The 102-year-old British automaker Aston Martin recently announced its foray into the waterways with the AM37, which will enter production later this year.
On April 27th, Aston Martin hosted an event at their factory and design center in Graydon, UK where design director Mark Reichman previewed digital renderings of the AM37 motorboat. The legendary automaker also announced a partnership with Mulder Design – a company famous for creating the high speed boats featured in several James Bond movies – to develop their 37-foot powerboat.
We’ll take a closer look at the partnership between Aston Martin and Mulder Design as well as the boat’s specs and what else the British car manufacturer has up their sleeve for this year.
Boat Designers Partner Up With a Luxury Auto Manufacturer
Although the AM37 was designed by Mulder, Aston’s design studio was involved, and the project was overseen by Reichman.
Students training to become a mechanic may remember the long list of Aston Martin vehicles featured in past and present James Bond movies, which includes the DB5, DB10 and V12 Vanquish. Meanwhile, Mulder created the speedboats for Octopussy, Moonraker, and The World is Not Enough, making this one of the most iconic partnerships of the decade.
For the AM37, Mulder Design said it was inspired by Aston’s cars. When speaking about designing the powerboat, design chief Mark Reichman stated it was “breath of fresh air” for the company, also saying that he was most proud of the boat’s “simplicity of design, purity and use of materials“.
AM37 Features that Any Auto Mechanic Would Love
The new boat will have two available versions. The base AM37, a speed boat that features relaxed handling, will have a top speed of 50 knots (for those of you aspiring to become an automotive service technician, that’s 93 km/h). The sportier AM37 S will have a max speed of 60 knots (111 km/h). Powering the speed boats, there’s the option of twin 441kW fuel engines, or lower-powered twin 380kW engines. Anyone seeking a greater range of performance can also opt for a pair of 370kW diesels.
Reichman stated that boats and cars share characteristics that make them “dynamic sculptures”, and the AM37 is no exception. The boat features a sculpted stern that bears resemblance to the rear end of Aston Martin’s cars. Every detail of the boat, from its carbon composite body to sculpted wood and hand-stitched leather will reflect the automaker’s refinement. “It’s a balance of beauty and engineering. The same principles apply here as they do to cars.” says Reichman.
The AM37 will be launched at the Monaco Yacht Show in September.
A Big Year For the Luxury Auto Brand
Aston Martin says that the AM37 will be the first of several crafts in the powerboat line-up for the company.
Announcing the release of a boat isn’t the only “big splash” they’ve surprised us with this year. If you’re looking to pursue an auto career and have stayed afloat of this year’s auto news, you may remember that the British luxury car company unveiled an all-electric SUV concept 4×4 at the Geneva Auto Show back in March. Aston’s CEO Andy Palmer hopes to get this SUV into showrooms by 2020.
What’s your favorite feature of the AM37 powerboat so far? What other companies would you like to see come out with a line of boats?
