Thursday 24th February 2011

A Return To Straight Six Engines For Aston?

Aston boss declares interest in 'classic' configuration for road cars

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Dr Bez at Aston Martin HQ, Gaydon

Aston Martin chief exec Dr Ulrich Bez has hinted that a new generation of models could return to the classic 'straight six' engine configuration for which the marque was once famous.

PH bumped into Aston's top man at Gaydon yesterday as we got a chance to admire the crisply updated new Virage. Given the close relationship of all its current performance models under the skin, we wanted to find out a bit more about the longer term future of Aston's line-up.

According to Dr Bez, the current VH platform that underpins all its current models has many years of life left in it. The packaging possibilities haven't been fully explored but already VH has delivered everything Aston needs for a range of very individual models, he reckons, adding that no rival company has been able to create such a wide range of cars from a single modular base. Further evolution, and not revolution is the key to future developments, he says.

DB7 was the last six-cylinder Aston

When talk turned to engines, Dr Bez let slip that he's extremely interested in a return to a straight six configuration for future Aston Martin road cars. How interested? Well, interested enough to have already notionally settled on an inline engine of 'around 2.5 litre capacity with direct injection and turbocharging', he revealed.

'And of course a straight six will fit, because we can already get the V12s in,' was the intriguing parting shot before he was dragged away to some more important encounter - leaving a hole that just begs to be filled with a bit of wild speculation...

Well, your guess is as good as ours, but the idea of a front-engined, high-tech, six cylinder 'junior' Aston Martin five or so years from now is pretty intriguing isn't it?

We thought so, anyway, so here are a few pictures of earlier six-cylinder Astons to look at while we're waiting for somebody to fill in the blanks...

 

[LukeBird]

It sounds like a cracking idea.
I wonder whether the market would agree though? I can't help but think at Aston's price-point (current, at least!) it's rather a case of V8 and V12 or nothing...

[davidspooner]

Straight six plus IQ based thingie?

[will261058]

Great news if it happens. V8s have a great sound and V12s sound good to but a howling inline six floats my boat like no other

[anonymous-user]

Oh dear. I recently applied to their graduate scheme and in one of the sections I confidently proclaimed that I didn't think an AM would be an AM if it wasn't normally aspirated. Woops.

[c_seven]

Of course we all know the reasons things are moving this way, but I can't help thinking a 2.5 blown six is a bit ordinary, I mean it's a Subaru engine give or take a cylinder. Purely from a consumer perceptions perspective surely they have to do something interesting to break the (deserved) fixation with big V's. Three liter supercharged straight six with Fiat's clever twin-air technology anyone?

[j_s14a]

There's an abundance of 1JZ-GTE engines around looking for new homes

[billzeebub]

If the styling department can get the car as achingly beautiful as the 60s DBs then they could put a lawn mower engine in it as far as Im concerned!

[Wadeski]

c_seven said:

Of course we all know the reasons things are moving this way, but I can't help thinking a 2.5 blown six is a bit ordinary, I mean it's a Subaru engine give or take a cylinder. Purely from a consumer perceptions perspective surely they have to do something interesting to break the (deserved) fixation with big V's. Three liter supercharged straight six with Fiat's clever twin-air technology anyone?

yes, ordinary cars like this:






i mean....YAWWWN.

[ZeeTacoe]

What the fk do flat 6s or racecars have to with this?

[Lazerblue]

Clarkson sometimes hit's the nail on the head!

Death of the supercar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siZQHDY1-48

[oilit]

JZ or perhaps ...hmmmmm :-)

[BDR529]

Lazerblue said:

Clarkson sometimes hit's the nail on the head!

Death of the supercar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siZQHDY1-48

Indeed. Cracking roads he is driving on though!

[Baryonyx]

Lazerblue said:

Clarkson sometimes hit's the nail on the head!

Death of the supercar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siZQHDY1-48

I remember watching that and thinking it was the first time Top Gear had done something emotive and sad since the death of the Escort Cosworth piece.

[Jerwatt]

Was anyone a little confused by this line?

"...for a range of very individual models". Really?

[Alex Gurr]

I love the idea of the return of the classic 6 cylinder, but am worried that in today's world of bigger is better it will be seen as a backward step.

We all know cars should be smaller, lighter and smarter, but moan if a hot hatch doesn't put out 300bhp and a super saloon 500bhp. It would be great to see a 1,300kg 350bhp normally aspirated Aston, but I doubt the market would buy it because a Maserati has more.

I also wonder if it is possible to do a charismatic modern turbo engine within the regulations. I can't think of one on sale today that has the spark of a normally aspirated motor.

[300bhp/ton]

Dr Bez said:

VH has delivered everything Aston needs for a range of very individual models, he reckons, adding that no rival company has been able to create such a wide range of cars

When discussing the current Aston line up, the last words any sane person would use are "individual" and "wide range"....

[jake15919]

c_seven said:

I can't help thinking a 2.5 blown six is a bit ordinary, I mean it's a Subaru engine give or take a cylinder.

Wow the relaxation of the licencing laws is really starting to kick in.

[g3org3y]

I was under the impression that the Cygnet was made so that AM could continue to produce V8s/V10s/V12s and not have to resort to 'small' forced induction engines?

[Seeker UK]

g3org3y said:

I was under the impression that the Cygnet was made so that AM could continue to produce V8s/V10s/V12s and not have to resort to 'small' forced induction engines?

That helps, but in the future when fuel is £2+ a litre, even well heeled, committed petrolheads will think twice about a NA big V8 or V12 as a daily driver. AM knows that to survive, it can't sell enough cars as expensive weekend toys.

If AM sell a product which has a turbo / supercharged staright 6 which is nearly as quick as a NA V8 and return 35mpg+ on a run, the average buyer is going to go for that and as AM are first and foremost a business to make money, that's what they'll do.

It'll still be a beautifully made car, rapid, smooth and aspirationally expensive and exclusive but it won't deliver power linearly. Bummer.

[Oddball RS]

will261058 said:

Great news if it happens. V8s have a great sound and V12s sound good to but a howling inline six floats my boat like no other

Howling what??? in a word TURBO! think Dyson