Report Aston Martin Boss Confirms Lagonda Plans, More Than One Model Coming

[Mr. Mercedes]

I want an S-class SUV to finally put all the Range Rover nonsense to bed.

 

[Heisenberg]

Aston Martin chairman and CEO Dr Ulrich Bez has confirmed that the company is working to ensure a full-sized SUV that will carry the Lagonda name will reach production.
When asked about the state of the plans first made public with the reveal of the controversial Lagonda concept at the Geneva show in 2009, Bez replied, ‘have we got prototypes running around getting ready for production? No. Is it something that’s still on the radar? Absolutely yes."
It is believed the recently announced ‘technical partnership’ between Mercedes tuning division AMG and Aston Martin is what has provided the impetus to turn the idea of an Aston SUV into an intention. Referring to the VW Touareg and Porsche Cayenne, Bez said, “If you look at how Porsche and Volkswagen worked together to produce two completely different cars, it would be possible to have a similar arrangement with Mercedes so long as our car was clearly and distinctly an Aston Martin.”
The wording is significant because the original plan was to relaunch Lagonda as a brand on its own. Now and partly informed by the collapse of Mercedes’ premium brand Maybach, the Lagonda name will be used, but as a model, not a marque.
“In places where this car must sell, like China, no-one has even heard of Lagonda,” said Bez. “We are working hard to build Aston Martin over there so what’s the point of doing it all over again with a name no-one knows? We can call the car Lagonda, and even put the Lagonda wings on it, but it would be an Aston Martin Lagonda.”
With ink barely dry on the AMG contract, no-one is talking about a possible timeframe in which the Lagonda might appear, although it seems likely that the very first fruits of the collaboration are a minimum of two years away.
The most likely scenario for the Lagonda is that it would be based on the next generation of M-class which, given Mercedes' current lifecycles, would time its arrival for some time in 2017. - Autocar

 

[Wolfgang]

"We can call the car Lagonda, and even put the Lagonda wings on it, but it would be an Aston Martin Lagonda.”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/grahamcarlyle/4935035905/

 

[Sovereign]

This is what Mercedes should have done with Maybach in the first place....should have called it Mercedes Maybach. Nobody, I mean the general public, knew the brand name Maybach. And after spending so much money on Maybach brand name, Mercedes just ditched the name instead of making it a co-brand of Mercedes upper end, S class based products......... if there are any coming in the future

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

This is what Mercedes should have done with Maybach in the first place....should have called it Mercedes Maybach. Nobody, I mean the general public, knew the brand name Maybach. And after spending so much money on Maybach brand name, Mercedes just ditched the name instead of making it a co-brand of Mercedes upper end, S class based products......... if there are any coming in the future

Finally they have seen the light and a Mercedes Maybach is on the way.

 

[Sovereign]

Finally they have seen the light and a Mercedes Maybach is on the way.

Really if that is true it is step in the right direction imo. Mercedes brand name is not as prestigious as RR or Bentley any more neither the brand has the exclusivity factor. Mercedes brand is now stuck between luxury vs mainstream categories. The name Maybach to its top models may play an important role to compete in the super rich target market.

 

[Merc1]

Did I miss something? Where is it said that there is a new Maybach coming?


M

 

[Sovereign]

Finally they have seen the light and a Mercedes Maybach is on the way.

Did I miss something? Where is it said that there is a new Maybach coming?

M

Oh maybe I misunderstood since Mr. Mercedes previously mentioned that Mercedes Maybach is on the way and I infer from the statement that the top Mercedes model would be called "Mercedes Maybach" as the original concept was called. Just as Aston Martin intends to do so with Lagonda name. I like this Aston Martin strategy for Lagonda name. Instead of making it a stand alone brand they may make it a sub brand of Aston Martin as previously mentioned and I would like Mercedes do do the same with Maybach.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

That's right. It has been reported the S-class variant that will sit above the W222 S600 will be called the Mercedes Maybach.

 

[SCOTT27]

Umm. Maybach failed because it was essentially an extended S-Klasse. Is this not the same again?

 

[LaArtist]

^not this is an Extended S class with a Maybach badge as a secondary badge, like a AMG badge.
And i expect it to cost waaaaay less than a Maybach

So very different.

 

[HUTSUTAo]

very sporty 4 door merc s class!

 

[Wolfgang]

No SUV in the pipeline says Aston Martin.


An Aston Martin spokeswoman told Reuters that the automaker does not have any such plans. "We do not currently have a plan to add an SUV to the model line-up." She declined to elaborate on product discussions.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/31/us-daimler-astonmartin-suv-idUSBREA2U1OX20140331

 

[Merc1]

Couldn't work out a deal huh. Oh well, they may as well sell out to Benz, they aren't going to get much else until they do.

Mercedes simply doesn't need Aston anywhere nearly as much as Aston needs Mercedes.

M

 

[Wolfgang]

An update from AMG.

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/amg-tobias-moers-interview-2014-4-22

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."

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/04/27/...-engine-partnership-wont-extend-past-engines/

 

[Wolfgang]

A new Lagonda?

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/05/08/aston-martin-lagonda-sedan-prototype-spy-shots/

 

[Wolfgang]

Aston Martin Lagonda comments.


"I can confirm that this is one of a bespoke series of coach built cars and as we’ve said before, much is possible through Q by Aston Martin – including bespoke offerings, just like CC100 - this is another example. We cannot say any more at this time.”

http://www.roadandtrack.com/go/future-cars/spy-shots-2016-aston-martin-lagonda-sports-sedan

http://www.autoweek.nl/nieuws/28155/aston-martin-lagonda-duikt-onverwacht-op

 

[SCOTT27]

Q? as in Q Branch from James Bond? Very cool and clever.

 

[Wolfgang]

Auto Motor und Sport found a Lagonda Shooting Brake, perhaps using the Q Branch?

Auto Motor und Sport

 

[Wolfgang]

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/new-aston-martin-lagonda-on-the-way-81324.html