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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."

Channeling Bond in a 2005 Aston Martin Vanquish S

Spectre is nearly upon us, the next episode in the James Bond series bringing with it a conceptual peek at the future of Aston Martin courtesy of the DB10. As for how much Bond's new ride predicts the DB11 that will be offered to civilians, "elements" is the most concrete word we've heard to describe the bridge from one to the other, and that doesn't tell us much. Still in the dark about where Aston Martin is going, we recently got the opportunity to remember where it's been. Some friends of Autoblog at Regency Car Rental in LA told us we could borrow their 2005 Aston Martin Vanquish S, so we spent the day hunting nefarious types on twisty Malibu roads, then cruising the Valley looking for a tuner shop that could install a minigun. The Vanquish played a role in the 2002 film Die Another Day, back when Pierce Brosnan made a living as the roguish, rakish MI6 asset. The film rekindled the union between the agent and Aston Martin after a three-movie interlude in which Bond drove BMWs, including, oh-so-briefly, a Z3. Returning with a bang – make that thousands of large- and small-caliber bangs – Q Branch fitted the hero car with rockets, guns that could shoot incoming projectiles, machine guns, an ejector seat, and invisibility camouflage. On the chicest streets in the sleekest LA neighborhoods the Vanquish S still passes the look-at-me test. The Vanquish S we picked up from Regency didn't have any of that, but as indicated by that S at the end it did have more power and performance than the standard Vanquish in the movie. Horsepower from the 5.9-liter V12 went from 460 to 520 in the S, and this model also got stiffer springs, new suspension geometry, quicker steering, and 19-inch lightweight wheels. Exterior modifications were a wider, more curved grille, a front splitter (not present on this car), and a larger rear spoiler. On the most chic streets in the sleekest LA neighborhoods the Vanquish S still passes the look-at-me test – everywhere we went, men and women paid attention to our arrival. As for us, we're split on its looks right down the middle of the car. We've been fans of the front since the day of the reveal, especially the front fascia and headlights, but we're still not sold on the rear, starting from where the vertical line in the door where the sheetmetal expands into those trademark haunches. We didn't encounter anyone else with such reservations.

Aston Martin names new regional chief for the Americas

Aston Martin has named a new president for the Americas region. Starting October 26, the role will fall to Laura Schwab, who joins Aston from rival Jaguar Land Rover. The Louisville, KY native is a graduate of the law school at the University of Kentucky. She worked in the technology sector in Southern California before embarking on a career in the automotive industry, working for JLR in a variety of marketing and communications posts. She has served for the past year and a half as JLR's marketing director, having previously worked in Land Rover's North American office in a variety of capacities. In her new job, Schwab will be responsible for all of Aston Martin's activities in the Americas, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, and South America. She'll be working out of the company's regional headquarters in Irvine, CA, reporting to directly global sales director Christian Marti. Pictured above is the DB10 created for the latest James Bond movie, on display in Monterey this summer. "Laura is an excellent addition to the Aston Martin team. Throughout her career in the automotive business, Laura has demonstrated an ability to implement marketing and retail programs to drive growth," said Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer in the statement below. "As we embark upon delivery of our six-year 'Second Century Plan' the Americas region offers a considerable opportunity and I look forward to Laura applying her skills to help us grow awareness of the Aston Martin brand in this region." Related Video: ASTON MARTIN APPOINTS LAURA SCHWAB AS NEW AMERICAS REGIONAL PRESIDENT 2 October 2015, Gaydon: Aston Martin is pleased to announce the appointment of Laura Schwab as President for Aston Martin The Americas, reporting to Global Sales Director Christian Marti, effective 26 October. Laura joins Aston Martin from Jaguar Land Rover where she worked most recently as Marketing Director, leading marketing communications, experiential events, sponsorships, product marketing, customer engagement and corporate social responsibility. Based at the company's regional headquarters in Irvine, California, Laura's role as Regional President embraces sales and service, public relations, brand marketing and communications to both Aston Martin's customers and 46 dealers in the region, spanning the United States, Canada, Mexico and South America.