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British carmakers facing hard choices as the clock ticks toward Brexit

ST ATHAN, Wales/GAYDON, England - In three cavernous former Royal Air Force hangars at an old airbase in Wales, luxury carmaker Aston Martin is forging ahead with construction of a new vehicle assembly plant. The paint shop is in, robots are being unpacked, and production of the company's critical new sport utility vehicle is on track to start this year – Brexit deal or no deal. "I still have to believe that we'll get to a proper and right decision because a no-deal Brexit is frankly madness," Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer told Reuters at the company's Gaydon headquarters in England, where designers are working on a diverse lineup of vehicles for the 2020s and beyond. Headlines have focused on plant closures and job losses ahead of Britain's divorce from the EU. Nissan has scrapped plans to build its new X-Trail SUV in the country, while Honda will close its only UK car plant in 2021 with the loss of up to 3,500 jobs - though it has been said the decision was not related to Britain's exit from the EU. However, many auto companies - from luxury marques like Aston Martin to mass-market brands such as Vauxhall - are working on ways to survive after March 29. On the outskirts of London, workers at Vauxhall's operation in Luton are preparing to produce a new line of commercial vans following fresh investment from the brand's French owner PSA, which they are counting on to sustain more than 1,000 jobs. While post-Brexit market conditions remain a big unknown, Vauxhall boss Stephen Norman told Reuters Britain's exit from the European Union could present an opportunity to increase the brand's market share. He is pursuing a marketing campaign to boost demand for the company's modestly priced cars and SUVs. The continued investment by some carmakers and the potential sales upside seen by Vauxhall reflect the conflicting decisions and opportunities that brands face depending on their size, their customers and where they are in the production cycle. All automakers in Britain will have to find ways to make Brexit work, even if only in the short term. Nissan builds nearly 450,000 cars and multiple models, making it hard to pull out of the country any time soon. Toyota builds just one model in Britain, the Corolla, but has only just started making it. The typical life cycle of a car is six years. RACKS OF DASHBOARDS Aston Martin and Vauxhall are as different as two auto companies can be.

Lotus and Aston Martin to hook up?

This has been a tumultuous year for Lotus - to say the least - from the company being sold off back in January to its CEO Dany Bahar being fired in June to its questionable financial status and rumors of the British automaker being sold off to another automaker. First, we heard that Volkswagen was interested in acquiring Lotus and parent company Proton, a rumor that was later dismissed. Now Automobile is reporting that fellow Brit Aston Martin could be in the market to work with or possibly even merge with Lotus.
While this is pure speculation at this point, such a venture could prove to be beneficial for both independent companies. That's because with Lotus focused on lightweight, relatively affordable sports cars and Aston Martin producing high-end performance cars, there is virtually no product overlap between the companies. The article suggests that a person or company wanting to merge these two automakers would have to raise between $1.1 billion and $1.6 billion in order to make a go of it, however.
We're not sure what to think of this latest rumor, but anything that can help get the struggling brand back to health at least has our interest.

Aston Martin AMR-C01 is an Aston you can drive in your living room

Aston Martin has made a lot of amazing cars over the decades. But none of them have been able to be driven inside a house. That sort of changes now, as Aston Martin has collaborated with driving simulator company Curv to create the AMR-C01 simulator rig. The simulator is made completely out of carbon fiber, and according to Aston Martin, the leather-clad seat is designed to reflect the Valkyrie supercar's driving position. The shape of the outer shell also resembles an Aston Martin at the front. It's available in a variety of color schemes, some having been used on Aston Martin race cars and prototypes. In addition to the seat, pedals and steering wheel, the rig features a massive curved screen, and presumably there's a computer hidden somewhere in the bodywork. The company didn't give specifications, but apparently it has "Assetto Corsa" loaded as their simulator of choice. Unsurprisingly, the Aston Martin simulator is not cheap. It costs 57,500 pounds before tax, and that comes to $73,592 at current exchange rates. We suppose for a new Aston Martin, that's not a bad price, though. It's a limited production Aston, too, with just 150 units being built. Those who order one will get it by the end of the year. Related Video: