Q&A

By Li Fusheng | China Daily | Updated: 2018-02-02 07:25

Andy Palmer, CEO of Aston Martin, shares his ideas about the latest trends in the automotive industry and the newest developments of the iconic British carmaker. He made his comments in an exclusive interview with China Daily, before his trip as a representative of the business delegation that British Prime Minister Theresa May leads on her three-day visit to China.

Will Aston Martin develop self-driving cars? Why?

Self-driving or autonomous vehicles are in the headlines daily. Full autonomy - at level 4 and beyond - is unlikely to be a near-term goal for a luxury sports car manufacturer.

At Aston Martin, we are still firmly focused on the joys of driving and the physical pleasure that comes from taking control of a 600 horsepower vehicle.

Nevertheless, autonomous car technology will help us to implement new driver assistance and safety features that will become increasingly important to our customers.

Aston Martin has been focusing on front-engine and real wheel drive cars, but it is reported that you said it will also produce mid-engine super sports cars. What are your considerations? Are there concerns that such models would affect Aston Martin's brand positioning?

We are already working on a mid-engine hypercar, the Aston Martin Valkyrie, which will go into production in 2019. It's limited to 150 cars and was four times oversubscribed, so we know the appetite is there for a mid-engine supercar from Aston Martin.

I've made it clear that we are looking to produce a more deliverable mid-engine supercar inherited from Valkyrie in 2020, which will bring us an unprecedented performance product in Aston Martin' s portfolio.

Besides Aston Martin, the UK is also home to several other automotive brands. What do you think distinguishes Aston Martin from them?

We pride ourselves on design, craftsmanship, quality and our ability to produce bespoke products. Design is our key distinguishing factor; our aim is to always produce the most beautiful cars in the world.

In the DB11 and new Vantage I believe we have achieved this goal.

As an independent manufacturer, we also design and engineer our products fully in-house. We don't have the constraints of rebodying an existing platform like some of our competitors. This allows us the flexibility to design and engineer true sports cars, which our customers love. We are also able to personalize these cars to each customer's taste.

Aston Martin competes in Formula One with Red Bull, and you mentioned that you are interested in F1's new engine rules. Could you share with us Aston Martin's engine plans?

From the 2018 season, the Formula One team will compete as 'Aston Martin Red Bull Racing,' further strengthening our Innovation Partnership. Valkyrie, the hypercar we are developing with Red Bull, will be the defining hypercar of the decade and our link with F1 gives further credibility to this car.

With regards to engines, we have made no secret of the fact we are in discussions with the International Automobile Federation regarding the power unit regulations in 2021. We have an interest in becoming an engine supplier, but much of this will depend on the new rules and regulations.