the world might need another ultra-luxury car brand like it needs a hole in the head, but that isn’t stopping aston martin from moving forward with plans to revive its dormant lagonda nameplate. Following rumors earlier this year, aston martin has confirmed it will bring the lagonda brand back to the market by 2012.

The upcoming lagonda models – two are already earmarked for production – will ride on aston’s vh platform, but should have a different personality from aston martin’s current model lineup. Whereas cars such as the dbs focus on performance first and luxury second, aston’s lgonda models will be more like bentley’s offerings – focusing on luxurious cars that can go insanely fast.

Two models are already in the lagonda pipeline, with the first slated to be an upscale version of the aston martin rapide, according to automotive news. The lagonda-badged rapide should hit the market in 2011, with a price tag to match its up-scale aspirations.

The second lagonda model will likely be a mercedes-benz s-class fighter. The softer sedan should show up about a year after the rapide-based lagonda, with prices starting around $100,000.

The u.s. Will undoubtedly be part of aston martin’s lagonda plans, but aston martin is expecting the lagonda nameplate to do well in regions such as south america and china where sports cars aren’t as highly coveted.

The United Kingdom's classic sports car maker Aston Martin plans to launch a second brand with a unique design, reviving the Lagonda name to target a broader base of luxury customers in emerging markets.

"We remain limited in our market penetration by the pure character of our cars," Chief Executive Ulrich Bez said in a statement, adding it was time to think about a longer-term future for Aston Martin after 16 months in private ownership.

"We have now investigated and concluded that the revival of the Lagonda brand would allow us to develop cars which can have a different character than a sportscar and therefore offer a perfect synergy."

The carmaker, which supplies British secret agent James Bond with his DBS coupe in the upcoming "Quantum of Solace" movie, aims to sell between 7,000 and 7,500 sports cars this year after about 7,400 in 2007.

Having bought Aston Martin in 1947, its then-owner David Brown acquired rival British carmaker Lagonda that year to gain access to the latter's chassis and W.O. Bentley engine. Production was subsequently concentrated at Aston Martin.

Apart from a series of Lagonda four-door saloon models introduced in the mid-seventies and designed by William Towns, the name later effectively ceased to exist.

"In 2009, Lagonda is about to celebrate its 100th birthday and in its centenary year we are confident that we will show the first concept of a car which could be in the market in 2012," the Aston Martin CEO said.

The concept is expected to be unveiled at the Geneva auto show in early March 2009.

A spokesman for Aston Martin said the new luxury vehicle would be "truly versatile" but declined to comment further on what market segments might be targeted or where the model would be built, since its UK Gaydon plant is running at full capacity.

"We do not consider the William Towns version as a leading design," the spokesman added.

SUPER SPORTS CAR

Bez said in the statement he believed the new brand could be suitable for both existing and emerging markets, allowing the company to expand its presence to more than 100 countries in the world from 32.

Wendelin Wiedeking, chief executive of luxury rival Porsche , has often said the company's expansion into new markets first became possible once it departed from its sports car-only focus to launch the Cayenne sport utility vehicle.

Aston Martin's CEO told Reuters late in May that the company would not focus on expanding its network of 125 dealers in emerging markets since he felt the brand suffered from insufficient awareness.

Although Bez opened new sales points in Moscow, Shanghai and Beijing last year, he recently looked to add to its retail network with new showrooms in cities like Seattle, Istanbul, Warsaw and Bari on top of recent additions in Valencia and Bordeaux.

Ford Motor Co sold Aston Martin for 479 million pounds ($864.9 million) in March 2007, to a consortium led by David Richards - former Formula 1 Benetton and BAR racing boss - and including John Sinders as well as two Kuwaiti funds.

Next year it plans to launch the four-door Aston Martin Rapide to compete with Maserati's Quattroporte, to be followed by a limited series of 77 super sports cars expected to retail at over $1 million each.

Looks like Aston Martin will bring a long-speculated concept car to the Geneva Motor Show. The Aston Martin Lagonda concept should make its debut in March.

It does make sense to bring the car out now. Aston Martin wants to properly celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Lagonda name. The name was first used on the Lagonda Torpedo, which was introduced in 1907, just a year after Lagonda was founded. It was already a race-winner by 1910.

Aston Martin bought out the company in the mid-forties, along with the much liked Rapide badge. Most recently, an Aston Martin Lagonda existed in the form of a wedge-like executive saloon, available from 1976 onwards. In many ways, it looked like a Triumph TR-7 stretched like Silly Putty. It was incredibly expensive, surprisingly popular, and very powerful. The 2+2 Lagonda made use of a 5.3-liter V8, and was one of the first cars to be fitted with a central processor to control the car. The computer was less than reliable, to say the least.

Aston execs have said since the summer that they were planning on relaunching the Lagonda brand to enter into the luxury sedan market. Their interest was getting a production model on the road by 2012.

Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez released a statement in September, saying, "Lagonda will have its own niche with luxurious and truly versatile products suitable for both existing and emerging markets".

We look forward to seeing what Aston Martin can do with Lagonda to bring it into modern times. The new Lagonda concept will debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.