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AMG's partnership with Aston Martin won't extend past engines, for now

There's been talk of late about the technical partnership between Aston Martin and the AMG division of Mercedes-Benz going beyond engines to include Mercedes sports car and SUV platforms for the English brand, perhaps as a way to kickstart the development of a Lagonda SUV. But AMG CEO Tobias Moers, speaking to Top Gear, said that's effectively out of the question because, "No one has the time to discuss any more involvement than that for now."
Moers believes Aston Martin will be so busy "for the next two to three years" integrating its AMG-sourced engine and electronics that it won't have the resources to devote to working out a platform-sharing deal; Daimler sources have already said that Aston Martin's development budget "just isn't enough" to even consider a whole new model, and that greater cooperation would require something like a larger ownership stake in the boutique sports car maker.
AMG, in the meantime, is busy with the recent launch of the GLA45 AMG, the coming C63 AMG and its rumored 4.0-liter V8, the Mercedes-AMG GT and its assault on the Porsche 911 among who-knows-what other skunkworks projects. Moers said the technical partnership is about profit for AMG, clear and simple, and, "All these rumors about platform sharing are nice but no one at Aston or Mercedes has the time to discuss them."

Aston Martin Vulcan being converted to road-going spec

The Aston Martin Vulcan wasn't designed as a road-going vehicle, but the two dozen buyers who've plonked down the $2.3 million to buy one may soon be able to drive on public roadways. According to Autocar, British motorsports engineering company RML is preparing a road conversion option for the Vulcan, apparently with Aston's blessing. The process will reportedly involve testing the engine for emissions, mounting some new lights, and running simulated crash tests. The ride height will likely need to be raised and the gear ratios altered, but nothing will be done to compromise the vehicle's trackability (such as removing any part of the roll cage). The undertaking is expected to cost six figures, which buy another road-going Aston but is hardly a drop in the bucket relative to the Vulcan's purchase price. Certification on a single vehicle type basis might not be feasible in all markets, particularly here in the United States, where two out of the 24 being made are said to reside. "When we went to market, there was hesitation from a few prospective owners because it didn't have a road pack... but RML said they had the ability to do it," Aston Martin chief Andy Palmer told Autocar. "It has taken a bit of time to work out what's possible from an engineering perspective, but we expect four or five owners will take advantage of this. We have the sales of the last two cars currently under negotiation and it looks like the road conversion could be the closer on those deals." The Vulcan is Aston's take on the likes of the Ferrari FXX K and McLaren P1 GTR: a seven-figure supercar designed neither for the road nor for racing, but just for their owners' enjoyment. Like its rivals, Aston Martin organizes special track days for Vulcan owners as part of a complete program, but unlike those mid-engined hybrids, the Vulcan is naturally aspirated, with its engine up front. Lanzante previously announced a similar road conversion option for the McLaren. RML's expertise lies principally in constructing racing cars – particularly touring cars. It previously collaborated with Aston Martin on the AMR1 Group C racer from 1989 (not to be confused with the later LMP1 prototype). It has also undertaken a number of road-car projects, particularly for Nissan (where Palmer used to work), developing such unique concepts as the Micra R, Juke-R and Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge. Related Video:

UK offers Aston Martin military base to produce DBX in Wales

The British government is doing its best to encourage Aston Martin to build the DBX in the United Kingdom. To that end, Prime Minister David Cameron made a public offer to the automaker Thursday to make use of a military facility in Wales to produce the crossover. The location is St Athan, a Royal Air Force base and Ministry of Defence facility with space left vacant since a planned military academy earmarked for the site was canceled less than five years ago. One of its empty hangars is what Cameron offered to Aston Martin, according to the BBC. The facility is located near the airport in the Welsh capital of Cardiff, a little over two hours from the company's headquarters and principal manufacturing site in Gaydon. If Aston takes the bait, the site would be used to manufacture the DBX that would become the company's first crossover. Rivals Jaguar, Bentley, Maserati, and Lamborghini are all planning to launch their first crossovers, as well. Aston showcased a concept version of the DBX at the Geneva Motor Show this March, but the production version is expected to go a bit more mainstream, ditching the electric powertrain and two-door layout in favor of more conventional propulsion and four-door setup. The company is also said to be considering opening a new facility in the United States, specifically in Alabama near the Mercedes plant there, to handle production of the DBX. Other locations within the UK are also said to be under consideration, but Aston has yet to make a decision – or at least an announcement – on where the crossover might be assembled. When Aston previously branched out with the launch of the Rapide, it contracted Magna Steyr to handle assembly on its behalf in Austria, before moving production back home. The contract manufacturing facility is the same to which the Jaguar Land Rover is expected to entrust assembly of the F-Pace crossover. It's also where the G-Class is built for Mercedes, which in turn similarly hired AM General recently to assume production of the R-Class crossover. Related Video: