An all-new four-door super saloon will be the first Lagonda of the 21st century, according to Aston Martin. Though full technical details have yet to be released (watch this space) the new Lagonda will be hand-built for customers by invitation only, in numbers similar to those of the One-77 and V12 Zagato projects. One thing is already clear – they’ve created a fabulous design; a spacious four-door saloon with the charisma of a supercar.
Lagonda is a name with a long and honourable history dating back to 1906. It can even boast a Le Mans victory (earned in 1935, the year that W.O. Bentley himself jumped ship to the marque). But until now the last of the line has been the iconic Aston Martin Lagonda of 1976, a low, square and wedge-shaped four-door designed by William Towns.
More recently there have been rumours of a Lagonda SUV, and the company itself showed an SUV concept with the Lagonda name at the 2009 Geneva Show. But confounding all speculation, Aston Martin has announced that the first new Lagonda of the modern era will be a super saloon. It will be built on the versatile VH architecture, to be offered (at least for now) for the Middle East market only.
There are hints of the 1976 design in the new Lagonda, but with so much more sculptural appeal, thanks to modern technologies and the use of materials such as carbon fibre for bodywork. Teaser shots reveal a low, lean and elegant shape, with plenty of room beneath that long bonnet for what industry insiders presume will be a V12. Aston Martin’s design director Marek Reichman describes it as ‘a luxury super saloon…for customers seeking the ultimate in luxury and personalisation.’
As with the One-77 and V12 Zagato, the new Lagonda will be built at the Aston Martin headquarters in Gaydon in a dedicated facility for such hand-built and bespoke projects. It’s the perfect showcase for the company’s capabilities in unique and ultra-desirable vehicles and comes soon after the announcement of further investment and expansion at Aston Martin.
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