Beyond Rapide

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Beyond Rapide
Is NPX Aston�s mid-engined answer?

By JULIAN RENDELL

AutoWeek | Published 04/24/07, 3:05 pm et
Is Aston Martin poised to take on Ferrari with its first mid-engined supercar? That�s the tantalizing prospect made possible by Ford�s sale of the British sports-car maker to a consortium led by Prodrive�s David Richards, backed by Kuwaiti investors and featuring Texan investment banker John Sinders.

Richards, who will chair the new company, said at the press conference announcing the Aston purchase: �Aston has to look at some of the things that are being done by our competitors, like the Audi R8 and the Japanese brands. We believe we can expand quite considerably.�

Richards� comment could be taken as a sign that he wants to build the Prodrive P2, a 2006 two-seat supercar concept with a Subaru WRX STI powertrain that served as a showcase for the British company�s engineering prowess.

A more likely interpretation, sources suggest, is that Aston will add a range-topping, mid-engined supercar, an obvious gap in the company�s lineup, which is focused on four front-engined, rear-drive models built on the same aluminum chassis.

Officially, Aston says a mid-engined car isn�t part of its five-year plan that runs from 2005 to 2010: �The investors have bought a profitable company with an agreed plan to the end of the decade, and there�s nothing mid-engined in that.�

But Aston CEO Ulrich Bez hinted at an exciting new Aston flagship at the purchase announcement, showing a new product lineup with a model codenamed NPX at its pinnacle. �It�s a sign of the confidence of the company that we could put a model above the Rapide,� said Bez.

Speaking privately, executives also acknowledge that new thinking will be needed post-2010. �There is definitely room above Rapide for a supercar like NPX, but details, like where the engine is, are still a subject to be discussed.�

The Rapide is the four-door, long-wheelbase variant of the DB9 that Aston�s new owners already have promised will be put into production by 2010. Bez estimates Rapide sales at �between 1000 and 2000� annually, at a price near $400,000.

An NPX supercar probably would wear a price tag around $500,000, making it comparable to the Mercedes-Benz SLR and a value compared with the $1.2 million Bugatti Veyron.

Seasoned Aston observers will see some irony in Richards� comment, because the V8 Vantage was originally planned as a mid-engined Ferrari 360 beater, but cost and speed-to-market considerations caused the car to be redesigned as a front-engined, two-seat variant of the company�s mainstay DB9 model.

Bez, then newly on board at Aston, made the critical call, causing internal conflict with designers and engineers who strongly backed the mid-engined car.

At that time, Bez told AutoWeek that a �front-engined V8 Vantage was the only model that made any sense financially. Aston is a very small company, and it is not sensible to have two completely different body architectures.�

So what has changed? Most significant is that Aston�s business plan has been a huge success, with production up fivefold in five years. The company is now profitable, giving managers the freedom to take some calculated product and investment risks. Plus, one of the reasons for spinning Aston off was to give it access to a larger pot of capital expenditure. According to Aston insiders, Ford�s ongoing financial worries diverted funds from peripheral projects such as new Astons to bread-and-butter models better able to keep the Blue Oval afloat.

These factors, along with the fresh ideas of a new management team, point to the strong probability of a future mid-engined Aston.



Texan is the driving force behind Aston deal

A Savile Row-attired Texan investment banker has emerged as the real powerhouse behind the successful bid for Aston Martin.

John Sinders, who co-owns a U.S. team that races DBR9s and is a friend of Dave Richards from Aston Martin�s GT racing program, made the first approach to Richards.

�John rang me up and said, �Hey, I�ve got this mad idea, why don�t we get together and bid for Aston Martin?� � said Richards.

At that point, back in late summer 2006, Sinders had an idea but no cash backing, but his business contacts in the Middle East, where he has a home in Dubai, produced results and investment. When a group of Saudi backers pulled out, Kuwaiti money filled the void, allowing the purchase to go forward with very little debt.

Because Sinders is a lifelong Aston fan with a collection of eight cars, including classics such as the DB3 and the DB4GT and modern models such as the Vanquish and the DB9 Volante, it�s easy to believe he has Aston�s best interests at heart.

He�s a strong advocate of the Kuwaitis� desire for a long-term investment with Aston, a basic requirement for a successful car company. �You know, they�ve never sold an investment,� Sinders told AutoWeek.

Sinders, who has a minor financial stake in the company, will serve on Aston�s board and head U.S. distribution.

With two strong personalities like Richards and CEO Ulrich Bez running Aston day-to-day, some reckon Sinders� biggest job will be keeping the two car nuts focused on the same targets.

Article with Pics:
http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070425/FREE/70424002/1528/SportsCars
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