When we last spoke of Aston Martin's Rapide sedan, we noted that production of the luxurious Lagonda successor had a fair chance of being outsourced to an outside company. Apparently, that rumbling is true, as Autocar sat down with Aston's CEO, Ulrich Bez, who spoke as to where and why the car may not be built by Aston-proper.

First and foremost, there's the issue of capacity. The new Gaydon factory is already close to maximum capacity, with around 7200 cars expected to roll off the line in 2008. The upcoming start of DBS production in 2009 won't help the situation; Aston expects their production figure to jump by 5 percent, and has already hired more employees to meet demands.

(Click through for more on why Aston may outsource the Rapide)

The famed Newport Pagnell factory, abandoned this year in favor of the Gaydon facility, may cry out from the heartstrings of Aston lovers around the globe, but Bez claims production there wouldn't be feasible - claiming the facilities "were very old and not adequate and the site was not big enough."

But why not a new factory in the United Kingdom? That too was considered, but it could have cost up to £100 million and possibly would have delayed the Rapide's launch until 2010.

Therefore, Bez says the company is seriously looking at a host of suppliers that are capable of low-volume production. Names dropped to Autocar included Karmann, Magna Steyr and Pininfarina - all of which have their manufacturing bases outside of England.

Bez claims development of the Rapide is "progressing well," with recent work focusing on increasing room in the rear seat. As it's been a while since the company sold sedans, Bez is unsure of how many Rapides will be sold annually, but knows the car will be a luxury sedan - "not a four-seat limo."

+ Autocar: "Rapide likely to go abroad," says Aston