The current trend to ‘Safari all the things’ has ensnared numerous luxury automotive brands, birthing machines like the Porsche 911 Dakar and the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato. Now, it seems like Aston Martin wants in on the theme – though it sadly isn’t considering anything like a lifted V12 Vanquish.
What could be in the hopper, as reported across the pond by Autocar, is some sort of ‘super 4×4’ which could be a high-riding competitor to gear like the Land Rover Defender and Mercedes-Benz G-Class. Apparently called ‘Project Rambo’, the vehicle would likely deploy architecture from the DBX and also have a Merc-built V8 shoved up its nose. At present, the company has access to a 4.0-liter twin-turbo unit good for 577 horsepower, a mill which would be ably suited to dune bashing when accompanied by a lifted suspension and knobby tires.
One can be all but assured this type of vehicle would be a very exclusive model, a notion Autocar confirms by saying only 2,500 copies would be made if the plans all come together. The vehicle would likely be crafted at the DBX factory in St Athan, probably including shavings of moonbeams and myrrh for maximum exclusivity and profits. Still, it is said the project has yet to be given a green light by top brass.
Reading further into the Autocar story, it is revealed that Aston boss man Lawrence Stroll conceded demand for electric vehicles “is not what we thought it was two years ago,” an uncomfortable truth from product planning perspectives. With most of the early adopters getting their fill of EVs, electrics are proving to be a harder sell to some swaths of John Q. Public for a few very valid reasons. Why manufacturers expected the segment to continue growing at its exponential pace will surely be examined by business schools in the years to come.
As for the Aston, it’d be an entertaining sight to see a ‘roided out DBX roaring across the sand alongside a built G-Class. Memo to Aston Martin: Do it.
[Image: Aston Martin]
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