OK, assuming that someone at Aston Martin Corporate is smart enough to look at the blogs to actually see what Aston Martin owners (and future owners want) to make the changes, assuming we are not already too late, here is my plea - please list yours...

The market for Aston Martins are sports car elegance, and Andy Palmer's era went for the bad-boy racer market going head to head with Ferrari and Lambo's. Aston Martins were once unique - the only sports cars that were also elegant, one in which a purchase could be made with the wife being as excited as the husband. The interiors were elegant, and the bodies - wow. That's what sells Astons (my opinion) as a 35 year Aston customer. During the Palmer reign, Ferrari saw the opportunity to fill the hole that Palmer left wide open and filled that gap with the Roma - better value for the $$$ and a 7 year maintenance program included in the price, with far more HP and opening the hood views onto an actual Ferrari engine - not a sea of plastic hiding the Mercedes engine far in the rear.

When you open the hood of any older Aston Martin, even the Lagonda, you see a wonderful Aston Martin engine - no (ok a little) plastic. Even my C8 with a plain Chevy engine is a far better look than the modern V8 Astons. My C8 has a digital cockpit that blows the doors off the new Astons - did I mention I purchased it for $68K out the door including the exhaust, lift, and 7 year bumper-to-bumper warranty? If Astons are going digital why make it look so cheap?

Exterior:
Nostril...The New Vantage has a nice overall shape, and wheels that fill the wells better than the past, but the front is like having Owen Wilsons nose on an otherwise beautiful woman. The attempt to look like the past is not better, I hate to say this but the old one I think was better than the new nose.
The rear is just a bit fussy, but not terrible (not terrible is not exactly a compliment).
The Hood is large and plain, and should clamshell from the front not pivot at the rear with a myriad of hood latches - looks like an afterthought.
Interior:
Bring back the old - and what was so terrible about the analog instrument cluster? The elegant curved ski-slope of the past could be one large curved digital display configured in a variety of ways. You want Piano Black, Wood, Carbon Fiber? just press that option. The tech exists. The interiors today look busy - far to busy like six designers were tasked with different interior areas and never communicated with each other. Please do not have another I-Pad looking after-thought display. The competition now has options for the passenger to have a display - Aston should also.
Power: You'll need to be at least in the Ferrari (C8 Z06) territory to be competitive if you want to have a price that's profitable.
Dealer Business Model:
Yep, go right ahead and announce the entire lineup will change at the end of this year and than at the same moment force the dealers to order inventory that they will have to heavily discount or lose money on to remain an Aston dealer, not very nice. What purpose did it serve to make this announcement now instead of in September? My suggestion is not to make the dealers pay for the design and marketing mistakes of the past and provide the proper support to survive profitably until the 2023 models can be ordered.
Warranty: Realize that to gain the trust of the past buyers (who are always dealing with bad tail lights and headlights no longer being addressed by Aston corporate) and bring new into the fold you must offer a better warranty than before. The 3-year unlimited mile warranty sounds good but how many Aston owners drove unlimited miles in the first 3 years? I'd bet 0%. Having to pay nearly $2K for an inspection (oil change) to maintain the warranty, then after it's up another $4.5K along with the mandated $2K inspection each year just tells the buyer - this is a very unreliable vehicle. At a minimum match Ferrari's included 7 year maintenance.
Visceral: Numbers... 0-60 means nothing to me, but feeling special driving something visceral is critical. My C8 blows away my 2011 V8 Vantage (I've had V8's and V12's) in every number if listed on a tab in a road test - the Aston blows away the C8 in the experience of driving. The C8 makes wonderful sound to those listening outside - that firewall to keep the heat out does a wonderful job keeping noise out - the very noises you want are not there. Astons have been about feeling special - luxurious and 'elegant' just sitting in them, and then the aural feedback driving giving the illusion of speed that's not actually there. Harley Davidson realizes sound has tremendous marketing value - they are heavy and slow, but it's the feel of power that counts. Visceral has an intrinsic value that results in a sale.
Sportshift. My C8 has paddles, but it's so automatic there is no interaction, so they have little use. The Sportshift's biggest problem is that Aston marketed it with a (D) button. If there was no D button and those Aston owners were forced to shift modulating the gas instead of the Aston sales staff selling it as an automatic, there would have been far less cars with several owners in a short time period. The Sportshift suffered some shortcomings, but it was a great option - just listen to Bamford Rose videos. I wish my C8 had a Sportshift - but it (like the Roma I drove) is so refined they become somewhat soul-less.
Safety: I know I'll get objections on this one, but make far more safety and automation options available before the government forces it anyway. At almost 70, I fear my driving is not what it used to be. My snow crew was plowed down by a driver in a 10 year old Subaru two years ago crossing the street with injuries that they survived but will drastically affect their living standards and earning ability because someone older than I was distracted somehow - I caught the whole thing on video used in the court case against the driver. Hint: The insurance payout does not come close to the actual damages. Had that wealthy driver been in a new Mercedes he could easily afford with pedestrian protective design and automatic pedestrian braking had a different outcome? Possibly, but as people we all are not 100% - 100% of the time no matter how great of a driver we all think we are, and in a flash we can be destroying someone else's life - so yes, what's the problem with all the safety features that are either included or optional? My Buick Encore GX has almost the identical electronics (and recalls) as the C8 with the exception of adaptive cruise and automatic braking, so why Chevy did not include that as even an option I have no clue. I have my name on the E-Ray, not because of the extra 150HP, but because it's rumored to include all the safety functions. Safety sells, and Mercedes partnership should have every feature they already have in their arsenal included.

 

You're not their target audience anymore. They are going after the youtube and tiktok millionaires. Long legged naturally aspirated V12s with manual transmissions are for dinosaurs like us. Not even Bond drives a new Aston any more. Aston Martin is dead. Long live Aston Martin.

 

Ferrari's Roma is one of it's best selling models - and that's not the YouTube TickTok crowd - the demand for elegant sports cars will always be there - nothing to do with a generation.

 

Strongly disagree. Ferrari is not like other car brands. They make more money selling T-shirts and handbags than they make selling cars. The Roma is their cheapest, entry level car. Its going to sell extremely well regardless of what you think it looks like.

You're so old, you won't even be on the road in a few years from now. Your opinion is irrelevant. No offense. And the majority of the millennial generation has gotten completely screwed over by boomers they won't have the same buying power. They are too busy struggling to get basic things like clean air, food, water, housing, education and healthcare. What do you have left? You have a lot of new money buyers who have very different value systems.

There was a very good interview with the BMW design head who talks about the future of design after the media "outrage" over the new BMW design language.

Here are some quotes from the interview;
“It’s a zeitgeist which is changing, If you look at how loud some competitors are without performance, we are crossing (into a) time where people get more superficial. "

"You have some eras where you wear trousers which are like elephant feet.

"This is really what customers are looking for because they look for status. They want to stand out.”

“You can’t design an icon. You can try to give a really distinctive look to your product that’s not (like) the mass of product on the road. It stands out. And then, with time, it will be so remarkably different. … This is how you can create icons.”

 

Great observations Pre & V12. I'm 69. I purchased my 2005 DB9 in 2018 because I wanted the gen 1 DB9. The purest design of the next gen AMs inmho. Love the car. Love grand touring in it. Love the experience. With that said, I am not a future customer for any brand as my DB9 is all I will ever need.

 

Thank you for putting down your thoughts - I enjoyed reading them and I agree with the general opinion. I'm going to add a few of my thoughts in the spirit of discussion and will preface it with the fact that I am by no means qualified in any way beyond being a car enthusiast / hobbyist most of my life.

Sports cars of elegance: Could not agree more. There are a number of things that lead to my overall opinion that the newer cars have lost their way over the years. They still sport the badge, but for some of the reasons listed below, they don't feel as Aston-like as the cars in the past do. For reference, I am in my late 40s now. Recently sold a V10 Audi R8 that was a terrific vehicle for what it was - but realized I didn't necessarily need or want all the performance it offered and instead was looking for something classically beautiful that still offered an element of raw sportiness. Something that was engaging to drive and offered more of an overall experience. And also truth told, something my wife and I could more readily do some touring around in. I believe I have found that, but not in Aston's newest offering, in an older one.

Exterior of new Vantage: I think Aston was very close to having a 9.5 - 10/10 design on their hands with this car. From many angles it does invoke an aggressive but elegant, high end sporty car - what I think an Aston should be. It does have presence and it does make a statement. It is unique. A tiny bit of clean up on the rear light bar to better integrate it across the entire rear would have been a slight improvement to an otherwise excellent design (look at the latest 992 Porsche for clean example). I have no idea what they were thinking with the headlights; they should have been scrapped entirely for something more bold and striking. To have anyone compare the design of any part of an Aston to that of a Mazda (as some do with the headlights) is just a massive red flag. The front grill was very bold and didn't personally bother me as much as it seemed to bother some - however they have now even cleaned that up a bit with the latest redesign option and I think it looks great.

Interior of new Vantage: My personal opinion is that this was largely a fail. To me the latest Vantage lost its feeling of elegance and luxury along with its bespoke nature. Traded it all for what feels like a mass produced interior that was a bit cobbled together. There are strange angles that make it feel angry or like the steering column is pushing the rest of the dash in - everything is oddly stretched in towards it. I disagree with the OP that Aston should have stuck to analog gauges. The newest digital clusters can be very well executed and there is no reason that a high end car like an Aston shouldn't be able to execute this. The Gen II Audi "virtual cockpit" does an excellent job and makes the car feel next gen and luxurious. Aston's should absolutely have something like this. The few manual Astons that were produced came with a complete afterthought of a shifter ****. It's seriously hideous and honestly insulting to any buyer of a car like this that it would be offered with something with such little thought and effort put towards it. It's as if there was a global corporate garage sale of left over parts and Aston decided to buy a bin of shift ***** from Kia or Lada or some company long forgotten.

Warranty / Service / Safety: I agree with the OP's general thoughts here. I look to Genesis for an example of a newer car manufacturer trying to break into a bit of a sport / luxury segment heavily dominated by German incumbents. Build something with quality. Be confident in it. Stand behind it. Offer a long warranty period. Offer included service. Be a top safety pick. Granted Aston is anything but new ... but arguably they are pretty niche and have had to try numerous times to resurrect and prove themselves over the years.

 

No matter what Stroll says, I won''t hold my breath.

The current Vantage is kind of a mess. The back end is not bad, a little messy. The front needs to be blown up, even the new retro grill is a miss, it just does not fit the car. The hood is a large formless lump and adding vents all the way to the edge (stupid) didn't help. There should not be a shut line between the hood and the grill surround, it either should have been a full clam shell hood similar to the DB11 or left similar to the older Vantage. The seats remind me of the stitching on old bowling shoes. The base car where every possible surface is covered in Alacantara is vile. With a base price close to $200,000, the interior should have leather standard.

DB11 and DBS are basically the same car. DBS is as tarted up DB11, which would be OK if the DB11 wasn't such an oddity in styling.

There are just so many things wrong with the current line up. So I won't hold my breath.

The for heavens sake, please don't unveil the facelift models in the color of a fluorescent yellow highlighter.

 

Fascinating response! I don't suppose you have been giving advice to Aston on their marketing strategy for the last few years, have you?

So he is too old for Aston to court as a customer? What if he said he was ready right now to buy a new Aston if it appealed to him? Is his opinion still "irrelevant"?

Prefurbia has an impressive, decades long history of Aston Martin purchases. Are you saying that this means nothing, now that he is too old and irrelevant? Are you saying pursuit of loyal, lifelong customers is a foolish strategy for a niche car company such as Aston Martin (or any company for that matter)?

I love how you introduced the resentful whine about Baby Boomers and Millenials into your response. What it has to do with Aston Martin's future is beyond me. Or was it just another opportunity to reflog that long dead, stinking carcass of a horse?

I'm really not sure what your thesis is after reading your post. Is it that Aston should continue to court the Youtube and TikTok crowd because the majority of their sales have been shown to be to that demographic? Is it that they should continue to squander a history of elegant, timeless design in favour of the crass and vulgar, because that strategy has been a clear winner for the company in the last 6 or 7 years?

Finally, I really don't know what the quotes from the BMW designer have to do with the topic at hand. They certainly do sound like they come from a designer: full of non sequiturs and utterly incomprehensible to my admittedly abstraction-challenged mind. In fairness, I don't speak designer, but it all seemed like a load of gibberish to me. What exactly were you trying to prove by including them?

Perhaps your entire post was tongue in cheek, in which case I missed it and please ignore the above.

 

I'll add another view from an unusual direction, the Aston Martin Owners Club. Recently, I had some conversations with an AMOC club rep here in Texas (unsure if he is on this forum). He indicated for many, many years their membership numbers had not changed. Recently, they began to have attrition in the Texas chapter. Oddly enough it happened to coincide with the introduction of the newest line up (2017+). From there, our discussions led to why we both owned versions prior to this generation whereas some owners sold the older ones they owned but moved to another manufacturer since the newest AM generation was not appealing in the least, most notably in the styling category. Somehow, I was not surprised.

Without rehashing much of what has been said here, the classic and elegant look will be missed by many. Safety and other factors aside for newer models, an earlier generation can suffice in many cases depending on usage.

But to the topic first mentioned here - I wish for the best on future models yet realize I can work backwards for generations on finding something that might suit me better.

 

OK, I feel compelled to respond to the millennials as the Aston market. I'm in the land development design business since 1968 serving that evil suburban sprawl, so there must be something really wrong with me to try to fix something that's broken instead of the 90% of Urban Planners (for the past 4 decades) that preach we should all live in Shangri-la high density housing. These experts claim that's what the market wants. So in 1968, during the years my cohorts were dope smoking and acid dropping hippies you would think our generation would strive to only want communal living. Yet instead, we strived to do well and with our hard work wanted a nice home with a large yard for the kids to play, and gift ourselves with that boat, car, or what ever. These so called experts which also expand to many architects, professors, and politicians rejoice on the death of suburban growth and a few decades ago boasted of the young Yuppies (or what ever the term of the decade) that fill urban cities with their utopian living. Yet, decade after decade, (other than the blip of the recession), 80% of the US growth has been suburban, and today, even greater, Meanwhile, in many areas like Minneapolis where I live, these 'new urban; developments have gone bust and remain mostly empty. Midrise apartments with shops below vacant, not just years but decades. West End near me in St Louis Park as well as the flawed large development upon entering Wayzata remain mostly empty more than a decade after they are built, but the expert planners still say that's what the market wants, and the developers who drink that Kool-Aid most often go broke.

In conclusion, us old geezers and many new to our fold who are much younger desire the elegance that only Aston once offered. The market renews itself. After us hippies, is the Yuppies - and they are the current wealth of the age we were a decade or so ago that want luxury (and elegance), and those Millennials? Some are today's Aston buyers of the new generation, most will go for more flamboyance - but as they become us, they are the future higher volume Aston buyers. Generation after generation we become our parents. Anyhow, my two cents.

 

I'm looking forward to 2023 as well. I hope AM learned some lessons and will get back to basics with Aston exterior/interior design. I'll take old money customers over new money anyday...99% of these kids will lose their money faster than they got it...look at history for reference...

I won't go into all what Palmer got wrong (would take forever) but Stroll got a tough hand to play and seems to be heading in right direction for 2023...time will tell. Building a brand takes decades and Aston will never be Ferrari but they have good shot at middle ground between Ferrari, Bentley and Porsche customers. Assuming you get the design right (not current examples) the vantage range needs to mirror Porsche 911 to bring in more variety for customers...have 5 or 6 vantage models and appeal to different market segments (ie 911 base, targa, vert, GT3)...one vantage car design can't appeal to all segments...it doesn't exist. Use the DB, Vanquish, DBX etc to take on Ferrari/Bentley bigger money. Over time the vantage customers become vanquish customers...build long-term relationships (not chase tic-tok money)

The motor solution: NA and electric motor combo...Have a 3.5L v8 (No turbo) with 400hp + 50hp motors at the 4 corners. This would give Aston a very unique market offering. There you have Stroll...I'll work as a consultant for cheap

 

These discussions are entertaining to me, like others, I am not an expert, but I can make some observations . . .

Porsche: the 996 and Boxter are truly hated models in the line up and when the Cayenne was introduced, enthusiasts were up in arms about the SUV sacrilege for the brand; that said, the 996 and Boxter saved Porsche from going the way of the Corvair. The Macan and Cayenne probably fill Porsche's coffers with budget for fun RS projects, good for them; the 996 is still a hated vehicle and I still happen to love it, maybe this is just confirmation bias as I had a 996.2 Turbo (my avatar) and still think it is a great vehicle. More confirmation bias warning, I have the 2019 Vantage and I think it looks amazing; no, it isn't perfect and in most every way, my 991.1 Turbo is a "better" car, but I am absolutely loving the experience my ugly car is giving me. I am 51, I am also nostalgic about days of old . . . manuals, gated shifters, hydraulic steering, V12s . . . Technology marches on. I miss my blackberry from time to time, but modern technology continues to provide "advances" even if those of us with long memories who don't necessarily agree. Even if Aston Martin looks at these forums (I highly doubt it), we are FAR too late to affect a 2023 model, that ship sailed years ago. Aston will find its market or will disappear, I see more late model Vantages and DBXs in my neighborhood than I ever have in the past (prior models), it doesn't mean that the new line up is "better", but more cars means more revenue, R&D and a future . . . I think all can agree that we want that (even if it's for part availability), HaHa. Cheers, KH

 

No one on here objects to "technology marching on." Sorry you miss your blackberry, never had one, so can't relate. AML would be ignorant if they didn't monitor forums, wouldn't they. Obviously it's too late to affect 2023 models. More cars mean more revenue, guess you haven't looked at the recent sales figures.

 

Just to be clear 2023 calendar year not model year we get new cars, 2024MY. In a recent interview Stroll confirmed new cars in ~18months. If you haven't seen this deck it's a great look at the AM roadmap...page 18 has new era cars in 2023.

https://amsc-prod-cd.azureedge.net/-...75e68d741ece0d

 

Too funny khiroshima! I miss my BlackBerry from time to time. Great analogy.......