New Aston Martin bus being developed

Category: Aston Martin

Written by: Henry on Thursday, July 30th, 2009 at 2:34 pm

Aston Martin has developed a name for itself over the years making high performance cars. Cars that are luxurious, exclusive and exciting. However, the latest Aston Martin isn’t quite what you’d expect and certainly not something that James Bond would want to drive.

No, this new Aston Martin isn’t a two door supercar, it’s a double decker bus! The new Aston Martin Routemaster bus came about when the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, announced a contest to design a new London bus to replace the Routemaster. One company you wouldn’t have expected to enter the contest was Aston Martin, but they did, and have created a sleek, futuristic looking bus that has all of the hallmarks of the prestigious car brand.

Aston Martin didn’t do it alone either. They had help from Foster + Partners, who created the iconic Gherkin building.

The new Aston Martin bus is powered by electric motors and is much lower than a regular bus, meaning access for the disabled is easy. It also handles better than the current bus, with a 10% extra turning radius.

Being an Aston, the conventional drab interior in London buses has been swapped for leather, giving it a touch of prestige class.

The bus is set to launch in 2011, just in time for the 2012 Olympics.