The combustion engine has potential: Interview with Andreas Bareis, Regional President of Aston Martin Europe

Date: 15.04.2024 | Reading time: 3 minutes

SPX/Donaueschingen. Aston Martin is upping the ante when it comes to renewing its model range. All series were relaunched within a year. The DB12 debuted in autumn 2023, to which the British are now adding a convertible version, the Volante. A basically revised DBX will follow in a few weeks. The SUV, which has up to 707 hp, gets a new interior and the same dashboard as other current models. And then there is value. The first edition models with V12 engines, which cost between 1.2 and 1.7 million euros depending on the equipment, will be delivered soon. Only one electric model is still missing. Europe chief Andreas Bareis explains why.

Mr. Bareis, there is still no electric car among the new models. When will there be the first fully electric Aston Martin?
We have entered into a partnership with Lucid to develop a complete electronic model. On this basis, Aston Martin is planning the first fully electric model for 2026. We are working with Mercedes, among others, for electric drive parts. The truth is: we leave all options open and look at all technologies. But I can’t tell you when the first electric Aston Martin will come.

Do customers even want an electric Aston Martin?
Today, interest in the V8 is still very high in the sports car segment. The DB12 is in such demand because of its very powerful combustion engine. The same applies to the Vantage, which also has a V8. We are not hearing any requests for an electric drive. Alternatively, we will bring the hybrid Valhalla to market at the end of the year. As in the 1,155 hp Valkyrie hyper sports car, electrification in the form of a power boost gives us completely new options in terms of performance.

What makes a combustion engine so attractive in a sports car?
It is this combination of power, sound and performance that one only associates with a sports car. The stability of the value of these vehicles is also an important point for customers. With an electronic model, customers do not know where they are going and what they will get in terms of cost. That is why they are more reserved.

How powerful is the combustion engine still?
Of course, their vehicle’s CO2 emissions are also important to our customers, and we address that. Of course, this varies from region to region, as seen now, for example, with the new high CO2 tax in France. But we’re talking about sports cars, they’re primarily about performance, and there’s going to be a lot happening at Aston Martin in the future. In 2023 we sold 1,580 cars in Europe, even with a seven-year model like the previous Vantage in the range. I see plenty of potential for the continued growth of combustion engines and finding customers who want to afford Aston Martin in the future.

Or maybe a V12? What’s the situation here?
This year we present the first Valor cars, which we created for Aston Martin’s 110th anniversary. It is powered by a 715 hp V12 manual with a displacement of 5.2 liters. Customers keep asking us about the twelve cylinder engine. Let me put it this way: Nothing is impossible.