More news on cars we'll probably never own..
The days of Aston Martin being under the Ford umbrella are gone. Even though Ford still owns a small stake in Aston and still provides some key parts critical to a small volume marque, they're no longer playing the role of big bad bureaucracy. That role's being filled by the new majority owners -- Investment DAR. The new bosses have said they want to continue to increase production year to year. Thing is, the current Gaydon plant may not be able to handle all the new volume. Lucky for DAR they also own a 7-percent stake in Daimler AG, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz.
So those Ford-based V8s and V12s, as well as those Volvo-sourced electronics and interior bits may be on the way out in favor of Mercedes replacements. Another possibility is that a future Mercedes SL made of aluminum may share a platform with a future Aston Martin. Only time will tell... but the mere thought of an AMG twin-turbo V12 sitting between the fenders of a 007-tastic Aston will have us up all night.