Friday 25th July 2014

Aston confirms Lagonda saloon...

...but it'll be invitation only and limited to customers in the Middle East

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Last week, in a story about the future of Aston Martin, PH confidently declared "our money is now firmly on the rumoured Lagonda four-door" when confirming the controversial Lagonda SUV project had been abandoned. We don't like to be smug, but...

This morning Aston has announced it is to build a "strictly limited" Lagonda "luxury super saloon" that "champions exclusivity". And it's not, as you might first imagine, simply a restyled version of the latest Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but a completely bespoke product based on Aston's own long-standing bonded aluminium VH architecture.

Car based on Aston's vertical/horizontal underpinnings

We strongly suspect that this means it will be not just expensive, but genuinely gob-smackingly so. Adding fuel to that fire, Aston says "The new super saloon will be offered for sale by invitation only and, while precise pricing details remain confidential, the asking price will be commensurate with the car's exclusivity, quality and luxurious nature."

It will also only be available to customers in the Middle East "as a result of specific market demand". Which gives you a further clue.

The pictures you see here are all we've got at this stage, while the technical details are limited to the confirmed use of the VH architecture and carbonfibre body panels. The design is said to be directly influenced by the 1976-1989 William Towns Lagonda - which suggests plenty of straight lines and a huge amount of on-board technology. It will be hand-built at Aston Martin's factory in Gaydon.

Aston Martin's design director, Marek Reichman - who turns out to have been dropping some pretty heavy hints last week - describes the new Lagonda as "an exceptional piece of automotive art" and "the ultimate in luxury and personalisation". But then, he would do, wouldn't he?

Production of the new Aston Martin Lagonda saloon is set to start in early 2015.

 

[matbat]

I'm sure it will look stunning, shame we'll never see one on the road in the UK.