Aston Martin Replacing AMG V-8 with a Hybrid V-6 It Will Make Itself
- The CEO of sports-car maker Aston Martin tells C/D the company will engineer its own 3.0-liter hybrid V-6.
- The new engine will be built in the U.K. and will be at least as powerful as the AMG V-8 (pictured above, in the DB11) that it replaces.
- Aston's V-12 will continue, but its production will be moved from Germany to England, too.
With AMG set to launch a hybridized four-cylinder engine that will effectively replace its mighty V-8, a subsidiary question has been what that decision would mean for Aston Martin, which uses the Daimler powerplant in the Vantage, the entry-level DB11, and the soon-to-launch DBX. Now, after speaking to the boss, we know the answer: the British sports-car maker will be creating its own hybrid 3.0-liter V-6.
Our plans to interview Aston CEO Andy Palmer at the Geneva auto show were nixed by the cancellation of the event, so we spoke by phone instead. Despite Aston's recent travails, culminating in the sale of part of the company to a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll, Aston remains committed to substantial investment, both in the creation of two new mid-engined models and the new powerplant. We'd previously been told that this V-6 would be used by the forthcoming Valhalla and Vanquish, and now Palmer has confirmed it will effectively replace the brought-in engine throughout the lower reaches of the range.
"Mercedes have made no secret of where their engine technology is moving to, and obviously we don't foresee four-cylinder engines in our Astons," Palmer told Car and Driver, "so we’ve got to make our own journey."
Palmer said that the decision taken to pause development of the pure electric Lagonda models has allowed the company to prioritize the development of the new powerplant. Although Aston has no history with V-6s, it has created many straight-sixes over the years, and Palmer says he anticipates no problems in ensuring it delivers brand-appropriate character.
"The key is sound, tuning the pipes to make it sound like an Aston," he said. "Obviously we can use the hybrid system and the electric motor to fill in on torque so you can compensate for the cylinder size with the electrical assist. As long as it feels like a V-8 and sounds majestic, I think it's a perfectly sensible way to go, and a lot more sensible than an [inline] four would be for us."
