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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.

2019 Quail Motorsports Gathering Mega Photo Gallery | Automotive Excellence

For the past 17 years, enthusiasts have flocked to The Quail Motorsports Gathering to see some of the hottest vehicles that automakers the world over have to offer. As you'll see below, 2019 is no different. We've collected image galleries of some of the best and most interesting vehicles that were on display at the event this year, and we've organized them in no particular order below. You'll see older vehicles rubbing fenders with brand-new models, from classic McLaren F1s to the very latest from Bugatti. Enjoy! McLaren F1s at the Quail 01-mclaren-f1-quail View 25 Photos 2020 Rezvani Beast at the Quail 01-2020-rezvani-tank-quail View 11 Photos 2020 Lexus LC Inspiration at the Quail 01-2020-lexus-lc-inspiration-quail View 9 Photos 2020 Acura NSX at the Quail 01-2020-acura-nsx-quail View 8 Photos De Tomaso P72 at the Quail 01-de-tomaso-p72-quail View 13 Photos Ferrari P80/C at the Quail 01-ferrari-p80-c-quail View 12 Photos SSC Tuatara at the Quail 01-ssc-tuatara-quail View 13 Photos Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus Baja Boot at the Quail 01-scg-baja-boot-quail View 12 Photos 2020 Drako GTE at the Quail 01-2020-drako-gte-quail View 9 Photos Acura Type S Concept at the Quail 01-acura-type-s-concept-quail View 12 Photos Pagani Huayra BC Roadster at the Quail 01-pagani-huayra-bc-roadster-quail View 15 Photos Lotus Evija at the Quail 01-lotus-evija-quail View 14 Photos Lamborghini Huracan Evo GT Celebration at the Quail 01-lamborghini-huracan-evo-gt-celebration-quail View 11 Photos Lamborghini Aventador SVJ 63 Roadster at the Quail 01-lamborghini-aventador-svj-63-roadster-quail View 16 Photos Aston Martin Valhalla at the Quail 01-aston-martin-valhalla-quail View 16 Photos Bugatti Centodieci Unveiling 01-bugatti-centodieci-quail View 17 Photos Featured Gallery Quail, A Motorsports Gathering 2019 View 38 Photos Misc. Auto Shows Acura Aston Martin Bugatti Ferrari Lamborghini Lexus Lotus Convertible Coupe Special and Limited Editions Performance Classics Sedan The Quail

Nissan could have bought a stake in Aston Martin as early as 2012

Aston Martin has a very interesting future ahead of it. While the British brand appeared to be struggling with aging tech for a while, fresh investment from Daimler may have shown a light toward the future with the brand getting engines and electronics from them. Also, former Renault-Nissan top exec Andy Palmer has jumped ship from the French/Japanese automaker to become CEO of the much smaller sports car company. Interestingly, though, new reports from unnamed Nissan sources have indicated that Palmer has been pushing to work with AM for years.
Three unnamed company insiders told Reuters that Palmer made attempts to convince Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn in 2012 and 2013 to invest in Aston Martin, but his proposals were shot down both times for unspecified reasons, according to Automotive News. "We looked carefully at the proposal but we passed on it," said one of the sources.
You can easily see why Palmer was eying Aston Martin even back in 2012. It's no secret that the British sports car mavens were in need of extra funding, well before the Daimler investment. Building vehicles these days is only getting more expensive with stronger safety and emissions requirements. Just look at the brand's desperate hope to get a side-impact crash exemption to keep selling its models in the US as an example.