Lagonda Taraf

The Lagonda Taraf is a four-door full-sized luxury car manufactured by Lagonda, a marque owned by British automobile manufacturer Aston Martin since 1947. The name "Taraf" means ultimate luxury in Arabic.[2] Only 120 cars were built, each of which was priced at US$1 million.[3]

Lagonda Taraf
Lagonda Taraf at the Goodwood Festival of Speed
Overview
ManufacturerLagonda (Aston Martin)
Production2015–December 2016 (120 productions)
AssemblyGaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom
DesignerMarek Reichman[1]
Body and chassis
ClassFull-size luxury car (F)
Body style4-door saloon
LayoutFront-engine, rear-wheel-drive
PlatformVH Generation3
DoorsSwan
RelatedAston Martin DB9
Aston Martin Rapide
Powertrain
Engine6.0 L AM11 V12
Transmission8-speed ZF automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase3,190 mm (125.6 in)
Length5,397 mm (212.5 in)
Width1,917 mm (75.5 in)
Height1,389 mm (54.7 in)
Chronology
PredecessorAston Martin Lagonda

History

The Lagonda marque was founded in 1906 by Wilbur Gunn. It won the 1935 Le Mans 24 Hour race with a Lagonda M45R driven by John Stuart Hindmarsh and Luis Fontés. The Lagonda Rapide V12, introduced in 1939, was the most expensive car in the United States at the time of its launch. The company soon filed for bankruptcy however due to failing customer interest in luxury and sports cars brought on by the Great Depression and the onset of the Second World War. The marque was bought by Alan Good, who outbid Rolls-Royce Limited. In 1947, Lagonda was bought by David Brown, who had also bought Aston Martin. The brand came back in 1976 after decades of being inactive with the introduction of the Aston Martin Lagonda luxury saloon, which was badged as an Aston Martin model. However the model was discontinued in early 1990, effectively killing off the brand name as well.[3][4][5]

Aston Martin decided to revive the Lagonda brand in 2009 in order to expand outside its traditional sporting realm into untapped segments of the market such as luxury saloons and to celebrate Lagonda's centenary.[6]

The Lagonda branding on the Taraf
Rear view

The resulting four-wheel-drive, four-seater concept saloon, unveiled in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, met with mixed reviews. This led to the prioritising of plans to introduce the Taraf, with Aston Martin beginning work on Project Comet (the initial code name for the Taraf).[1][7][8]

Design

Project Comet was undertaken by Aston Martin's Q division which specialises in commissioning bespoke cars and the customising of existing models to customer specifications. The final, full-sized model was completed within 8 months of the first studio sketches in January 2014. Marek Reichman attributed to the swift execution to lessons learnt from the production of the One-77, which took two years to complete from design to conception.[9]

The car was intended as a homage to the Lagonda, which was produced between 1976 and 1990. A total of 645 of those cars were produced, each of which took 2,200 man-hours to build.[10]

Specifications and performance
Interior with wood trim

The Taraf is powered by a 48-valve 6.0-litre V12 engine, generating a maximum power output of 540 PS (397 kW; 533 hp) at 6,650 rpm and 630 N⋅m (465 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,500 rpm. The engine was assembled at Ford's bespoke Niehl engine facility in Cologne, Germany. The engine transfers power to the rear wheels via an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission mounted between the rear wheels. The chassis utilises the Aston Martin VH Generation3 platform, underpinning the DB9 and the Rapide, with a stretched wheelbase. The body panels are made of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP), which receive a seven-layer paint finish and final polishing. The main aim of using the material was to keep the weight low due to the added luxury components in the car.

The interior included elements borrowed from other Aston Martin models, mainly the Rapide, and features console-mounted push-button transmission controls, infotainment system, 1,000-watt Bang & Olufsen BeoSound audio system and premium quality leather upholstery. The interior had various choices of trims, ranging from a variety of woods to carbon fibre. A long wheelbase gave increased legroom for rear seat passengers.

The Taraf has a claimed 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) acceleration time of 4.4 seconds and a maximum speed of 314 km/h (195 mph).[3]

Production

Top Gear reported that the Taraf was undergoing hot weather testing in Oman in September 2014. The car was put through 14,000 miles (23,000 km) of testing in four weeks in temperatures ranging between 30–50 °C in order to test the air-conditioning system, the drivetrain and the interior trim. The car was subsequently unveiled at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.[11][12]

The car commenced production in 2015, with the company stating that only 100 cars would be built and the car was originally intended solely for the Middle-East. The Taraf was manufactured in Aston Martin's plant in Gaydon, Warwickshire. When Andy Palmer took over as the CEO, he had the car's potential markets expanded to include Europe, USA, Singapore and South Africa. He also had the number of cars to be produced increased to 200. As of 2015, only 40 cars were produced. The car was the most expensive four-door saloon in the world as of April 2016.[1][3][9][13][14]

The Taraf made an appearance at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Production ended by December 2016, with 120 cars being sold.[1][15][16]

Reception

The car received positive reviews on release, with most reviewers citing the steep price as the biggest downside. Angus MacKenzie, in his review for Motor Trend, wrote the following: "This $1 million saloon, hand-built by Aston Martin, costs more than five times as much as a Mercedes-Maybach S600. Yet it matters little to the people who will buy the Taraf that the Maybach is technically the more accomplished ultra-luxury saloon." Autocar was also critical of the price, saying "Without context that price tag looks ridiculous. For the same money you could buy both a Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé and a Bentley Mulsanne plus a fully-loaded Range Rover SV Autobiography on the side."[3][17]

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References
  1. "World exclusive: Aston's £696k Lagonda super-limo driven". Top Gear. Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  2. Aston Martin Lagonda Taraf etymology: What does its name mean?
  3. "2016 Lagonda Taraf Review: The $1 Million hand-built sedan By Aston Martin". Motor Trend. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  4. G.N. Georgano, N. (2000). Beaulieu EncyclopBenjamin J. Robinson:edia of the Automobile. HMSO. ISBN 1-57958-293-1.
  5. "Aston Martin Considers Turning Lagonda into a Range of Super-Luxury Sedans". Car and Driver. Archived from the original on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  6. Aston Martin to Revive Lagonda Nameplate Archived 2010-10-31 at the Wayback Machine – Automobile.com
  7. "Aston Martin outlines Lagonda revival". drive.com.au. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  8. "Coming Out in Gaydon: Aston to Channel its Inner Lagonda for 2015". Car and Driver. Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  9. "2015 Aston Martin Lagonda priced at £685,000". Autocar. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  10. "Aston Martin Lagonda Taraf Takes a Bow at Pebble Beach". autoguide.com. Archived from the original on 29 July 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  11. "First look at the new Aston Lagonda". Top Gear. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  12. "Aston Martin's New $1 Million, 195-mph Limousine". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  13. "2016 LAGONDA TARAF BY ASTON MARTIN DRIVEN ON IGNITION (W/VIDEO)". Motor Trend. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  14. "Aston Martin decides you can buy a Lagonda Taraf in the UK". Goodwood. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  15. "Aston Martin Lagonda Taraf 2016 Review". motoring.com.au. Archived from the original on 3 February 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  16. "Aston Martin to introduce world's most expensive sedan". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  17. "Aston Martin Lagonda Taraf review". Autocar. Archived from the original on 26 November 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
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