Aston Martin announces official partnership with Mercedes-Benz AMG GmbH

Aston Martin confirmed in a recent press release that the small British supercar maker has moved a step closer to joining forces with Mercedes-Benz AMG GmbH. The result is that Mercedes-Benz AMG has acquired around 5%’s worth of shares of Aston Martin. And in the process, Mercedes will be supplying Aston with mechanical resources, such as providing assistance with the development of future V8 powertrains.

“We have selected AMG specifically as the basis for this powertrain development process,” Aston Martin product development director Ian Minards said in the press release, “Aston Martin sources cutting edge technology from key suppliers around the globe and the opportunity to include content from Mercedes-AMG GmbH in our next generation sports cars is, clearly, good news.”

Aston Martin has been in dire need of partnership as many automobile manufacturers have combined forces in the form of cooperative ownerships, especially to achieve future fuel economy mandates. Now, this assistance from the intelligent boffins at Mercedes-Benz will alleviate some of the pressure weighing down on Aston as they make way for a new generation of cars.

For full details, check out the press release after the jump.

Thursday 25 July, 2013, Gaydon: Aston Martin is today announcing moves towards a technical partnership with Mercedes-AMG GmbH, a 100% subsidiary and high-performance brand of German multinational automotive corporation Daimler AG.  A Letter of Intent to this end has been signed today and both parties are working towards signing definitive agreements before the end of the year. Such agreements are subject to applicable regulatory approvals.

The proposed deal will see Aston Martin access significantMercedes-AMG GmbH and Mercedes-Benz Cars’ resources, allowing the development of bespoke V8 powertrains and the use of certain components of electric/electronic (e/e) architecture.

Daimler AG will own a stake of up to five per cent non-voting shares in Aston Martin depending on the progress of the agreement. The company will join the existing shareholders that include Investment DAR, Adeem Investment and Investindustrial. The technical partnership will support Aston Martin’s launch of a new generation of models that will incorporate cutting edgetechnology and newly-developed bespoke V8 powertrains.

An essential element of the planned partnership is a supply agreement between Mercedes-AMG, Daimler AG and Aston Martin.

Aston Martin, which is Britain’s most exclusive sports car company, is celebrating its centenary this year. The company will continue to manufacture all of its sports cars at its Gaydon headquarters in Warwickshire, England.

Aston Martin Product Development Director Ian Minards said: “We have selected AMG specifically as the basis for this powertrain development process.

“Aston Martin sources cutting edge technology from key suppliers around the globe and the opportunity to include content from Mercedes-AMG GmbH in our next generation sports cars is, clearly, good news.”

He added: “Working with Mercedes-AMG in this waywhile, of course, remaining independent and preserving the unique character and style of Aston Martin that has been the mainstay of the company throughout its 100-year history, points to a very bright future for the company as it starts its second century in business.”

Ola Källenius, Head of Mercedes-AMG GmbH said: “We are proud to work with Aston Martin and provide them with powertrain and e/e components for their forthcoming sports cars. This is proof of AMG’s technological and performance expertise and a real win-win situation for both sides.”

The companies confirm that their respective engineering teams will work together to optimise the implementation of this technical partnership.

Both parties have agreed that no further details of the planned technical partnership will be revealed for the time being.

– By: Chris Chin

Chris Chin

Chris Chin is the Editor-In-Chief of egmCarTech and is a regular contributor to Automobile Magazine.

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