Aston Martin to maintain mid-engine automobiles as low-volume specials

Aston Martin’s present management will reverse an earlier plan to introduce a mid-engine supercar as a everlasting fixture within the lineup, the automaker’s chairman has revealed.

In an interview with Autocar printed on Thursday, Aston Martin Chairman Lawrence Stroll stated future mid-engine fashions will stay limited-edition halo merchandise, akin to the present Valkyrie hypercar and upcoming Valhalla supercar.

He stated quantity for such merchandise wasn’t as necessary as their profitability and solely, and thus they will not develop into “regular” choices within the lineup.

Previous to Stroll taking on the reins at Aston Martin in early 2020, the automaker deliberate to comply with up the Valhalla with a brand new mid-engine supercar previewed by the Vanquish Imaginative and prescient idea first proven in 2019. It was to pack a V-6 and compete towards comparable fashions from rivals Ferrari and McLaren.

Aston Martin Vanquish Imaginative and prescient idea, courtesy Jill Ciminillo

It is not clear whether or not a mid-engine Vanquish remains to be a part of Aston Martin’s plans. It is doable Aston Martin should use the nameplate for a deliberate successor to the DBS Superleggera, because the Vanquish has at all times been a front-engine grand tourer.

In his interview with Autocar, Stroll stated the Valhalla, which is due in 2024, will likely be restricted to 999 models, all of them coupes. An additional run of convertibles is feasible.

The automotive, which can carry a price ticket approaching $1 million, will likely be Aston Martin’s first plug-in hybrid. Its powertrain will mix the present Mercedes-Benz AMG-sourced V-8 Aston Martin makes use of in varied fashions, with a pair of electrical motors (one at every axle) for a peak output of 937 hp.