Can Aston Martin catch the girls' goldeneye?

Aston Martins offer sheer magnetism with their timeless elegance, impeccable craftsmanship, pioneering aerodynamics and svelte interiors - all encased in bonded aluminium. The cars celebrate all things beautiful and are quite simply, automotive art.

The British luxury carmaker is historically associated with bad boys, single spies and the seduction of beautiful women. Indeed, the brand has enjoyed a predominantly male customer base since its inception in 1913 and has featured many of its cars in James Bond films.

All of the Aston models have had an aura of masculinity and in 2015, out of a total of 70,000 cars produced, the brand reportedly sold only 3500 to women. But, according to CEO Andy Palmer, Aston Martin now has females top of mind.

“I’d like to expand our reach and female buyers can help achieve this” Palmer told motoring.com.au.

Aston Martin has created a proxy customer named Charlotte who is drawn to the all-new high-riding DBX crossover SUV due to launch in 2019.

“She’s a 30 something professional self-made lady, attractive, and living in Southern California. And what we’re trying to do is look at the unmet needs of Charlotte”, Mr Palmer explained.

Considering Bentley has launched its triple-turbo V8-engined Bentayga SUV and Maserati has finalised the luxurious Levante, it does seem timely for Aston Martin to leverage the lucrative SUV market.

The DBX will be a very different Aston. The car has an array of safety features and plenty of room for kids, says Palmer who is hoping the vehicle will appeal to the Charlottes of the world who “want that shell of safety and flexibility".

The crossover will retain distinctive Aston Martin DNA, however the interior and ergonomics will be slightly different than if the designers were targeting predominantly male buyers.

Palmer believes an SUV is a more approachable model for females.

“One of the major reject reasons for women not buying a sports car is that they are intimidating -- it doesn’t feel safe: ‘I’m a bit smaller and I can’t see over the hood to manoeuvre the car’,” Mr Palmer revealed.

It appears Charlotte sounds a bit like a muddled cross between an affluent power woman and a yummy mummy. But what about professional Miss Moneypennies who are looking for a lot more than functionality and are not intimidated by sports cars?

Women in their 30s and 40s have an increased confidence and financial independence that far surpasses previous generations. So, motoring.com.au decided to talk to one of these women.

Natasha Simpson is an independent professional in her 30s who enjoys an espresso martini, stirred and not shaken, and has a finely tuned admiration for Aston Martin ever since she saw Eva Longoria (of Desperate Housewives fame) driving one.

“I was watching Desperate Housewives and Eva Longoria was driving an Aston Martin DB9 Volante. I didn’t really like the show but I loved the car. My mind was made up: one day I will have an Aston Martin,” Ms Simpson told motoring.com.au.

Natasha has her goldeneye on ‘our’ Aston Martin Rapide S in quantum silver paint finish.

Upon first inspection Simpson fell into a deep trance, captivated by its brutal beauty and luxe bespoke leather-trimmed interior. She would happily live in the car with her nose permanently sewn to the seat just to smell the intoxicating leather.

“The interior is just beautiful and it’s like a luxury private jet. Without a doubt, the most stunning car I have ever sat in,” she gushed.

And she’s equally thrilled with its glorious 6.0-litre V12 soundtrack and audible theatrics on start-up,

“The sound of the Rapide S is a purr… not a kitten purr, more like the purr of a tiger. I’m amazed how the noise doesn’t enter the cabin. Just another refined feature you would expect from a car like this,” Ms Simpson revealed.

The Rapide S certainly packs a punch and its tiger purr is thanks to the latest tweak to the Bosch engine management system plus reduced exhaust back-pressure which add 10Nm to bring the torque total to 630Nm.

Peak power reaches a robust 410kW at 6750rpm and the car is capable of wickedly impressive feats of cornering.

Although the Rapide S is low-slung, it offers the flexibility of four doors and a surprisingly roomy cabin. Technology is highly-defined with the centre console incorporating a 13.3-inch high-definition touch-screen alongside a modernised instrument panel.

And Rapide is not the only Aston which has grabbed Natasha’s attention.

The company’s latest pièce de résistance, the scene-stealing V12 Valkyrie hyper car concept, is also on her radar.

The Valkyrie joins the famous lineage of Aston Martin ‘V’ cars and its name is rooted in ancient Norse mythology meaning ‘female Viking god’.

This appears to give it added appeal: “I love that Aston Martin named this curvy, fierce vehicle after a female god,” Ms Simpson enthused.

When asked what she thought of the DBX Crossover, she doesn’t quite think it works and dubbed it a “sedan on steroids”. Shocking, positively, shocking…but worth noting.

With all of this in mind, Aston Martin should perhaps look at expanding its proxy female customer to include those females who are not intimidated by sports cars and aspire to shop in the exclusive supercar segment -- the Natashas of the world.

In Australia, nine per cent of Aston Martin customers are female, which compares to a global average of approximately four per cent. While we clearly have steady female interest here, this could still be improved.

So, how can Aston Martin appeal to females beyond producing a family-accommodating SUV?

Porsche Australia took on controversial TV personality Sonia Kruger in 2013 as the face of its ‘Woman With Drive’ online and mobile lifestyle publication. The German giant also hosts female-only days where women get the opportunity to go behind the wheel of a Porsche and drive on a closed test track with expert instructors.

The Ford Mustang is also riding high with the ladies. The ‘EMA Mustang Build Power by Women’ project was created in the U.S.A. in 2012 to bring awareness to females working in North America’s automotive aftermarket industry.

The iconic pony car has clearly continued with its appeal and was voted ‘Women’s World Car of the Year’ in 2016.

Motoring.com.au’s Consumer Writer Nadine Armstrong is now a jury member of the Women’s World Car of the Year awards.

"While practicality is important, don't underestimate the power of emotion. The Mustang brings this in spades," Ms Armstrong said.

If we look at female celebrities who drive Aston Martins, there’s Queen Latifah, the highly successful songwriter-performer-producer who has owned a Vanquish S for many years. And ex-model and businesswoman Elle McPherson has enjoyed scooting around in a 1964 DB5 convertible.

Both ladies are Aston Martin brand loyalists and have a certain amount of appeal with females.

“I admire Elle for the longevity of her career and I am a huge fan of Queen Latifah from her roles in Chicago and Hairspray”, Ms Simpson said.

The answer might collectively lie in using celebrity businesswomen who are Aston Martin loyalists as brand ambassadors and hosting yearly track days where women have the opportunity to drive the Aston Martin sports cars of their dreams.

And when the world is not enough…a martini party for female Aston Martin fans on the AM37 luxury powerboat would be ideal.

After all, you only live twice.

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Aston Martin will always be cool