Each and every day we have been immersed in news stories telling of not only economic woes, but specifically automotive industry economic woes. News of losses in the hundreds of millions, sometimes billions have become so commonplace that we barely bat an eye at the reports.
Rumors of collapse on the part of the big three seem to be the current direction of the news media, and with report after report citing the fact that we as consumers have tightened up our spending, I thought I'd take some time to focus on a company that has said basically, to hell with the economy, let's raise our prices.
The company I speak of is Aston Martin.
This former Ford owned subsidy is out on its own now. Purchased by Prodrive founder and chairman David Richards, the money behind the new Aston has some pretty ambitious plans for the marque.
Which is good...
...or is it?
Several months ago here at AutoSpies.com we poised the question as to which super sedan would you buy. The choices we gave you included the Porsche Panamera, the Aston Martin Rapide, and in one thread we even threw in the option of a 4-door GTR based sedan from Infiniti. Time sure has changed as Lamborghini has thrown their hat into the ring with the prospect of the Estoque - a car that Lamborghini wants to bring to market for LESS than $150k.
Speculation and assumption sometimes plays a large role in some of the things done, and in the case of the Aston Martin Rapide that was certainly the case. Coming off a huge hit with the V8 Vantage, an assumption was made that pricing on the Rapide would be in the low to mid $100k range, probably landing around $130k for a base vehicle and then moving north from there based on options.
This assumptive pricing thought process is based on a number of items, but looking at the competition and how current models stack up price wise with other offerings serving as a suggestive pricing guide.
It is easy to see how the logic was constructed...
Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7-Series models occupy the $80-110k range nicely. Obviously the AMG equipped models exceed that range, but those are more niche than mainstream.
Maserati picks up where the S-Class and 7-Series starts to fall off, beginning around the $110k range.
Speculation is such that the Porsche Panamera will begin around $100k and quickly move up from there just based on how expensive Porsche likes to make their options, and you know most everything with the Panamera will be optional if current Porsche trends continue.
So it was only logical to assume the Rapide would fall in this range here, as this is where the main competition is.
And then news of the pricing, $400k to start.
And my head started to spin.
Four Hundred Thousand Dollars buys a lot of car, heck it buys a lot of cars.
This pricing places the Rapide into the stratosphere currently occupied by Rolls Royce, Bentley and Maybach. This pricing even exceeds boutique cars like Spyker.
And this strategy begs the question, do you think Aston Martin is wrong in their strategy?
A little confession may be necessary here, on a personal level while being a sideline fan of Aston, I am not a diehard "I've gotta have that" kind of person when it comes to Aston. There are several Astons driving around where I live, and to be honest with you they all look the same.
Don't get me wrong, they are beautiful cars with great lines, but a lot of times I need to see the rear of the car to identify which model it is by the name stuck on it. Granted, I can distinguish the V8 Vantage from the rest, but DB9 versus a DB7, even the Vanquish from most every angle looks like the rest of the lineup to my eyes.
The thought of a $400k Aston sedan that in principle competes with a $125k Porsche in my opinion seems ridiculous.
Better yet, at $400k there are a whole lot of other cars I would buy instead of the Aston, in my personal case probably a Lamborghini Gallardo and a Mercedes S65, and I would still have change left over from my $400k bill.
So answer me this, how much would you be willing to spend on the new Aston Martin Rapide?
Does $130k seem reasonable, how about $200k?
We know pricing is going to be around $400k.
Have you said to yourself, "Wow, at $400k I feel like I am getting a bargain?"
Hey, the economy is tight right now, and money just isn't as free as it was - even if a year ago you were able to drop $400k on a car, has current conditions slowed down the spending habits. And is Aston Martin wrong in their timing to move pricing so drastically in what I would call the "wrong direction?"
Tell us what you think...
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