Aston Martin’s wedgy new Lagonda super-saloon was flown to Oman for testing this week, affording us this fresh look at the Middle East-only four-door.
Oman Air publicised its role in transporting this prototype out to Muscat ‘as part of its early testing programme.’ We hope it travelled first class; the Lagonda will only be offered on sale to its wealthiest clients in the region.
It’s only one month since Aston Martin confirmed the Lagonda project and issued a solitary teaser image of the saloon, side-on and shrouded in shadows. These new images give us a proper look at the Lagonda from the front and rear: now we can see the simple graphic at the rear and a very modern interpretation of the Aston grille at the front, encompassing narrow headlamps.
See CAR magazine’s original scoop on the new Lagonda with our extraordinary spyshots from back in May 2014.
New 2015 Lagonda: going through passport control
The Lagonda, which doesn’t yet carry a name, is based on the VH architecture, an aluminum box of components and chassis members which underpins every Aston Martin on sale today. It’s safe to assume the Lagonda is powered by the venerable Aston V12.
The company says ‘the new car draws inspiration from the highly sought-after William Towns-designed Lagonda of 1976’, but blended with more modern manufacturing techniques.
Like the Vanquish, the new Lagonda will offer carbonfibre bodywork. It’s hand-built, too – this car is being positioned at the very top of the Aston range, filling the considerable shoes of the One-77.
Tellingly, Gaydon won’t confirm the price yet, although it will surely be north of £1 million.
It is being offered on an invitation-only basis to its closest clients in the Middle East. Aston Martin has a strong customer base in the region – and is of course largely owned by Middle Eastern finance houses, although Daimler has started an incremental investment in the business.
Aston Martin design director on the new Lagonda
Marek Reichman said: ‘The debut of this luxury super saloon in the Middle East market will be an exciting moment not only for Aston Martin, but for discerning customers who are seeking the ultimate in luxury and personalisation.
‘The new model, like its exclusive siblings the One-77 and V12 Zagato, has been created as a piece of exceptional automotive art. It has been designed and developed entirely in keeping with the spirit and ethos of previous Lagonda super saloons – notably the William Towns Lagonda – and as a tribute to this car it proudly bears the Lagonda nameplate.’
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