Let’s get this done as quickly as possible to avoid the nausea.
Aston Martin is a venerable British marque known equally for its great cars and its greatest enthusiast, James Bond. With icons like the DB3, DB5, Vantage and Vanquish, the company lives up to its slogan, “Power Beauty, Soul.” Not wanting to rest on its laurels, however, Aston Martin is making some changes:
First, they’ll start making teeny tiny little microcars with engines from a blender. Yes, a blender. These cars will be based on the Toyota IQ, an adorable little lunch box better suited for storing sandwiches than cruising the countryside. The newest Aston Martin will do 0-60 in a stately 12 seconds or so and have a top speed of 102 mph using the same “power” train as the Toyota. Never has the word “power” been so liberally applied. For $25,000 over the Toyota, you get a huge Tom Selleck mustache (grille) pasted onto the nose, four new vents tacked to the hood and side, a pretty interior made from very tiny cows and new fancy paint colors including Tiger print and Zebra. Other than that it’s a Toyota IQ. At first, the company said they would only sell it to present Aston Martin owners to use as “an exclusive tender to a luxury yacht.” Now they’ve changed their minds and are offering it to the regular guy (No US version yet).
I have no idea what ungodly events led to this day, but it’s a sad one indeed. I’m sure they’ll sell all 4,000 microcars to people who will brag that they just bought an Aston Martin. This car is for Mr. Bean, not James Bond, as he’d rather walk.
Next, the company which was sold by Ford to a Kuwaiti Investment Company just had a few more milestones. The new One 77 cost $2.4 million in August of last year. 7 months later it’s worth only $1.4 million, making it the second most expensive production car after the Bugatti Veyron Fbg Par Hermes. At the same time, the company introduced the Rapide, its first 4-door sports car. The Rapide is a stunning new addition to the lineup.
Finally, in sad news: Harold Henry Beach, the Chief Designer of Aston Martin (Retired) and creator of cars like the DB4, DB5 and V8 Volante has passed away. He was 96.
Article Courtesy of Chris Raymond