back to article Like a Dell factory but what comes out is a LOT more fun: We visit Aston Martin

Aston Martin wants to take on Tesla with a 1,000bhp electric version of its Rapide S. The prestige British marque has also recently announced that it has secured funding to build an all-electric crossover car called the DBX. This is all part of a 200m expansion plan for the firm's factory in Gaydon, Warwickshire, and it seemed …

  1. This post has been deleted by its author

  2. The Real SteveP

    Simon, it's McLaren, NOT MacLaren! Detail is important, just like in the games industry... ;)

    1. GitMeMyShootinIrons

      Close though, but no cigar...

      I believe MacLaren are the baby buggy manufacturers. Not too far wrong - pricey products with wheels...

    2. NoneSuch Silver badge

      If my car info doesn't come from an orangutang, a midget and a pedant it just doesn't feel right.

  3. Chris G

    A battery car

    Really, the whole car will have to be one big battery to turn out 1000BHP.

    I drove a Tesla S a couple of years ago for about 5 minutes and was impressed by the performance and the very comfortable seats, looks good too, I can't imagine just how good an Aston is going to be but I bet it will cost a bit more than the €83K that the Tesla cost (2013 price).

    1. Jimmy2Cows Silver badge

      Re: A battery car

      Depends how long you want 1000hp for.

      1000hp is ~745kW, so in theory (if you can get the juice out fast enough) a 75kWH battery pack could produce 1000hp for about 6 minutes...

  4. werdsmith Silver badge

    We Don't do Any Engineering

    The author might be surprised to learn how much engineering is actually done here, often for cars that carry the badges of overseas manufacturers. Not just Ricardo and Lotus, there are plenty of others.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      We Don't do Any Engineering ? Really?

      And Gaydon is in the area where a good number of the F1 teams have their HQ's. JLR are just up the road.

      A good proportion of every Boeing built is source from these islands.

      Rolls-Royce make some of the best Aero engines in the world.

      {Former Aerospace Avionics Engineer}

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: We Don't do Any Engineering ? Really?

        Whilst there is a wealth of engineering talent in this country, sadly most of it is employed by overseas owned companies - take Jaguar Land-Rover as an example.

        At least Aston is owned by a UK led consortium, even if most of the finance comes from abroad.

  5. James 51

    I don't know how much they paid for this ad but it was worth it. Beautiful cars though.

  6. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

    It's possible that if you were paying that much for a car you might expect the bodywork to be hand-crafted using delicate taps of a skilled hammer.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    OMG OMG

    MY FORTY GRAND ELECTRIC CAR (PETROL VERSION OF SAME CAR IS HALF THIS COST) COMES WITH A TEN YEAR BATTERY WARRANTY SO ELECTRIC IS SO MUCH BETTER !!!1

    1. fruitoftheloon
      Happy

      AC AC AC: Re: OMG OMG

      Ac,

      Why are you shouting?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: AC AC AC: OMG OMG

        That's what people with electric cars do.

        LOOK AT ME IM SO VIRTUOUS.

  8. tony
    Happy

    Shopped.

    Just wondering what was used to resize the main picture, yellow car in the pond, looks to me like maybe a spoon and hammer?

  9. Yet Another Commentard

    Leather choice

    In the unlikely event I can ever afford an Aston, put me down for the Ostrich leather. How could anyone not want that?

    1. sandman

      Re: Leather choice

      Not exclusive enough - Dodo leather is the only choice ;-)

    2. Chicken Marengo
      Gimp

      Re: Leather choice

      Human skin leather for me ta!

      1. Andrew Newstead

        Re: Leather choice

        Ah, the Aston Martin Necronomicon edition...

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I used to lust after Aston Martins until I spent some time working on my friend's DB7. The reality of low volume production means that many parts are not as well developed as the mass produced equivalents. The only really reliable parts are the ones sourced directly from the Ford production line. The reality of hand-built means that parts are assembled with less accuracy than those done by robots. The actual product is not very different to a TVR with an aura of special exclusivity sprinkled over it by the marketing men.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I miss working there :-( but the IT left a lot to be desired!

      Ah but the DB7 was basically an XJS underneath! Trust me the Vanquish and especially the DB9 plus everything since are a massive step forward. The big worry is that after being sold by Ford they no longer have the chance to pick the best bits from the parts bins of several other manufacturers.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Aston Martin Cygnet

    I have also been there. I have seen how they meet the farcical uk green credentials by buying fully built Toyota IQ from Japan, shipping them halfway around the world, pulling them apart and refitting them out with new stuff and then selling them on to posh tree huggers with more money than sense.

    How very green... Not..

  12. Wibble257

    The One-77 was handcrafted:

    http://www.astonmartin.com/en/heritage/past-models/one-77

  13. ShortLegs

    I was once fortunate enough to have the tour at Bentley. Now that's an example of how to successfully integrate modern manufacturing methods with a hand built car, and get the best of both worlds, and avoid redundancies. 80%of the staff retrained.

    The assembly process is, literally, assembly pron. The care that went into each car was phenomenal. 9 months from order to delivery. And one left lusting after a Bentley.. Even at £250,000 a pop.

  14. John 62

    The photos! :(

    Great write-up, but the photos look terrible (bad downsampling is the term, I think).

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