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Aston Martin tipped for F1 return with Red Bull, Mercedes

Aston Martin could be plotting a return to Formula One for the first time in over half a century. And not as a backmarker, either. That is, at least, if the latest rumors materialize. While most automakers that participate in F1 do so as either a team owner (like Ferrari and Mercedes) or as an engine supplier (think Renault or Honda), the rumored Aston Martin deal would take a different approach. According to Autosport, the proposal would have the Red Bull Racing team run Aston Martin branding – but not its engines. Those would be provided by Mercedes, just like the engines in the British marque's upcoming slate of road cars. In that regard, the deal would not be unlike the one which Red Bull currently has with the Renault-Nissan Alliance, which sees the team running Renault engines and Infiniti branding. Andy Palmer was a pivotal figure in brokering that unusual arrangement when he was working for Carlos Ghosn, and is now tipped to be brokering a similar deal in his new capacity as Aston Martin's CEO. Though Aston has found glory in sports car racing (including Le Mans and its various associated series), it was never much of a contender in grand prix racing. It competed in a handful of races in 1959 and 1960, but never achieved results worth bragging about. Aston was rumored to be plotting a return when David Richards sat as chairman of the company, having run Aston's racing program as well as Honda's F1 team previously. Those rumors, however, never materialized. Whether this time 'round gains any traction remains to be seen - Aston Martin declined to either confirm or deny the reports when reached for comment by Autoblog. Red Bull has been growing increasingly dissatisfied (and increasingly vocal about its dissatisfaction) with Renault engines over the past couple of seasons. Though the two parties won four back-to-back world titles together, things took a noticeable step backward after the new turbo engine regulations took hold for the 2014 season. Nissan/Infiniti and Red Bull are contracted to continue collaborating until the end of next season. After that is when the new Aston deal could take hold, and Mercedes is reportedly keen on the idea so that it could add another customer to its F1 engine supply business and offset the costs of development. That could effectively prove the end of Renault in F1 (at least for the time being). Aside from Red Bull, the French automaker currently supplies only that outfit's sister team Toro Rosso.

Aston Martin eyes US market for growth

Aston Martin chief executive Andy Palmer is sitting in a rustic Tuscan villa on a sweltering summer night, but his mind is thousands of miles away. He's ruminating on the United States, a lucrative market that could secure Aston's future as an automaker that has proved elusive for decades. The reason? Aston has an identity crisis. Sure, Americans know what Aston Martin is. Mostly. Palmer compares it to the British game of cricket. Many Americans have heard of it. They might even have a vague notion of what it is, but that's about as far as things go. It's the same with Aston. Candidly, Palmer places the blame squarely on his company, admitting Aston executives have been complacent about America. "We've got some work to do in the United States. I think we have assumed that you guys get it because you speak our language," he told a group of mostly US journalists at the launch of the 2017 DB11. That ends now, Palmer said, and Aston's plan to fix the problem will come into sharper focus with the launch of the DBX crossover for 2019. The utility vehicle was designed for an American buyer because the US market is SUV heavy. The target consumer? Someone named Charlotte, a 42-year-old from Southern California. Palmer describes her as someone who wants an elevated ride height and functionality. "She's looking for that safe, secure feeling," Palmer said. The company is adding 750 people and building a factory in Wales to produce the DBX. The site will be able to make 7,000 units annually, which dovetails with Aston's goal of making 7,000 sports cars per year. It's an ambitious plan for a company that made 3,615 cars in 2015 and posted an operating loss. This potential growth is still a few years off, meaning the brand's new DB11 must be a success. Early signs are trending well, and Aston had taken 2,000 orders by the end of June. After that, the company will redesign the Vanquish and Vantage and add the usual open-top variants. Aston's investors have already funded the sports cars and the DBX, and product development spending rose 40 percent in 2015. Aston's ownership group includes a Kuwaiti consortium, Italian backers, and a minority stake held by Daimler, which provides technology like infotainment and V8 engines. In total, Aston plans seven new vehicles in six years.

Aston Martin DBS 59 limited edition celebrates 1959 Le Mans victory

David Brown — the "DB" in Aston Martin model names — first tried to put his company on the top step of Le Mans in 1949 with the DB2. It took 10 years, the DBR1 winning the world's most prestigious 24-hour race in 1959 with Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori behind the wheel. The second DBR1 came in right after, driven by Paul Frere and Maurice Trintignant. To celebrate the 60-year-old victory, Aston Martin Cambridge commissioned Q by Aston Martin to build a special-edition DBS Superleggera called the DBS 59. Finished in Aston Martin Racing Green, bronze detailing recalls the classic race car, while carbon fiber calls out to modern ones. The Aston Martin and Superleggera badging, front grille surround, and brake calipers are finished in a burnished yellow hue, the 21-inch forged wheels splashed with a contrasting bronze. A yellow arrow adorns the tire wall, a painted 5 inside a roundel adorns the fender underneath a Q by Aston Martin badge. Behind the rear aeroblade, bronze foil inlay lists the chassis and engine numbers of the DBR1. The roof gets gloss black carbon fiber. In the Chestnut Tan and Obsidian Black cabin, Q by Aston Martin re-created the original weave on the DBR1 seats to trim the seatbacks and door cards. The shift paddles and 59 Edition embroidery are finished in bronze, the speaker grilles embroidered with a circuit outline. A stitched note on the sun visor lays out the race details. Buyers who wish to go further can purchase a replica open-face racing helmet and goggles, facsimiles of Carroll Shelby's racing gloves, and a period-correct blue race suit. Only 24 examples will be created, one to honor each hour of the race. They'll be available exclusively through Aston Martin Cambridge.