power 003. Aston Martin also promises "active aerodynamics" that provide "outstanding levels of downforce in a road-legal car" to go along with "active suspension systems." Sounds like there's a good chance double-oh-three could be more advanced than its older siblings. That said, Aston says its third mid-engine hypercar is being designed for use on the road in addition to the track, with "more practical concessions to road use, including space for luggage." And all of that has our interest piqued. Something conspicuously absent from Aston Martin's latest hypercar announcement are any mentions of partnerships. Both Valkyrie models were designed with plenty of input from Red Bull Racing and its famous technical director, Adrian Newey. There's also no mention of Mercedes-Benz or its AMG division, from which the British automaker sources its current lineup of V8 engines. How much input will Red Bull have in 003? Will its turbocharged V8 be sourced from Mercedes-AMG? We'll just have to wait and see. What we do know, though, is that the FIA's Hypercar Concept racing series is sounding more interesting by the minute. And, if the sketch above is at all indicative of 003's actual production design, this third hypercar will be quite a bit different from the first two. Project 003 is expected to hit the road late in 2021. Global production will be capped at 500 units. Pricing, naturally, is not yet known, but if you have to ask, well, you know the rest.

Aston Martin requests exemption from stringent US safety regulations

If you were intrigued by the chance to buy a new Aston Martin Vantage GT for $99,900, it might be best not to wait too long. There is a slim chance that the Vantage and DB9 may not have much life left in the US because they don't meet new crash standards. Aston Martin has filed documents with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asking that the new pole and moving barrier crash safety requirements – internally referred to as FMVSS 214 – be waived for the two models. The company is claiming "substantial economic hardship" and says that it can't afford to bring the vehicles into compliance. We aren't talking about a huge number of vehicles here. The Rapide and Vanquish comply with the new rules, and Aston Martin predicts that it would import 670 Vantage and DB9 models into the States between September 1, 2014 and August 31, 2017. The automaker estimates it would cost around $30 million to make them compliant. The company has indeed been in rough shape in the not-too-distant past. According to the documents, sales volume decreased by about 48 percent from a high of 7,281 units in 2007 to 3,786 vehicles in 2012. The automaker had planned to have new models ready in time so that it wouldn't need an exemption, but the global economic crisis delayed it. Interestingly, the paperwork reveals that Aston currently plans to launch a replacement for the DB9 between September 2016 and August 2017. Aston Martin doesn't have very long for NHTSA to deliberate. The new rules go into effect for them on September 1, 2014 for hardtops, and September 1, 2015 for convertibles. While it would still be able to sell its other models here, it would certainly be a shock if it had to pull the the Vantage and DB9. Both documents are available in PDF format to download and read.