As automobile giants and innovative technology gurus race to develop automated vehicles, luxury brand Aston Martin knows customers will still buy its full-throttle driving experience and spurn hands-free options
“Not many Aston Martin customers are looking for autonomous drive vehicles. To be frank, it’s not the reason for buying,” said its Chief Executive Officer Andy Palmer, describing a business model focused on “exclusivity and scarcity”.
It’s not to say the highly sought Aston Martin, famously driven by fiction spy James Bond, is not interested in automating parts of the driving experience. There is a great sense that that it could actually make it safer.
But Mr Palmer says there has to be a sense of prudence “rather than recklessly applying populist types of technologies”. He also slammed the authorities who he believes have rushed through autonomous legislation through before the technology is properly developed.
“We risk using our customers as beta tests and that’s not how you should deploy technology,” he told the Motor Manufacturers and Traders event in London
Advocates for increasingly, or even fully, automated cars say it would bring tens of billions of pounds to the UK, save journey times and slash fatalities when fully regulated.
The industry is currently graded on five scales, with cruise control option at the first level and more sophisticated journey management like assisted lane movements.
At the top is level five, where there is zero human control over the moving vehicle isn’t expected to be offered in the marketplace until at least the 2030s. Level four, which Mr Palmer said believes remains years away from road use, would see fully autonomous vehicles operate in designated.
Mr Palmer said Aston Martin would never pursue a third level, a sort of in-between where the car could control many safety aspects.
“We have to be careful in applying new technology and new information to the driver that we are not making that worse. It’s that logical deployment and not just making a USP that makes the car seems sexy for the press.”
Statistics show some 90 per cent of road accidents are caused by driver errors or distractions, and Mr Palmer said reducing this had to be the focus.
“So cherry picking bits of the technology deploying them early potentially has the risk of making them worse not better,” said the Aston Martin CEO. He did not at any point suggest the company was actively pursuing level 4 or 5 automation for its cars, other than perhaps its less-premium Lagonda range but still urged the industry to tread carefully.
“My appeal is that we work carefully with a plan that gets is to level 4 technology rather than recklessly applying populist types of technologies.”
Automation, if used properly, should work to boost performance and the interaction between the driver and the machine. For instance, Mr Palmer is “passionate” schools and hospitals should be geocached with speed limits so cars automatically slowdown in sensitive areas. When this level 4 mode is “mature” he believes it “could save lives”.
“When we see technology coming, we need to make sure it’s deployed in a sensible and well thought out manner,” he said.
Aston Martin has conceded it like its peers will suffer from the oncoming Brexit turbulence but adds its luxury brand means a greater flexibility with its price tag to cushion the disruption.
British car industry executives gathered in Westminister on Thursday to jointly appeal to the government and European Union to find a way out of the impasse, with their hopes pinned of an agreement that allowed free trade to continue.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Ain Issa camp:
- Established in 2016
- Houses 13,309 people, 2,092 families, 62 per cent children
- Of the adult population, 49 per cent men, 51 per cent women (not including foreigners annexe)
- Most from Deir Ezzor and Raqqa
- 950 foreigners linked to ISIS and their families
- NGO Blumont runs camp management for the UN
- One of the nine official (UN recognised) camps in the region
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Honeymoonish
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Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Fringe@Four Line-up
October 1 - Phil Nichol (stand-up comedy)
October 29 - Mandy Knight (stand-up comedy)
November 5 - Sinatra Raw (Fringe theatre)
November 8 - Imah Dumagay & Sundeep Fernandes (stand-up comedy)
November 13 - Gordon Southern (stand-up comedy)
November 22 - In Loyal Company (Fringe theatre)
November 29 - Peter Searles (comedy / theatre)
December 5 - Sinatra’s Christmas Under The Stars (music / dinner show)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
match info
Chelsea 2
Willian (13'), Ross Barkley (64')
Liverpool 0
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
HEADLINE HERE
- I would recommend writing out the text in the body
- And then copy into this box
- It can be as long as you link
- But I recommend you use the bullet point function (see red square)
- Or try to keep the word count down
- Be wary of other embeds lengthy fact boxes could crash into
- That's about it
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
SWEET%20TOOTH
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
