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Aston Martin not actively pursuing new investors as opens SUV plant

ST ATHAN, Wales — Aston Martin, which was reported this week to be the target of Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, said it was not actively pursuing new investors on Friday as it opened a new factory to build its first sport utility vehicle. As some in the global car industry turn to partnerships, alliances or mergers to handle the challenge of electrification, new technology and tighter margins, Autocar magazine reported on Thursday that Stroll, the owner of Formula One team Racing Point, is preparing to buy a major stake in Aston. "You know what we would have to do if there was an official approach. Beyond that, I can't comment," Aston's chief executive Andy Palmer told Reuters at the factory opening, referring to rules governing publicly-listed companies. "We're certainly not actively soliciting any other participation. That's not to say it doesn't come," he said when asked whether Aston needed a new investor. The British automaker's new factory in south Wales holds the key to ending a poor performance this year from Aston, whose shares have tumbled 75% this year on weaker-than-expected sales. In August, Aston's biggest investor, Strategic European Investment Group, bought an extra 3% stake in the 106-year-old company, whose second largest shareholder is a Kuwaiti investor. Last month Aston, which floated in October 2018, launched its DBX model, hoping that more female buyers will help boost sales after posting a pre-tax loss of 92.3 million pounds ($118 million) for the first nine months. It hopes its new factory, in St Athan, near Cardiff, will help turn around its fortunes. The plant is its second alongside its historic one in Gaydon, central England. As the autos sector consolidates through deals such as the merge of Peugeot and Fiat, Aston has said it does not need to belong to a bigger automotive group, pointing to the success of stand-alone rival Ferrari. Palmer said the small stake held by Germany's Daimler allows Aston to have access to technology and benefit from the speed at which it can operate independently. "There is a perfectly rational route to success in our current state," he said. Reporting by Costas Pitas.

2015 Aston Martin Vanquish [UPDATE]

There's something really special about an Aston Martin Vanquish. It's not my favorite model in the British automaker's range – I'm more of a Vantage guy, if I'm being choosy. But every time I drive one, I feel like I'm piloting something fit for royalty, $300,000 price tag and all. It's stunning to look at, even in the rather drab shade of gray pictured here. It makes an absolutely killer noise, the free-breathing V12 firing from beneath the hood and out the back with a truly intoxicating sound. And from behind the wheel, it feels like a truly proper grand tourer. Well, almost. The one major hiccup with the Vanquish I drove last year was its six-speed automatic transmission. In a word, it was awful. Really jarring shifts, delayed manual control through the paddles, and really, just a hugely misaligned piece of an otherwise excellent puzzle. So I was happy to hear that for 2015, Aston Martin had fitted a new, ZF-sourced, eight-speed unit – you know, the transmission being used by automakers like BMW, Jaguar, Audi, and many more. I normally have zero issues with this silky gearbox. But in the Vanquish, it wasn't smooth sailing like I expected – it feels like it still needs some final calibrations. But that doesn't make this car any less special. Drive Notes I love this engine. The 5.9-liter, naturally aspirated V12 makes 569 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, and it absolutely loves to rev. That's a good thing, since the siren song of the Vanquish's V12 is most pronounced at higher engine speeds. In fact, it's not really all that audible right from the get-go. You have to work it up past 2,500-3,000 rpm before this thing really starts to sing. But when it's turned up to 11, it's one of the best-sounding engines I've ever heard. That said, getting the Vanquish going is kind of an awkward process. There's a surprising momentary lack of power delivery right at throttle tip-in, and then the Vanquish suddenly jolts forward. It's alarming – I found myself raising an eyebrow and yelling "GO!," especially when trying to quickly merge into the traffic flow. But it'll go, when it's ready, and hitting 60 miles per hour takes just 3.6 seconds. The transmission is still an issue here. When left to its own devices, it doesn't have a problem finding the right gear for the occasion, but the actual shifts don't fire off with the smoothness and quickness that I've come to expect from this tranny in other models.

Aston Martin DBS 770 Ultimate is a little more powerful, different looking

Aston Martin is bringing this iteration of the DBS sports car to a close, so of course it's doing so with one more special edition: the DBS 770 Ultimate. It is one of the most powerful versions of the car, and has a selection of unique features. And like so many other special high-end sports cars, every example has been sold. The headlining feature of the 770 is its extra power. It makes 759 horsepower, 44 more than the standard version, and basically the same as the DBS GT Zagato. Torque remains the same, though. A tweaked intake and ignition system plus 7% more boost pressure is responsible for the extra power. Top speed has not increased, though, sticking to 211 mph. There are other light upgrades both performance-wise and design-wise. Additional vents have been added to the hood and a new splitter added to the front; both modifications are meant to improve cooling. More carbon fiber trim on the outside along with side sills, a diffuser, and unique wheels make it look more aggressive. The steering column has solid mounts for better steering feel. The front end is 25% stiffer than before, and the whole car is stiffer by 3% thanks to a redesigned front subframe and rear undertray. The transmission and adaptive suspension have been retuned, too. But it has the same carbon ceramic brakes and mechanical limited-slip differential as the regular car. The interior gets some attention, too. The standard seats are Sports Plus units with more aggressive ones available. A special strap and buckle have been added to the center console. Of course, the interior and the exterior can be further customized with different colors, materials, graphics and more. As previously mentioned, every DBS 770 Ultimate has already been sold. Only 499 will be built, 300 of which are coupes and 199 are convertibles. Aston didn't give a price, which is understandable when it's not even really on sale in a traditional way. But we're sure each one will go for a fair premium over a standard model. Production starts soon, with deliveries coming in the third quarter of this year. Related video: