Aston Martin's future is now X-rated, Auto Express can reveal. Since the firm was taken over last week by a group of businessmen led by Prodrive chairman David Richards, boss Ulrich Bez has wasted no time in outlining his vision for the years ahead.

As well as fast-tracking the development of models such as the DBS and four-door Rapide, Bez has hinted at a new flagship, codenamed DBX.

Aimed at the likes of the Mercedes McLaren SLR and Bugatti Veyron, the car would be a benchmark for pace and exclusivity for the British brand. While engineers and designers haven't revealed the performance targets they would set for the newcomer, it would sit on the firm's versatile verticial horizontal (VH) aluminium and composite chassis, and is likely to use a tuned version of the 6.0-litre V12 engine producing more than 700bhp.

That means a top speed in excess of 205mph and a 0-60mph time of less than 3.7 seconds. Inspired by the Aston Martin Zagato, launched back in 1986 primarily to reach 300km/h (186mph), the car will probably feature much of the technology which underpins the forthcoming DBS in a smaller, more potent package.

Power will be transferred to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox because, while Aston has access to both fully automatic and semi-automatic units, it's thought a manual will offer greater driver appeal.

New owned Prodrive is likely to be involved in much of the suspension and engine tuning, as was the case with the V8-engined vantage.

Although prices have not yet been discussed, it's expected that the newcomer would be the most expensive model Aston Martin has made, with a tag of at least £350,000.

Meanwhile, bosses at the company have also confirmed that they intend to increase sales volumes by speeding up production. Aston will employ more people, and is aiming to lift the overall output to nearly 9,000 vehicles every year - up from its current volume of around 6,000 models.

Aston Martin is considering building a new range-topping supercar to rival the Mercedes SLR, and, to a lesser extent, the Bugatti Veyron, according to U.K. magazine AutoExpress. The high-performance coupe is codenamed DBX, the report claims.

The DBX would offer a top speed in excess of 205 mph, and a zero to sixty time in the mid-three-second range. Power would likely come from a 700 horsepower 6.0-liter V12 engine.

The DBX would be a spiritual successor to the 1986 Aston Martin Zagato, which was created to reach 300km/h (186mph). The DBX will use a version of Aston's versatile vertical horizontal (VH) aluminum/composite platform, with technology from the new DBS sports car.

The car would likely be priced against the $450,000 Mercedes SLR.

Aston Martin is considering building a mid-engine sports car to rival offerings from Ferrari and even Audi. "Aston has to look at some of the things that are being done by our competitors, like the Audi R8 and the Japanese brands," said David Richards, leader of the consortium that purchased Aston from Ford. "We believe we can expand quite considerably."

Aston's continued profitably and success will enable it to create mid-engine vehicles that were previously too costly to develop, according to AutoWeek. Previously, Aston CEO Ulrich Bez told the magazine his company had to scrap plans for a mid-engine V8 Vantage in favor of the front-engine layout, because at the time it was the only design that "made any sense financially."

Mr. Richards said there is no plan for a mid-engine car before 2010, but anonymous company executives acknowledged there could eventually be "room above Rapide for a supercar like NPX." The magazine's source said engine placement is "still a subject to be discussed."

While a range-topping supercar might not be the only mid-engine Aston planned, it would likely be the first, the magazine says. Expect a price tag somewhere above the $400,000 Rapide — likely in line with the Mercedes SLR.

Is Aston Martin poised to take on Ferrari with its first mid-engined supercar? That’s the tantalizing prospect made possible by Ford’s sale of the British sports-car maker to a consortium led by Prodrive’s David Richards, backed by Kuwaiti investors and featuring Texan investment banker John Sinders.

Richards, who will chair the new company, said at the press conference announcing the Aston purchase: “Aston has to look at some of the things that are being done by our competitors, like the Audi R8 and the Japanese brands. We believe we can expand quite considerably.”

Richards’ comment could be taken as a sign that he wants to build the Prodrive P2, a 2006 two-seat supercar concept with a Subaru WRX STI powertrain that served as a showcase for the British company’s engineering prowess.

A more likely interpretation, sources suggest, is that Aston will add a range-topping, mid-engined supercar, an obvious gap in the company’s lineup, which is focused on four front-engined, rear-drive models built on the same aluminum chassis.

Officially, Aston says a mid-engined car isn’t part of its five-year plan that runs from 2005 to 2010: “The investors have bought a profitable company with an agreed plan to the end of the decade, and there’s nothing mid-engined in that.”

But Aston CEO Ulrich Bez hinted at an exciting new Aston flagship at the purchase announcement, showing a new product lineup with a model codenamed NPX at its pinnacle. “It’s a sign of the confidence of the company that we could put a model above the Rapide,” said Bez.

Speaking privately, executives also acknowledge that new thinking will be needed post-2010. “There is definitely room above Rapide for a supercar like NPX, but details, like where the engine is, are still a subject to be discussed.”

The Rapide is the four-door, long-wheelbase variant of the DB9 that Aston’s new owners already have promised will be put into production by 2010. Bez estimates Rapide sales at “between 1000 and 2000” annually, at a price near $400,000.

An NPX supercar probably would wear a price tag around $500,000, making it comparable to the Mercedes-Benz SLR and a value compared with the $1.2 million Bugatti Veyron.

Seasoned Aston observers will see some irony in Richards’ comment, because the V8 Vantage was originally planned as a mid-engined Ferrari 360 beater, but cost and speed-to-market considerations caused the car to be redesigned as a front-engined, two-seat variant of the company’s mainstay DB9 model.

Bez, then newly on board at Aston, made the critical call, causing internal conflict with designers and engineers who strongly backed the mid-engined car.

At that time, Bez told AutoWeek that a “front-engined V8 Vantage was the only model that made any sense financially. Aston is a very small company, and it is not sensible to have two completely different body architectures.”

So what has changed? Most significant is that Aston’s business plan has been a huge success, with production up fivefold in five years. The company is now profitable, giving managers the freedom to take some calculated product and investment risks. Plus, one of the reasons for spinning Aston off was to give it access to a larger pot of capital expenditure. According to Aston insiders, Ford’s ongoing financial worries diverted funds from peripheral projects such as new Astons to bread-and-butter models better able to keep the Blue Oval afloat.

These factors, along with the fresh ideas of a new management team, point to the strong probability of a future mid-engined Aston.

Aston Martin has taken the wraps off a stunning new production car, dubbed the One-77. As one might infer from the car’s name, Aston’s newest supercar will see a limited production run, with only 77 units being built.

Under the One-77’s sleek hood lies a 7.0L V12 with a yet-to-be-disclosed amount of power. However, Auto Express speculates that the new 7.0L powerplant will be powerful enough the rocket the One-77 from naught to sixty in just 3.5 seconds, on its way to a top speed in excess of 200 mph.

The One-77’s body will reportedly be crafted out of aluminum, while its chassis will be made completely from carbon fiber.

Aston plans to have the car completely finished by the end of this year, with sales starting in late 2009.