By Dan Trent | |
| 04 March 2009 11:38:21 | |
Lagonda four-wheel drive wows Geneva
Lagonda is being reborn – not with a glossy brochure and marketing hype, but with a truly outrageous concept.
Unveiled to an awe-struck Geneva crowd, Aston Martin boss Dr Ulrich Bez unveiled a gigantic 4WD model with head-turning looks, an imposing and dominant front end, plus a tiny rectangular rear window that oozes 1930s jazz.
GALLERY: Watch the Lagonda 4x4 concept in pictures
GALLERY: Watch the Lagonda 4x4 concept in pictures
Based on a Merc GL
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Click images to enlarge |
It’s based on the Mercedes GL, and comes with a huge V12 engine. In time, it will also house diesel, flexfuel and hybrid powertrains. But why an SUV? Because it’s parent company Aston Martin’s world car, for sale in 100 countries – Europe’s far from a priority here. Pencilled in for 2012, it’s a shocking surprise unveil that truly wows.
Company chief Dr Ulrich Bez just told the Geneva crowds that we need to build a real car, a concept that people can touch and see. And how. Hidden beneath the covers, he said, was a true ‘world’ car. It has four wheel drive, stacks of ground clearance and truly luxurious interior space for four.
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It’s easy to get in and out of. It’s packed with luxury and elegance. In time there will be environmentally friendly versions. See what’s in the Mercedes-Benz powertrain cupboard, for an idea of what to expect here.
‘There are 200 countries in the world, and 100 suitable for a car of this type. Hence, the rebirth of Lagonda.’ Indeed, it’s the very fact that worldwide countries have a completely different infrastructure to metropolitan Western Europe that’s seen the Lagonda Concept stun the crowds with its off-road underpinnings.
Gangster film cool
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So what of the car? Well, jaws are still on the ground here in Geneva. The Lagonda Concept is genuinely stunning. Massive, it’s Mercedes GL scale but totally bespoke in its lines. Think 1930s, think (dare we say) black and white gangster film cool. The front is near vertical, and staggeringly dominant.
The side profile is clean, elegant, impossibly cultured – and the rear end? Well, just, wow. It has a stubby tail and the most amazingly shallow, rectangular rear window. Aside from a few traces of Renault Vel Satis in the rear three quarter, it’s one of the most head-turning machines here in Geneva.
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Inside, there’s a bespoke interior – and when we say bespoke, we mean it. The seats are the sort you’ve never before seen in a car. More like specialist boutique than off a production line. And it’s all finished to the level of detail usually associated with expensive wristwatches.
Some may say now’s a bad time to launch this sort of car. That’s why Lagonda isn’t launching it – but showing a concept, to whet appetites before 2012’s launch. By then, global markets should be recovering, with plenty of Chinese, Russian, Indian and South American clients ready to sign on the dotted line.
The logic is there. The ideas and wow factor – well, there’s no shortage. Aston Martin, with the rebirth of Lagonda, has genuinely surprised the Geneva masses. Check out our photo gallery for a closer look at this mind-blowing big new SUV.
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Geneva Motor Show 2009 - your vote
- Which car unveiled at Geneva would you most like to see on your driveway?
- Aston Martin One-77
33% - Audi TT RS
6% - Bentley Supersports
5% - BMW 5 Series GT
4% - Ferrari 599XX
10% - Fiat 500 Cabriolet
2% - Lamborghini LP670-4SV
18% - Lexus RX450h
2% - Mazda 3 MPS
1% - New Mercedes-Benz E-Class
4% - Porsche 911 GT3
5% - Rolls-Royce 200EX
4% - Saab 93X
1% - Skoda Yeti
2% - Volkswagen Polo
3%
- Aston Martin One-77
