With a consortium headed by Prodrive chief David Richards set to loosen Aston Martin from Ford, the climate is perfect for extrapolating the company's direction from tossed-off statements and unnamed sources. And who says that's a bad thing? The latest is from AutoWeek, which amps up a quiet comment by Richards to the roar of a V12 supercar. Richards said recently the company has room to expand in areas similar to those of its competitors. In the process, he name checked the Audi R8. AW's sources suggest it's a sign that Aston will soon slap the Aston wings on a mid-engine supercar. Although such a model is absent from the five-year plan used to woo investors, Aston CEO Ulrich Bez recently hinted at a future flagship dubbed NPX to be slotted in above the coming Rapide. Of course, such a car — which AW pegs at $500,000 — would be a product of next decade. Many hoons from now.
Beyond Rapide [AutoWeek]
Related:
Aston Martin Sold To Kuwaiti Investment Company For $925 Million; More on Top Gear's Test of the Prodrive P2; Prodrive's P2 Show Car at Autosport International [internal]