MOTORING
BREAKING
COVER
Graham Courtney looks into
what Aston Martin has in store
for the discerning motorist…
Lagonda All-Terrain Concept
Aston Martin Rapide E
T
hese are hectic times
at Aston Martin, but
they are arguably some
of the most exciting in their
history.
Within the next five years there will be
an Aston Martin SUV, an all-electric Aston
Martin Rapide and the return of the Lagonda
name on what promises to be one of the
world’s most luxurious all-terrain cars.
Oh, and those are the models we know
about because Aston Martin has trickled out
a few basic details. There’ll be some surprises
along the way.
You can also expect developments of
their current range of Vantage, DB11, DBS
Superleggera and Rapide.
The Rapide E is Aston Martin’s first
all-electric car. It’s on sale now. Only 155
examples will be built…a figure which is also
the top speed of the car, at 155mph.
This Rapide may be all-electric but it’s
still an Aston Martin, which means the
engineers have enhanced and built on the
feel, character and delivery of the V12 6.0
litre Rapide AMR. To ensure this, meticulous
attention has been paid to the development
and tuning of both the electric powertrain
and the chassis, which has three driving
modes, to give an agile, controlled and
beautifully balanced drive.
The Rapide E is the most powerful version
of the Rapide, at just over 600bhp. Power
goes via two electric motors, one on each
rear wheel. 0-60mph takes under four
seconds and the 50-70mph time is dispensed
with in a staggering 1.5 seconds. A full
Aston Martin DBX
charge of the battery will see you go beyond
a range of 200 miles.
The Rapide E will begin full production
at the end of this year at Aston Martin’s new
St Athan plant in Wales. This is the also the
place where Aston Martin is getting ready
to begin full-scale production of their DBX
SUV, which is scheduled to be unveiled in
late autumn. Sales will begin early next year.
Aston Martin has been really clever by
slowly revealing what the DBX looks like...
sort of. As you can see in the photos, this is a
heavily disguised car. However, you can spot
that it is clearly an SUV – another first for
the company – but that it is still very much
an Aston Martin.
Look closely and you’ll spot that there are
no door handles.
The one thing we didn’t know was what
was under the bonnet. Well, we had a clue
recently when the DBX appeared at the
Goodwood Festival of Speed. There was
more interest in what the car sounded like,
which would give a clue to the power plant.
Aston Martin knew the game would be up
so they released details to say that the first
models will use their twin turbo V8 4.0 litre
engine. It’s the same block as you find in the
Vantage and DB11. So, that’s for starters,
but you can just about guarantee that a V12
flying machine will be in the pipeline.
No confirmation of prices as yet, but
you can expect something aligned with
competitor products, so £130,000-£150,000
for the entry level model.
Don’t be surprised if the DBX SUV
becomes the most successful and most
popular model in the Aston Martin range.
And finally, get ready for the return of
a piece of history. The name Lagonda is to
make a comeback.
Once again, this will be a car to roll off
the production line at St Athan. The pictures
you can see here are a concept of what Aston
Martin has called an all-terrain vehicle. What
that means, thanks to the Lagonda badge, is
that this will be a 4x4 that oozes luxury and
technology.
Aston Martin say the car will be “built
around near-future technologies such as its
advanced battery electric drivetrain. The
Lagonda All-Terrain Concept is an ultra-
stylish, supremely luxurious, fully electric,
emission-free vehicle that can transport
its occupants to remote and spectacular
locations”. So now you know. Further details
are sketchy but we do know that Lagonda
aims to be the world’s first zero-emission
luxury brand.
tees-life.co.uk
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