Aston Martin's plan to break even
Aston Martin will not venture outside of its performance car niche to build a new all-wheel-drive DBX crossover vehicle.
Boutique supercar makers are a rare breed and we bless them for it.
Take Aston Martin, which has announced its fifth consecutive annual loss. Last year it shed more than $200 million on the back of 3600 sales.
That would be enough to have the corporate vultures circling at a mainstream car brand but the British company has stiffened the upper lip and doubled down.
It has announced it will not venture outside of its performance car niche to build a new all-wheel-drive DBX crossover vehicle — but it will also team with Formula One team Red Bull to develop the hypercar AM-RB 001 shown at the Monaco Grand Prix in May.
Just 99 examples of the AM-RB 001 will be built with an estimated $3.5 million to $5.5 million. Each.
Red Bull has applied design guru Adrian Newey's skill to the concept mock-ups and F1-based engineering prowess is expected to feature in the suspension and drivetrain of the mid-engined hybrid.
Needless to say, the DB11 is destined for a starring role in the next James Bond film.
There's also a raft of relatively affordable new products due out in the next couple of years, headlined by December's local arrival of the DB11 — said to be the most important Aston Martin since the DB9 was unveiled in 2003.
Needless to say, the DB11 is destined for a starring role in the next James Bond film. If the popularity translates from screen to sales, Aston Martin won't need any special effects or gear from Q to escape the financial trap.
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