From Autocar:

"The boss of Aston Martin, Ulrich Bez, is expected to step down and take up a more ambassadorial role with the firm at the end of this year.
...

An Aston spokesman refused to comment on the rumour, but Autocar understands that a new boss will be put in place this summer, giving him or her time to work with Bez during a transition period."

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/in...s-aston-martin

 

Probably made they are discontinuing the V12V

 

It seems like Bez' strategy has run its course. They definitely need to reload and sort out where to go from here with the platform which has now been around since 2005, 8 years.

They need a new engine and electronics supplier, a DSG gearbox for most models, a revised design language.........

I wonder who they will get to run the place.

 

I'm sorry, I couldn't possibly. I am far to busy with . . . okay I'll do it!

 

Yep the Dr needs to become the patient

The whole point of the VH platform was they could produce new models with out redesigning the chassis hence the DB9.2 & Vanquish on the same platform
Not sure there is anything wrong with the VH chassis so why change it?
The engines do need to catch up (they have only just added knock control to the V12!) but they cope well enough and are part of the AM character
What do you mean by electronics? They are tied to Ford/Volvo due to the airbag system being Volvo and the CANbus needs to be compatible
Not convinced they need twin clutch either, ASM2 with a lightened flywheel is great and BMW have proved with the new 8 speed ZF there is no need for twin clutches and their extra cost, weight and complexity.
I do agree Marek needs to come up with something better that is less Germanic, more inline with the heritage and easier on the eye. I HATE the lip on the new Vanquish

I wonder if this is being driven by the new investors?

 

Mikey,

Well said, especially regarding the VH platform -- it's still superb, still absolutely competitive with anything out there. Just because "VH" has been around for a while, many people assume it's outdated, which isn't the case.

FWIW, the new Vanquish has grown on me a lot -- I think it looks great. But not as great (interior or exterior) as the Vantage, DB9 or DBS...

 

Driven by investors? Definitely.

 

Woo-Hoo!! Forced induction options here we come again!!(Bez was against this incase you were wondering) ..At least the "S" might now stand for SuperCharged..With the growing market and growing emission laws, Forced induction is the only choice for that extra power WITH lower displacement..aka V8 5.0L S/C putting out power like a V12 6.0L N.A...There's also big words in the air right now about Benz engines again (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-0...on-martin.html)

There will be lots of changes with these new investors by the end of this year..memory serves me, are contract in Colone is till 2015 just like JLR..so it's becoming crunch time

 

A V8 with S/C may = an NA V12 in power, but it will never equal a V12 in terms of sound or cachet or 'specialness'. V12s are in a category by themselves, and no amount of fiddling with the power of a V8 will ever change that.

In 30-40 years time, people looking to buy an Aston at a high end auction will be looking for a V12. A V8? Not so much.

 

I agree ...but I never said to replace the V12..it's the heart of Aston Martin..it would be like Ferarri going to a V6 twin turbo and place of there V12...it's not going to happen...But with a V8 going S/C and the V12 going S/C will bring new levels of clients wanting to compare HP numbers at those levels, it's the only complaint you really ever hear of from that group of clients looking at numbers..easy way to make a monster for each model... I'm not stating to replace all the NA versions on the line-up but rather give a good "S" model line-up..versus a few extra interior stiching and a 10-30bhp bump in power of the current "S" branded line-ups that we've been seeing for years

I believe, and just my 2cents..with Bez stepping down, don't get me wrong..brought a lot to the table with little cash and didn't go bankrupt.. now new minds at the table but staying true to values will be a plus for this company..forced induction is not something new for us, I doubt these investors just want to stay alive like we have been doing for years(had no cash to do otherwise), they have cash and want to rise

 

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. An Aston with a Benz engine dropped in, or "tuned" or a "version" of one, is not something I'm interested in. However, if they "base" a new Aston engine on a Benz engine in a similar manner to which the current V8 is "based" on the Jaguar V8 (completely bespoke internals, etc.), that could be great.

I love a great NA engine, but I have no issue with forced induction when done well. A supercharged Vanquish "S" could be a great way to compete in the (IMO absurd) 6-700+ hp race currently raging.

Regarding V12s, there is nothing like them. That said, Aston made its name with fours, then really made it with sixes. The AM V12 didn't even exist until 1999, so IMO its being considered the "heart" of Aston Martin is overstating its importance. Nonetheless, it's a wonderful thing, and I hope it's around for a very long time.

W/R/T the forced-induction with downsizing trend, it seems to me that the future could include smaller displacement engines without a drop in cylinder count, e.g., forced-induction 4 liter V12s and 3 liter V8s. That way, power and performance would be maintained, we'd see efficiency gains, and -- critically to cars like these -- we'd still have the appealing and distinctive engine characteristics of multi-cylinder engines.