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Aston Martin closing deal with Force India F1 team

Aston Martin is returning to the Formula One grid. Only instead of starting its own team – or even taking control of an existing one – the British automaker is reportedly on the verge of announcing a new partnership with the Force India team. According to Autosport, the deal would see the team switch names from its current national identity to Aston Martin Racing. Beyond naming rights, however, the partnership could see the two outfits partner on technical collaborations as well. The Johnnie Walker whisky brand – a longtime McLaren partner – is said to be joining as a sponsor of the newly rebranded team, which has previously featured branding from whisky brands Royal Challenge, Whyte & Mackay, and Dalmore. The current engine deal with Mercedes (which owns part of Aston Martin) is expected to stay in place. Force India isn't the only team Aston Martin is said to have evaluated. Previous reports had linked the manufacturer of luxury GT cars to Red Bull, while Williams was also said to have been under consideration for such a partnership. Ultimately, however, it appears to be cash-strapped (and strong-performing) Force India that has sealed the deal, expected to be announced in due course. If the notion of an automaker sponsoring (but not running) an F1 team strikes you as odd, it isn't without relevant precedent. Infiniti has long sponsored the Red Bull team that is powered by its corporate cousin Renault. That deal was brokered while the Japanese luxury brand was chaired by Andy Palmer, who now runs Aston Martin. Aside from considerable achievements in sports car racing, the British firm only participated in F1 for a few races in 1959 and 1960. The deal would put an end to the Force India name that has adorned the team since Indian businessman Vijay Mallya took it over late in 2007. Mallya, it should be noted, helms United Spirits Limited, which produces all those beverages mentioned previously that have sponsored Force India. The team was founded in 1991 as Jordan Grand Prix, under whose name it ran until 2005 when it switched ownership and name first to Midland and then to Spyker. Mallya sold nearly half of the team's stake to the Sahara India Pariwar conglomerate in 2011. Since taking over the team, Force India has gone from a back-marker in tenth place to a solid midfield contender routinely landing sixth in the championship standings and currently running fifth this season.

Aston Martin waxes poetic about the good life with The Art of Vanquish

Aston Martin markets itself as offering the classy alternative to hardcore sports cars. Its vehicles are certainly capable, but they are also sold as offering an extra dose of luxury to go along with their power. The company is leaning hard into that image in a new short film called The Art of Vanquish. Over the grumble of the coupe's V12, the announcer reads a poem about the metaphor of life's journey, and it positions the Vanquish as a symbol of progress. The film is interspersed with shots of luxury goods like thickly upholstered leather chairs and products from sound system maker Bang & Olufsen, men's clothier Hackett London and Swiss watchmaker Jaeger Le Coultre. The production team True Motion Pictures created the short and has also done projects for Audi and Sony, among other companies. Of course, the idea that Aston Martins and other luxury goods are a symbol of life's adventure is a little contrived. It's still just a car after all – albeit an absolutely gorgeous one. Still, the film is an opportunity for a closer look at the Vanquish, and its wonderful growl is featured throughout. Scroll down to watch the video and be swathed in its poetic concept of luxury. Aston Martin, 'The Art of Vanquish' from True motion pictures on Vimeo.

2017 Aston Marin Lagonda could live on Mercedes M-Class platform

A few weeks ago, we brought you news from the launch of the Aston Martin Vanquish Volante that the British brand, which is formally known as Aston Martin Lagonda, was still planning on going ahead with a Lagonda-badged crossover. Now comes word that that vehicle could very well be based on a Mercedes-Benz M-Class.
When the first Lagonda Concept debuted at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, it sat on a Mercedes-Benz GL-Class platform, some four years before Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG deal was inked. And with that partnership, which will see Aston Martin gain access to AMG electrics and "bespoke, V8 powertrains," the opportunities for platform sharing are many.
Dr. Ulrich Bez, the boss of Aston Martin, told the UK's AutoCar, "I look at what Porsche is doing with the 911 as its core business and then it is able to do models like the Cayenne based on the Volkswagen Touareg. It is good business." We've said many times that we'll tolerate exotic CUVs and SUVs if it means keeping the beloved core models alive, which has been the case with Porsche. We see no reason Aston Martin wouldn't be able to do the same.