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Aston Martin to raise funds for new models including CUV, hybrid

Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer named three leads for new vehicle programs when he took the reins, now the company is looking for the money to give those leads something to do. Reuters reports that the Gaydon firm is considering debt or equity financing to raise 100 to 150 million pounds ($156M to $234M US) in funding for "an expansion from the current model range," according to an unnamed source. On top of that investment round, Aston Martin is overhauling its working capital streams to unlock more funds. As one of the industry's few remaining independent carmakers, the company has an intense five years ahead of it, working to revamp its current vehicles with a 500-million-pound investment, entering new segments to grow sales to roughly 10,000 units annually from 4,200 cars in 2013, and pay down hundreds of millions of pounds in current debt. The big high notes observers will be looking for over the next few years are the successor to the DB9, pegged for 2016, profitability predicted in 2017, a huge debt note due in 2018, and the formal end of the recovery period in 2020. Our own eyes will be locked on the DB10 in Spectre, naturally, and the Lagonda-honoring Taraf in other markets, hopefully. At least one of the new vehicles is expected to be a crossover, a segment Aston seemingly cannot ignore now that Bentley and Rolls-Royce are committed to making plays there. However, Reuters says an official announcement of what we can expect won't come until the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. Among the other models said to be up for funding? Sedans (perhaps including a Rapide replacement?) and an unspecified hybrid.

Aston Martin-Red Bull 001 details: 175 units, $3M, 0-200-0 in 15 seconds

The Aston Martin AM-RB 001 is starting to sound like it will be the most extreme hypercar ever made. We're basing that on a series of new comments made by Red Bull Racing's resident aerodynamic genius and chief technical officer, Adrian Newey, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal's Dan Neil. Newey shared many interesting nuggets, so we'll try to provide a simple summary of how frighteningly potent the AM-RB 001 is. The new hypercar should hit 200 miles per hour in around 10 seconds, while a massive set of brakes will cut that speed to zero in half the time – in other words, zero to 200 to zero in just 15 seconds. That kind of stopping power sounds physically painful. Certain versions of the 001 will make up to 4,400 pounds of downforce, and if that's not enough to keep the car pasted to the pavement through 4G bends, Newey hinted that the active suspension will rely on the ground effect more than any other car. "I studied aero at the University of Southampton," Newey told Neil. "My final-year project in 1979 and '80 was on ground-effects aerodynamics applied to road cars and sports cars." Beyond the performance stats, Newey verified some of the broader questions about the 001's availability. For one, Aston Martin and Red Bull will build 175 examples of the potentially record-breaking hypercar, with 150 designated for road use and another 25 limited to the track – they're the ones that will enjoy the 4,400 pounds of downforce and full-on 4G cornering ability – so the chances you'll ever encounter a 001 in the wild are almost nil. And buying one? Plan on spending at least $3 million. Newey, along with Aston Martin Chief Designer Marek Reichman and Project Engineer David King, reveal more about the 001 in the piece, including some of the philosophical and design principles behind a $3M hypercar. It's very much worth a read, if you can get around the WSJ's pay wall. Related Video:

Aston plans Tesla-fighting 800-hp electric Rapide

Aston Martin is taking direct aim at the top versions of the Tesla Model S with a plan to launch a battery electric Rapide sedan boasting 800 horsepower, all-wheel drive, and a 200-mile range within the next two years. Company CEO Andy Palmer confirmed the vehicle's development to Automotive News during the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. A test mule to engineer the powertrain was already on the road, Palmer asserted. The electric Rapide would join the internal combustion version, rather than replace it, and the BEV would likely remain a niche product with just a few hundred per year carrying a price between $200,000 and $250,000. Palmer indicates the model would prioritize performance. "I think that the fact that you could drive a few laps of a decent race course or race it around the Nordschleife is much more interesting than doing 500 meters in Ludicrous mode," he said to Automotive News, taking a swipe at Tesla's latest upgrade. Palmer has referenced the electric Rapide before. Earlier this year, he said that power would be a major priority for it. Aston Martin has also received help on the project from an undisclosed Silicon Valley partner, but Palmer said the collaborator wasn't Tesla. "If you want to keep making V12 engines, then you've got to do something at the opposite end of the spectrum," Palmer said about the company's strategy to Automotive News. The Rapide is just the first step in the brand's electrification, and the DBX is also under development for the next decade in EV, plug-in hybrid, and internal combustion versions. The crossover concept debuted at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show as an EV.