Aston Martin's AM37 powerboat is destined to be a gran turismo for the waves
'Handles like a boat' is not a fulsome compliment in the automotive world - it's usually a dig at large, unwieldy and dynamically challenged vehicles from the dark ages of automotive design. But for a boat to handle like a car is quite another matter. The new AM37 from Quintessence Yachts is a day boat with sporting pretensions. Designed by the Dutch-based ship builder in close collaboration with Aston Martin's design studio, this twin-engined machine is intended to be a gran turismo for the waves, a swift cruiser for the open ocean, all put together with the same care and attention to detail as Aston Martin's acclaimed four wheeled portfolio.
The AM37 began life as a conversation, a 'what if' speculation intended to explore credible ways of taking the car company's design language and rock solid brand image into different sectors. Reasoning that high-end boat owners and supercar drivers were quite often cut from the same cloth, frequenting the same places and wanting the same mix of craft, design, luxury and performance, the idea was set. Aston Martin's design team drew up the ultimate speedboat, a day cruiser designed to deliver the same level of visual detail, aural excitement and material seduction as an Aston Martin sports car.
Quintessence were the perfect partners, a Dutch company with the skills and experience in building high performance boats with cutting edge technology and hull design. Working with its long-time partners, naval architects Mulder Design, Quintessence offered up a hull design that was sleek, speedy and refined. The AM37 is built around this solid core, using twin 520 Mo Cruiser engines to deliver a socking great punch when needed but also the ability to gently cruise from place to place with excellent refinement.
Aston and Quintessence cite a 50-knot top speed for the AM37S variant, putting this two-berth day cruiser in the upper echelon of performance boats. Not all owners will use every last drop of power, of course, but it's good to know the boat will outrun all but the most dedicated performance machines. This high-speed ability is the Aston DNA at work. From the outset, Quintessence has striven to capture the essence of the 'gran turismo', that fabled automotive unicorn that's as much about romance and intention as it is about real world ability. The boat builder describes its ideal customer as someone with a superyacht moored nearby (it would take a bit of alteration to turn the AM37 into a tender, but it's no impossible) who's seeking a bit of quiet time without the close attention of the crew. Designed to be easy to operate, delightful to drive and practical to own, the idea is that the AM37 can whisk a select group away to some secluded spot, with no need to enlist an entourage.
As a result, the boat is extremely practical. That performance and ride quality is backed up by lashings of craftsmanship and material quality, using the same suppliers and a similar attention to detail as one would find in a road-going Aston Martin. The cabin has a compact galley and washroom, and a table that converts to a double-bed, while the cockpit itself is kitted out with a digital dash, leather covered seat and enough chrome and carbon fibre to give even the most vivacious four-wheeled AM a run for its money. Quintessence has pulled out the stops to make the AM37 a technical showcase, with a dedicated app that operates covers, roofs and steps remotely, and nice touches like a champagne cooler that glides out and opens up to offer you a glass or two of something cool.
Aston Martin is not the first car company collaboration to set sail in recent years. Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz have both unveiled ocean-going iterations of their most upscale design ideas. The AM37 feels like the most resolved, perhaps because it brings together a delight in material and surface as well as the crucial performance aspects. This powerboat feels like more than a mere brand extension, but a genuinely successful attempt to take a century-old marque into another realm.
INFORMATION
AM37, from around £1.6 million. For more information, visit the Quintessence Yachts website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Massimo Giorgetti’s new rug collection takes Milan’s 1960s metro system as a departure point
Fashion designer Massimo Giorgetti has designed a rug collection for CC-Tapis inspired by curving metal tubes that run along metro station staircases
By Laura May Todd Published
-
Kingsley Re-Engineered brings the Range Rover Classic into the modern era with the new KSR
A sophisticated retromod transforms the iconic original Range Rover into a thoroughly stylish and modern luxury SUV
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The new aura.pure coffee machine Loewe’s latest foray into high quality kitchenware
Luxury appliances are firmly in the sights of German tech specialists Loewe, who began with radio and TV and are now building out a portfolio of high-end home essentials
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Feadship unveils the Concept C, a silent superyacht with all-electric propulsion
Inspired by diamonds and deep pockets, the Dutch shipbuilder revealed its annual concept design at the 2024 Monaco Yacht Show
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The new V12-powered Aston Martin Vanquish arrives to conquer the world of luxury GT cars
The luxury British marque’s new Vanquish flagship is absolutely, positively, definitely, its final flirtation with V12 power. Or is it?
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Could a car be any more muscular? Aston Martin unleashes the bold and brutalist Valiant
Equipped with a V12 engine, manual gearbox and chiselled bodywork, the limited-edition Aston Martin Valiant is the company’s most extreme front-engined road car to date
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Aston Martin Vantage review: we take the wheel to find out if it makes the supercar grade
The new Aston Martin Vantage is an upgrade on every conceivable metric, resulting in a machine with more power, luxury and dynamic ability than ever before
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Aston Martin DBX707 SUV is updated with a new interior and infotainment
The new Aston Martin DBX707 has better tech, better design but the same raw power, keeping its spot at the top of the ultra-SUV tree
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Riva El-Iseo is the legendary boat builder’s first fully-electric motor yacht
The Riva El-Iseo electric speedboat blends classic Italian lines with a silent, powerful and zero-emission powertrain
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
New Aston Martin Ginza showroom brings customer personalisation to life
Aston Martin Ginza showroom is a two-storey space in The Peninsula Tokyo hotel and a new hub for the car maker
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Aston Martin Vantage is reshaped and revitalised for a new generation
The Aston Martin Vantage is a sports car with an authentic racing heritage, now upgraded and enhanced with new styling and fresh interiors
By Jonathan Bell Published