Aston Martin AM37: Congratulations, It's a Boat!

Cue the yacht rock.

Aston Martin’s latest offering isn’t a curvaceous, high-performance car. Nor is it an SUV. It’s a boat, and a nice one at that — but it’s also a gamble. The British automaker wants to squeeze money out of previously untapped markets, starting with the boaty set.

After this, the sky’s the limit.

Unveiled at the Monaco Yacht Show, which sounds glitzy beyond our wildest dreams, the Aston Martin AM37 is the luxury speedboat Daniel Craig would pilot. Because this isn’t TTAB, the particulars of this watercraft are not very important.

Suffice it to say, the 37-foot powerboat seats eight, does zero to 50 knots eventually, has a carbon fiber dashboard, contains every creature comfort ever envisioned by man, and can sleep a number of attractive people. Somewhere inside, there’s a coffee machine and toilet. (Also: don’t expect an Aston powerplant — this thing packs twin 520 horsepower Mercury engines in top-end guise.)

That fact that the thing exists at all shows how serious Aston Martin is to diversify its product lineup. A design team spent two years on the project, collaborating with naval architect Mulder Design and Quintessence Yachts. On the team? Some of the same men and women who designed the One-77, Vulcan, and DB11

“It was important to us when considering this project to make sure that the boat design was as beautiful and timeless as our cars,” said Marek Reichman, the automaker’s executive vice president and chief creative officer, in a statement.

Before the first AM37 hits the water, the automaker was already branching out. Not content to simply offer swag on the side, a la Ferrari, Aston Martin recently opened a store in London’s trendiest neighborhood. Inside the automaker sells its own dinnerware and baby carriages. Perhaps the Detroit Three should pay attention to this brand strategy. (Then again, perhaps not.)

The company has even mulled marketing bespoke buildings — luxury apartments, or maybe a whole house. It may seem odd to some, but for Aston Martin it’s a hedge against uncertainty. High-end sportscars made the company what it is, but that product strategy might not keep it alive forever. If vehicle sales dwindle, the brand’s finances and reputation erode. Already, the automaker is in the red, reporting a $166 million pre-tax loss in 2015, though it aims to balance its books by 2018. Have you seen the profit margins on a yacht?

For those interested in wrangling a loan from their bank, the Aston Martin AM37 retails for $1.95 million.

[Images: Aston Martin]