Jay Leno Drives Aston Martin CC100 Concept; Interviews CEO Ulrich Bez

No matter what kind of automotive enthusiast you picture yourself to be, there’s really no argument against the Aston Martin CC100, a fully-functional concept with a sexy 1959 DBR1-inspired body done in carbon fiber, sitting atop a Vantage platform and getting its power from the usual company V12.

It looks very stylish (and stylized), having plenty of historic significance while being capable to go just about as fast as the styling will have you believe it can – Jay Leno likes it too, after having experienced it and having it explained by the company CEO, Ulrich Bez.

Jay is impressed that Aston is able to make this car the way it does – it’s not just a concept for parading at events and looking pretty for pictures, but a fully-fledged (albeit horribly expensive) standalone and two-off model that reportedly costs around €580,000 / £500,000.

The insight from Mr. Bez adds more context to the car, after he goes on to explain that the company, despite now being 100 years old, has not completely lost touch with how things used to be done in the past, and their minute size compared to the other automotive giants allows them to make cars like this and not suffer terrible financial punishment as a result.

Check out the video after the jump.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Aston Martin Keen to Revive Lagonda Sub-Brand with SUV Model, Says Report

Having secured technology for its next-generation models through a deal with Mercedes-AMG, Aston Martin is now free to think about more future vehicles. To diversify its lineup and consequently boost sales, the UK-based luxury car manufacturer is reportedly considering reviving the Lagonda sub-brand.

You probably remember the controversial Mercedes-Benz GL-based Lagonda Concept that Aston Martin displayed at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. The beauty of the Lagonda brand (not the concept…) is that it would allow the carmaker to get away with building an SUV while keeping the Aston Martin brand intact.

Aston put the Lagonda SUV project on hold soon after it was revealed, but recent developments from its competitors (Bentley, Maserati and even Rolls-Royce is considering an SUV) forced the company to look for ways to build an SUV too. But plans for Lagonda vehicles include more than just the SUV, as Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez told Australia’s Drive. A conventional large limousine and a smaller mid-sized sedan may also be launched in the future.

“I am confident in the future we will see a Lagonda on the road,” Bez said. “With the Lagonda name we have the chance to use it for everything that goes beyond what is our base car line and preferably it will be something like an SUV,” he added.

Bez said that five to ten years from now, “everything beyond V8 Vantage, Rapide, Vanquish could be branded as Lagonda.” Product engineering chief Ian Minards said Aston Martin’s bonded aluminum structure is flexible enough to accommodate a large SUV. However, if Aston Martin convinces Mercedes-Benz to supply it with the chassis from the GL-Class SUV, the Lagonda SUV would be cheaper to make and could arrive sooner on the market.

By Dan Mihalascu

PHOTO GALLERY

What do You Think About the Aston Martin Vanish CUV Design Concept?

From the moment Aston Martin did the unthinkable by placing its name and badges on the Toyota iQ (Scion in North America) city car to build the Cygnet, just about anything goes when it comes to imagining future products for the British brand.
One of the more interesting projects we have seen lately comes to us from a first year Automotive and Transport Design student at the Coventry University, identified under the alias 'Mcflurry1992'.