Aston Martin will make a Lagonda super saloon

Aston Martin has announced it will revive the ‘Lagonda' badge for a limited run of an exclusive new super saloon.

The as-yet unnamed Aston Martin Lagonda four-door supercar will hit production early next year, and promises to be "the fastest of fast cars", though at present, it's only being offered exclusively for the Middle East. Blame ‘market demand', or something.

Though Aston is being coy with the details, we're told the car will sit on the firm's ageing VH chassis architecture - on which all current Aston Martins are based - and will take design inspiration from the boxy, wedge-shaped Lagonda of 1976. That's right, the company has decided to use the 1970s as design inspiration.

There will be carbon fibre in the body panels, hand-built by Aston Martin's Gaydon workforce, and while no powertrain details have been given, you'd be safe to assume the firm's new 565bhp V12 - seen in the Vanquish and V12 Vantage S - will be front and centre. Makes a good noise, that engine. No word on 0-60mph either, but you can expect a similar time to Aston's other four-door supercar, the Rapide S, which does it in 4.9 seconds.

Purchase is through invitation only, however, and the price will be "commensurate with the car's exclusivity". So ‘a lot', then.

"The new model, like its exclusive siblings the One-77 and V12 Zagato, has been created as a piece of exceptional automotive art," explains Aston design boss Marek Reichmann.

"It has been designed and developed entirely in keeping with the spirit and ethos of previous Lagonda super saloons - notably the William Towns Lagonda - and as a tribute to this car it proudly bears the Lagonda nameplate," he added.

Don't forget, Aston revived the Lagonda badge a few years back, causing quite a bit of a stir at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show with the SUV concept, itself presented as an opportunity to open up new markets worldwide.

Have a look at the pic above and let us know what you think. The 1970s are coming back.