Aston Martin is building an all-new, super-exclusive coupe codenamed the One-77, the company has announced. The Aston Martin One-77 will launch in late 2009 with an eye-watering £1.2 million pricetag.
Super-affluent owners will be able to get involved with the design and development of the Aston Martin One-77 to an unprecedented extent. They will get access to the company’s top designers and engineers, will have cars minutely tailored to their own requirements, and will even be encouraged to take part in suspension development.
Aston chairman David Richards said: “It’s a very special car for customers who want to take the bespoke experience to a higher level. Every car will be entirely individual.”Sketchy details of the Aston Martin One-77 were revealed in enigmatic newspaper advertisements in the UK’s upmarket daily newspapers at the weekend. Aston says it has already identified the “500 or so” people likely to be attracted to a car like this, and will take demonstration cars to them, rather than requiring them to visit a showroom.
The One-77 project began at Aston’s Gaydon works, 15 months ago. The car, a front-engined coupe with hand-formed aluminium panels over an all-new carbon fibre monocoque chassis, appears to be a two-seater coupe, but such is the level of customer input that for some it could become a two-plus two or convertible.
The One-77’s engine, a re-engineered, 7.0-litre version of the current V12 rated at about 650bhp, should make it faster than any existing Aston and push top speed beyond 220mph.Aston Martin is anxious not to be seen as ‘doing a Veyron’. Aston CEO Ulrich Bez has said that he’s not planning to produce the world’s fastest supercar, but to present his new car as a direct expression of each owner’s true desires.
The Aston Martin One-77 will also be used by the marque to demonstrate new technology. The design takes the DB9/Vantage look well beyond current iterations and the carbonfibre chassis foreshadows a similar move for lesser Astons.
In the longer term, Aston is rumoured to be forging links with Mercedes Benz to use engines and running gear for its sports cars, and possibly Maybach platforms for a revived Lagonda line.The significance of the One-77 name, which won’t be used for production cars, is that Aston intends to build no more than 77 cars. The exact number is believed to have been chosen because of Bez’s belief in ‘lucky 7’. Car assembly is likely to be at Gaydon, though the V12 engine will come from Aston’s dedicated engine facility in Cologne.
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Re: Aston Martin One-77
Didn't know about the flirtation between AM and MB. But that would explain why this OTT creation looks like the lovechild of a Vanquish and SLR: weird proportions (squashed rear-end) and exaggerated bonnet + front-wing vents.
Re: Aston Martin One-77
I think to get stuck on the shape of the 911 is to not see it for what it really is. I'm no 911 fanboy, but instead of reinventing the wheel every ten years, I would put forward that Porsche has instead tweaked the model adinfinitum, improving as and when the technology allowed.
Not to tout another mag on the Autocar forum, but Evo had a very good piece last month comparing a 1965 911 to the latest and greatest. An interesting read, even for those who find the 911 simply a product the second-most arrogant carmaker on the planet.
Further, I would submit that Aston is (perhaps) following the same route with the DB9 and its derivitives. Yes, they all look generally the same, but under the skin, each is a clear advance on the other, in terms of the technical and driver involvement.
Re: Aston Martin One-77
Ticca,
Your strawman arugment is an exact replica of the car industry. Please do your research, before you make intelligent arguments; you can begin here...
http://www.goodcommonsense.net/29hypercar.html
The ultimate irony is that cars like Aston propose can be made mainstream now.
ignorance ain't cool, but at least its a place to start ones search.