Aston Martin's luxury EV concept comes with a concierge


The art of burning fuel seems like it would be infra dig, or beneath the upper-class folks who regularly tool around in an Aston Martin. That's why the maker turned up to the Geneva Motor Show with the Lagonda Vision, an emission-free electric concept car of the future.

Aston has decided to revive the Lagonda marque, with the bold claim that it will become the world's "first zero-emission luxury brand." Although that's easier said and done if the only vehicle you produce is a brand new electric supercar.

Because there's no whacking great V6-or-8 engine taking up space, the car has been redesigned to be shorter and lower than other rides. With the batteries and drivetrain built into the floor, the company claims that four adults, each one two meters tall, can luxuriate inside the well-appointed cabin.

Lagonda's concept interior, meanwhile, was designed in partnership with David Snowdon and uses cutting-edge composites. But the carbon fiber and ceramics are then draped in old-timey materials like cashmere and silk, ensuring you'll never want to eat or drink inside this car.

As for the doors, they open both outwards and upwards, enabling passengers to step out of the vehicle without having to bend. And if that wasn't luxurious enough, the car will also come with a bespoke concierge service, because of course it does.

Aston Martin intends to put the Lagonda into production by 2021, and wants to cram it full of the latest advances in self-driving technology. There is a steering wheel, which can switch sides depending on which country you're in, but this will retract if you're in autonomous mode.

It's hoped that the vehicle will be a full Level Four autonomous car, enabling the driver to take their eyes off the road for long periods. When doing so, the car will enable them to spin the driver and passenger to spin their chairs around to talk to anyone on the back seat.

Aston Martin claims that the vehicle will have battery storage sufficient to get you 400 miles between recharges, much like Bentley's own planned electric grand tourer. In addition, the car will come with the latest innovations in wireless charging, since the super-rich are also too posh to pump their own power.

Visitors to the auto show will be able to see two 40-percent size scale models of the (new) Lagonda, one as a coupe, and one as an SUV. And if you're lucky, and preposterously rich, you can start counting down the days until you can buy one... although displays of excitement are probably a bit beneath you, too.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.

Source: Aston Martin

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