The era of epic supercars is certainly not over at Aston Martin, with the release today of an official teaser for a new flagship model that’s set to enter production in an extremely exclusive run of just 77 cars. Talk of a new Aston supercar dates back more than a year, with the first official hint coming as far back as March 2007 when the carmaker’s CEO, Dr. Ulrich Bez, threw up the name ‘DBX.’
Speaking at a press conference following the sale of the British Marque to a group of Kuwaiti investors and David Richards (the CEO of motorsports company Prodrive), Bez explained that Aston Martin needed to expand beyond its current model offering if it hoped to grow. While the limited nature of the latest supercar will hardly add to Aston’s sales tally, the interest and excitement behind the car will certainly help boost Aston’s image and profile in new markets as it continues to expand.
Bespoke V12 engine and advanced carbon-fiber chassis
The upcoming car’s internal project name, ‘One-77,’ is not only a reference to its limited production run of just 77 cars. It also signifies the 7.0-litre displacement for its V12 engine and the expected 700hp output (522kW). Such power levels should bestow the One-77 with the title of being the fastest production Aston in history, with early estimates putting the 0-100km sprint at just 3.5 seconds and a top speed in excess of 320km/h.
Apart from the engine’s displacement, the only other pieces of official information are that the car will feature a sophisticated carbon-fiber chassis and a handcrafted aluminium body. This chassis is expected to be a heavily modified version of the current vertical horizontal (VH) platform that underpins the current Vantage and DB9/DBS models. A front-engine and rear-wheel-drive layout will remain.
The latest teaser shows a distinctly Aston Martin design, but with an added aggressiveness that even the company's racing models lack. Side strakes and character lines on the hood plus an indentation above the rear fenders combine to give it a decidedly fast look, even while standing still.
Latest supercar is one of several new models at Aston
With the financial backing of its new owners and the shackles of cash-strapped Ford now well and truly behind it, Aston Martin is now undertaking the biggest model roll-out in the marque’s history.
Late next year will see the introduction of the new Rapide, a svelte saloon with coupe-styling and both V8 and V12 engines expected, and this is to be followed up by a new V12-powered version of the entry-level Vantage V8.
source:carcentral
