In a year that has witnessed unprecedented investment in its business, along with the appointment of new CEO Andy Palmer.
03 Oct 2014 | 5856 Views | By Autocar Professional Bureau
In a year that has witnessed unprecedented investment in its business, along with the appointment of new CEO Andy Palmer, Aston Martin has turned its attention to the glamour and excitement of the Paris Motor Show, which with its expected 1.2 million-plus visitors to the event will make it the ...
This is an Autocar Pro Plus article. Subscribe to continue reading.
In a year that has witnessed unprecedented investment in its business, along with the appointment of new CEO Andy Palmer, Aston Martin has turned its attention to the glamour and excitement of the Paris Motor Show, which with its expected 1.2 million-plus visitors to the event will make it the world’s largest tier one motor show by attendance.
The luxury British sports car company will have the European show debut for its new V12 Vantage S Roadster alongside the public unveiling of the new Vanquish Coupe Carbon Black special edition.
Available now, the V12 Vantage S Roadster is Aston Martin’s most potent, quickest and fastest-accelerating series production convertible yet. Equipped with the latest 565bhp, Aston Martin AM28 6.0-litre V12 engine, featuring state-of-the-art Bosch engine management, the car is capable of reaching 201mph/321kph and sprinting from rest to 100kph in only 4.1 seconds.
Palmer, formerly head of planning at Nissan Motor Co, began his tenure at the head of the iconic marque on 1 October by addressing the workforce at Aston Martin’s global headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire before heading to Paris.
He described joining Aston Martin as a decision of both the head and the heart. He said: “Aston Martin is an iconic brand with tremendous global recognition and potential. The company is at a significant point in its development. Building on our contemporary and relevant product line, we will work hard to extend the company’s global presence while preserving its British heritage and craftsmanship.”
Other eye-catching models sharing the limelight in Paris include the sporty V8 Vantage N430 and luxurious Rapide S four-door sports ca.
The arrival of new cars such as the V12 Vantage S Roadster, special edition models and 15MY Vanquish and Rapide S comes as the £500m product investment programme announced earlier in the year – Aston Martin’s largest new car development spend in its 101-year history – gets into its stride.
Welcoming the bold showing in the French capital, CEO Andy Palmer added: “A busy show stand at Paris typifies the strength and optimism to be found throughout the Aston Martin business worldwide.”