Aston Martin enters Indian market

British Supercar maker Aston Martin has revealed its range for the Indian market. Infiniti Cars will be the official importer of Aston Martin in India. The carmaker has also unveiled its limited edition hypercar called the One-77 in India at a price tag of whopping Rs 20 crore. The One-77 has a limited production run of only 77 cars globally out of which only five cars are yet to be sold.

Aston Martin considers the Rapide to be the perfect car to enter our market with its four doors, four full seats and a decent boot coupled with sportscar performance. In addition to the Rapide, Aston Martin also has supercars like the DBS, DB9 and Vantage in its lineup.

The Rapide is powered by a 6-litre V12 producing 469bhp at 6000rpm. This and the 61.24kgm of torque will launch the sports saloon to 100kph in 4.9sec on its way to a top whack of 296kph.

It is built on an aluminum VH (vertical horizontal) body structure like the DB9. This platform is very adaptable and strong and can be used easily for different body styles like convertible versions.

Aluminium, magnesium alloy and composite body panels help keep the weight of the massive Rapide a little short of two tonnes. The only problem with aluminium is that if it gets damaged, repairing it requires high levels of skill and experience since aluminium distorts more than steel. Costs of repair will skyrocket here and so will the time taken to get it done. Massive 20-inch alloys give the car an imposing stance. .

Adding to the four-seater Rapide is the 2+2 seater two-door DB9 that sports the same engine and chassis but accelerates faster to 100kph by 0.4 of a second due to its lighter weight. It comes in coupe and convertible (Volante). A long aluminum hood sits above a familiar Aston Martin grille and there are side strakes on the front quarter panels. "Swan wing" doors rise at a 12-degree angle for easier access

To start the engine, the driver must press a clear glass button. The tachometer dial runs counterclockwise and has no redline. Instead, a red warning symbol appears at various engine speeds, depending on ambient temperature and engine mileage. Bang & Olufsen stereo is available on the DB9. Mechanical features include a rear mounted ZF six-speed automatic transmission with magnesium paddle shifters or six-speed manual gearbox. On-road, the DB9 will cost approximately Rs 1.7 crore. 

The Virage is Aston’s newest entry in the coupe lineup. It is another V-12-powered sportscar that's offered in coupe and convertible body styles.

The DBS and the Vantage complete the lineup.  The DBS sports a 510-horsepower V-12, massive wheels and a low-slung hood, and competes with supercars like the Ferrari 599 GTB and Maserati GranTurismo.

The Vantage is the only car to get a smaller V8 too. The 4.8-litre alloy engine produces 420bhp and 48kgm of torque and reaches a top speed of 290kph. The V8 costs Rs 1.28 crore and the V12 costs a princely Rs 1.94 crore. Our roads aren’t exactly ideal to unleash such sportscar performance; hence the cheaper V8 could be attractive to Indian customers, some of whom are more concerned with looks than outright performance.

The luxury sportscar maker wants a share of the double-digit sports car pie currently dominated by the Germans. If it’s understated elegant British styling and massive V8 and V12 engines don’t tempt you, the painstakingly handcrafted interiors will surely drag you in.

Watch our EXCLUSIVE video review of the Aston Martin Rapide