In July, Aston Martin and Mercedes-Benz tuning division AMG signed a Letter of Intent to form a technical partnership, which means that Aston Martin will benefit from AMG’s latest technology, in return for shares and assets. Yesterday, 19 December 2013, a final agreement had been signed between the parties.
The agreement sees Aston Martin and AMG developing new V8 engines for the next generation of Aston Martins. AMG parent company, Daimler AG, will receive up to 5 per cent of non-voting shares in the British brand, as well as observer status on the Aston Martin board.
The first recipient of the new engines will be Aston Martin’s Vantage replacement. Apart from the agreement of the new V8 engines, a deal to supply electrical components is also in the process of being finalised. In addition, a future cooperation is the possibility of sharing a Mercedes-Benz SUV platform for a new Aston Martin model.
There has been no mention of whether the partnership includes the building of new V12 engines, given AMG’s experience in this field. Yet, it is believed that Aston Martin’s current arrangement of sourcing a 6,0-litre V12 from Ford will continue for at least five years.
– Charlen Raymond
