Many of us recognize the Aston Martin brand as the vehicle of choice for international spies — aka, James Bond. Throughout the decades, the manufacturer has produced dimensionally perfect cars with performance to boot and so much luxury that you could compare it to what I imagine driving an expensive leather watch is like. But, the Aston Martin name doesn’t just represent suave spies and luxury; there is a substantial racing heritage that shows us what the brand is capable of.

Aston Martin heritage in today’s cars

Aston Martin has a long heritage bathed in pop culture, racing, and luxury. We recognize the badge for the elite cars that the brand produces and can’t help but stop and stare when one goes by. With vehicles like the Vantage designed to be dimensionally perfect, we can’t help but love how timeless and beautiful those cars seem to look, year after year, generation after generation. But the brand is more than a pretty face, and decades of pit crews and races have led to some incredible production cars that allow average drivers to experience just a touch of that racing heritage.

Returning to the races

This year Aston Martin will be returning to the Formula 1 grid. It has been 60 years since the brand has competed in Formula 1 races, though teams have continued to race Aston Martin cars in other racing circuits worldwide. It is just a fraction of the changes the British car manufacturer has undergone lately, and it shows us an attempt to get back in the ring and show that they are still relevant both in motorsports and on the streets.

Aston Martin made this clear by stepping up to the plate to create a luxury SUV, the Aston Martin DBX, that packs a good bit of performance, matching the movements of brands such a Lamborghini, who have turned some focus to high-end luxury -performance SUVs.

The future of the brand

Stepping back into the Formula 1 ring just feels right for the brand, whose main focus is high-end performance with a heavy dose of luxury on the side. It’s not just exciting for Formula 1 fans and James Bond lovers, either, it also speaks to what lies ahead for the brand.

“It’s where this brand should be, and I know this next chapter of our racing history will be incredibly exciting for fans”

Lawrence Stroll, executive chairman of Aston Martin

Racing isn’t just important for the motorsport industry, either. Behind the scenes, race cars receive some of the newest technology and features that make our modern day sports cars perform to their truest potential. As the engineers gear up to produce world-class race cars that can compete and hopefully win, that technology may eventually transfer to their production sports cars, which means great things are ahead for the future of street-legal cars.

The deep-rooted heritage of the brand is what makes the brand so notable and impressive, and their re-entry back into Formula 1 means not only that the legacy will continue, but the advances made will reflect in their production cars with time.