Remember the sleek, sensual but dynamic Bond car in the 007 movies?

That very British car, Aston Martin, has officially landed in Seoul on Friday, and is expected to fuel the domestic supercar market that is growing at a rapid pace.

“I am very convinced that Aston Martin has offered the right thing in Korea, as people love special and emotional products as also design. And that is what Aston Martin is all about,” said Ulrich Bez, chairman of Aston Martin, at the launching event held inside the British Embassy in Seoul. 

“It is very personal, very balanced and enjoyable for everyone, not just racers but also those who enjoy smooth driving. Because Aston Martin cars are very balanced,” he said.

A total of 11 models, including the state-of-the-art DB9 as well as Rapide S and Vanquish, which are priced well above 200 million won ($179,616) a unit, will be available in South Korea, the third Asian market for the supercar maker following Japan and Indonesia.

Among them, Rapide S is expected to draw female motor enthusiasts eyeing unique and fashionable supercars. A company insider said Aston Martin has already received orders before the launch.

Kiheung International, the official dealer of Aston Martin here, will open a service center and showroom in the affluent neighborhood of Banpo-dong in southern Seoul next month. “We will focus on delivering the British luxury atmosphere rather than simply selling a car. We will make sure that from the sales to aftersales service, everything will be perfect,” Lee Kei-woong, CEO of Kiheung International, said.

The arrival of Aston Martin comes at a time when South Korea has emerged as the hotbed for global supercars, conventionally referring to vehicles priced over 150 million won.

According to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association, a total of 5,616 units of super cars were sold in 2014, nearly double that of 2,923 sold in 2013.

FMK, the official dealer of Italian supercars Ferrari and Maserati earlier this year unveiled that Maserati sold 723 vehicles in 2014, a 469 percent jump from the previous year. More than 100 Ferraris were sold, too, which is considered as “phenomenal,” according to market insiders.

At the same time Bentley sold 322 units, up 96.3 percent from a year before, while Rolls-Royce sold 45, about 50 percent more than 2013.

The newcomer Aston Martin also made it clear that it will sell as many cars as possible, though the company is famous for its exclusivity. Due to 200-hours of manufacturing time and other services, Aston Martin sold only 70,000 units since the company’s establishment in 1913.

“I see steady growth. Because when we offer the service through a dealer partner, we will grow our customer base here that will multiply every year. … We are going to sell as many cars as possible, that is what any manufacturer would say, but we will do it the right way,” said Patrick Nilsson, Asia Pacific regional director of Aston Martin.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)