Daily Podcast Pt. 2: Lieberman Wants a Faster Aston

Robert Farago
by Robert Farago

Well, who doesn't? But Jonny's willingness to accept a Mercedes-engined Aston Martin highlights an important trend in upmarket automotive marketing: the end of mechanical snobbery. Yes, there are still brand purists who believe that the greasy bits' provenance is more important than a well-turned fender, a respected badge or comparative performance. That the connection between track and road is a holy one, whose realization establishes the brand's all-important bloodlines. But these engineering-savvy enthusiasts– who were always a minority of any luxury or high-performance marque's buyers– are a dying breed. Today's 30 or 40-something sports car buyer is likely to desire Nissan's GT-R because of its status as a Playstation plaything, rather than any racing glory. (Ferrari is the exception that proves the rule.) They're willing to judge expensive automobiles on their own merits, regardless of what lies beneath, who made it or how it got there. This open-mindedness (a.k.a. ignorance) is no bad thing. It gives a deluxe car company greater freedom to be itself, if you know what I mean.

Robert Farago
Robert Farago

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  • Guyincognito Guyincognito on Mar 18, 2008

    @ Jordan Tenenbaum , Aston V12's are made from 2 Ford V6 blocks. How British is that?

  • Jordan Tenenbaum Jordan Tenenbaum on Mar 18, 2008

    British enough.

  • Doctorv8 Doctorv8 on Mar 18, 2008

    Guys, guys...the TT V12s are alive and well in the current S/CL/SL600 and the S/CL/SL65 AMG's. The non AMG cars have smaller turbos and 5.5L vs 6.0L, but there has been no 12 cylinder car in MB's arsenal without turbos since 2002!

  • Doctorv8 Doctorv8 on Mar 18, 2008

    Oh, and Jonny....the new naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 has a marginally higher peak HP rating than the old blown 5.4, but outpowering the V12? Seriously? The TT V12 at 604 HP is a full 100 HP more than the 6.2. Therefore....the CL63/S63 will be left in the dust by the CL65/S65 V12 Biturbos. Even the smaller non AMG CL600/S600 TT V12s will match the new 6.2 V8s in power and kill them in torque, thanks to those little hairdryers in the exhaust path. Even though the 6.2s have a 7 speed automatic vs the 5 speed in the V12 TT's, there is no comparison in acceleration.

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