Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer Dr Ulrich Bez has confirmed his intention to revive the Lagonda marque. In a statement today he said: “After my eight years with Aston Martin, four with profitability, and 16 months of independence, it’s time to think about a longer-term future. Aston Martin is an honest, authentic brand, which builds the most beautiful sports cars combining modern technology with craftsmanship.”
Next year AM will launch the four-door Rapide sportscar which will compete with the likes of Mercedes-Benz CLS and Porsche Panamera, as well as Audi A7 and the BMW CS Concept-based four-door coupe. This will be followed by the project ‘One-77’, the most spectacular Aston Martin ever. The One-77 will be powered by a 7.0-litre V12 engine pushing out 522kW (700bhp) and will be produced in only 77 units. Hopefully James Bond will drive one of these.
Aston Martins are currently available in 32 countries but they will remain limited in their market penetration by the pure character of the cars – sports cars. “We have now investigated and concluded that the revival of the Lagonda brand would allow us to develop cars which can have a different character than a sports car, and therefore offer a perfect synergy.
“Lagonda will use a unique design language as Aston Martin does. We will take elements of DNA from the past but will be very future orientated as we are with Aston Martin. With Lagonda offering exclusive, luxurious and truly versatile products with high quality and usability and suitable for both existing and emerging markets, I believe we can be present in more than 100 countries in the world. In 2009 Lagonda is about to celebrate its 100th birthday and in its centenary year we are confident that we will show the first concept of a car which could be in the market in 2012,” he confirmed.
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