Aston Martin will revive its Lagonda nameplate with a limited-edition, high-end sedan designed for customers in the Middle East. Aston Martin said the four-door Lagonda, which will go on sale next year, was developed to supply “specific market demand” in the Middle East. Question, why did Aston Martin not use the Lagonda name plate when the Rapide was to be launched? The Rapide is a 4-door 4-seater and the Rapide was targeted at the same segment as the soon to be revived Lagonda? (picture below is the original Lagonda)
The car’s angular styling harks back to the look of the futuristic four-door Lagonda sedan built by the UK sports car maker between 1974 and 1990. “The Lagonda of the 70s and 80s was admired in the Middle East. It was a very popular car there,” a company spokesman said.
Aston Martin did not give a price for the car. It’s likely that it will cost much more than the 146,035 pounds (184,000 euros) Rapide S sedan but less than the circa 1.1 million pounds Aston charged for the One-77 hypercar unveiled in 2010, which was limited to 77 examples. Prices will reflect “the car’s exclusivity, quality and luxurious nature,” Aston said.
Unlike the One-77, which was built around a carbon-fiber tub, the Lagonda will use the Aston Martin’s VH architecture but with carbon fiber body panels, the company said. No engine was announced, but it’s likely to use a version of the V-12 unit that powers the Rapide S with its performance increased to 550-hp. Aston Martin said sales for the new Lagona will be by “invitation only” without giving more details.
Aston unveiled a Lagonda SUV concept at the 2009 Geneva auto show based on the Mercedes-Benz GL but the model did not go into production. The company has not said if it will build a Lagonda-badged SUV. In March Bloomberg reported that Aston Martin and Daimler were in talks to build an SUV together, although one source said Aston Martin was still mulling building an SUV using its own technology.
Aston Martin is in the midst of the biggest investment program in its 101-year history to develop the underpinnings of new vehicles scheduled to come out in 2016. The project started after investment firm Investindustrial bought a 37.5 percent stake in December 2012 and is aimed at securing the carmaker’s independence as it competes with Fiat’s Maserati and Volkswagen’s Porsche and Bentley. Cars on Aston’s new platform will use V-8 engines supplied by Mercedes’ performance arm AMG following an agreement with Daimler, which also took a 5 percent stake in the company.
