One of 24 planned Aston Martin Vulcan cars appeared at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England over the weekend.
The track-only car was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show last March, but the British automaker wanted the Vulcan to make its introduction on "home soil," stated Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer. The 23rd Annual Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, England fit the bill.
The Vulcan sports its own version of the company's naturally aspirated 7.0-litre V12 engine. The sports car can hit 60mph in under three seconds and it's speed tops out just north of 200mph.
"As we have seen at Goodwood today, this is a sports car for true sports car lovers," said Palmer. "I believe the Aston Martin Vulcan—and the unique ownership program that sits behind it—sets a whole new standard in the ultra-high luxury supercar class."
Though Aston Martin has only manufactured 24 Vulcan cars, Palmer said the supercar is certainly part of the company's turnaround story. The primary thread in the narrative, however, is turning around the finances of the "only independent luxury sports car company in the world."
"The company has only ever been profitable twice," Palmer told the BBC. "Nobody's ever really made money out of the brand, which is strange because it is such an iconic brand. It's so powerful and deserves better."
Palmer was brought in from Nissan to head up Aston Martin's turnaround, part of which entails expanding its lineup with more cars and even a plug-in crossover SUV.
The DBX Concept, Aston Marton's crossover SUV, was designed to bear the automaker's best technologies, while having enough practicality for everyday life.
The crossover is dipped in Black Pearl Chromium, paint designed to mimic black pearl, while its interior is made up of "non-automotive" materials to invoke a cocooning ambiance in the cabin, according to Aston Martin.
While Aston Martin is expanding its fleet to include the Vulcan, DBX Concept, and other vehicles, the company wants to make sure it keeps its soul intact as it makes its turnaround, according to the CEO.
"We don't want to change the spirit as we're all about power, beauty and soul," said Palmer. "But we do have to appeal to a wider and newer audience and it's down to us to deliver on the new products."
