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Aston Martin CEO plans for seven-vehicle lineup

Aston Martin which has survived for the last hundred or so years with a remarkably tiny vehicle lineup, is now making preparations for its next seven vehicles, according to the company's CEO, Andy Palmer. The CEO elaborated on the company's "Second Century Plan" explaining that it'd feature a three-pillar product road map that is apparently "crystal clear." Pillar one, sports cars, should surprise no one. The three-pronged lineup will continue, with the new DB11 sandwiched between the Vantage and Vanquish replacements. But don't expect more than three Aston sports cars – Palmer shut down the idea of a car below the Vantage. Next, we have "saloons," which means sedans, if you prefer coffee to tea and Hershey's to Cadbury. This is trickier, of course. In April of 2015, we reported that the Rapide sedan would die and that the DBX would be its replacement. But in October, we reported that the Rapide name may live on as an all-electric model. That same April report also claimed we'd see a Lagonda-badged sedan, which now seems like a virtual certainty following the success of the rare Lagonda Taraf. The tea leaves of pillar three – crossovers and "specials" – are the most difficult to read. We know the rakish DBX crossover is coming. But we're wagering that Aston will complement its CUV/SUV lineup with something more traditional that could combat stuff like the Bentley Bentayga. But rather than badging it as an Aston, we think it's more likely this hypothetical vehicle would be badged as a Lagonda. Here's why. The last thing we wrote about a Lagonda SUV came in July 2014, when reports indicated that plans for such a vehicle had been abandoned. But with the explosion in CUVs at virtually every price point, it seems impossible for Aston Martin to ignore the segment. This would give the company a two-pronged approach. We doubt Aston would reestablish the Lagonda brand to just sell a single vehicle. What about the specials, though? That sounds like low volume and high performance to us, which could mean a One-77 successor. Aston has gone on record as saying it'd be open to aerodynamic god Adrian Newey penning a hypercar design. In fact, regarding a Newey-designed Aston, Palmer himself said, "There is rarely smoke without fire." If this were to ever happen, though, we're betting it won't be for some time. The DB11, Vantage/Vanquish replacements, and DBX will be the first new vehicles from the brand, Palmer indicated.

Aston Martin crafts one-off equestrian-themed DB9 Volante

Ask most people what kind of cars Aston Martin makes and they'll probably tell you it makes sports cars. But it doesn't. No, Aston Martin actually makes luxury GTs that focus at least as much on fine craftsmanship as they do on outright performance. In other words, any Aston Martin – from the 'entry level' V8 Vantage to the flagship Vanquish – packs an unrivaled attention to detail. But for those looking for that extra measure of exclusivity and intricacy, there's Q by Aston Martin. And this is its latest project. Similar to the Ferrari Tailor Made program, Lamborghini Ad Personam, Porsche Exclusive or Rolls-Royce Bespoke, Q by Aston Martin is dedicated to meeting the specific needs of individual customers who want their luxury GT crafted just so. We've seen several specially crafted and eye-catching Q projects at auto shows around the world, created to showcase what the division can do. This one was commissioned by a dealership in Los Gatos, CA. Starting with a DB9 Volante, the Q division gave it an equestrian theme with saddle tan leather with diamond-quilted ivory Alcantara trim, light burlwood veneer, specially-embroidered horse-head logos and saddle-style luggage fitted to the rear console. The exterior is finished in Ashen Blonde metallic with ten-spoke diamond-turned wheels in satin champagne and Howlite stone-inlaid logos. This one-off DB9 will be auctioned off at the Menlo Charity Horse Show, held August 5-10 at the Menlo Circus Club in Atherton, CA, with proceeds to benefit the Vista Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired.

Aston Martin losses shrink, still amount to nearly $10k per car

Aston Martin's current lineup may be the best it's ever been, but that doesn't mean the automaker is making money off its Vantage, DB9, Vanquish and Rapide dream machines. In fact, the company lost $41 million in 2013, but that pretax figure is actually a third lower than in 2012. Revenue was up a promising 12.6 percent, according to Reuters. The Kuwaiti-owned British manufacturer blames its losses on the still troubled global economy, acknowledging that it's seen a small recovery in the ultra-high-end segment of the market. Global sales were up from 3,800 to 4,200 in 2013. To put it all in perspective, $41 million in losses on 4,200 units works out to around $9,700 lost per vehicle sold. That's no way to run a railroad. While the company's CFO, Hanno Kirner, told Reuters the company is hoping for a big bounceback by 2016, Aston's fortunes in the United States remain uncertain due to a new federal side-impact standards. The company has filed for exemption, although the jury is still out on the success of that petition.