Investindustrial, the second majority stakeholder of Aston Martin, has announced that the premium sports car maker is now actively engaged with a number of other manufacturers regarding possible partnerships in engine and electronic development. In a nutshell, it's time that Aston Martin gets a new engine.
Investindustrial first bought a 38 percent stake within Aston Martin back in December, providing some much needed financial backing for the specialized brand. Unlike Bugatti and Lamborghini, which are both owned by Volkswagen, Aston Martin is an independent automaker that has developed all its innovative and high-end components in-house ever since it was sold by Ford half a decade ago.
Investindustrial Chairman Andrea Bonomi spoke with Bloomberg in an interview revealing Aston Martin's future plans. According to Bonomi, the firm is prepared to invest £500 million ($800 million) over the next four years to develop the brand. The process includes staging talks with other manufacturers, including the legendary AMG high-performance division of Mercedes-Benz. The meeting will include talks of possible engine and electronics development between the two companies.
Rumors of Aston Martin reaching out to AMG have circulated since as early as 2008. Beyond taking on the role as manufacturer's tuner for Mercedes-Benz and engine supplier for Pagani, the latest talk with Aston Martin will solidify AMG's reputation as an engine builder for the multiple high-performance brands. Extending towards motorsports, Formula 1 teams Mercedes, McLaren, and Force India use engines handbuilt by AMG as well.
What's more, even if we ignore the popularity of the AMG motor in the industry, the choice of using an AMG underneath the Aston Martin actually makes sense. Mercedes-Benz signed to deliver 150 bespoke 'M158' V12 engine specifically for the Pagani Huayra supercar. A burly, naturally-aspirated V12 that produces more than 700-hp, the M158 can easily become the perfect engine with just the right characteristics to power a new generation of Aston Martin GT cars as well.
Despite our heavy anticipation, Aston Martin and Daimlerhas largely avoided comment on the rumors surrounding the British supercar's talk with AMG. According to Daimler spokeswoman Silke Waters, "We don't comment on any speculation."
Now it's your turn: If Aston Martin were to form a partnership with any engine builder for its future lineup of performance cars, which manufacturer do you believe is best suited for the task? Let us know in the comments below!
