[Carmagazine]
Aston Martin is building an all-new, super-exclusive coupe codenamed the One-77. If you think fifteen-bar is the right price for handcrafted aluminium bodywork, a 7,0-litre V12 and other bespoke features, read on…
The car’s ‘One-77’ nomenclature is born of the 77 units set for production and Aston CEO Ulrich Bez’s belief in ‘the lucky number-7’. Underpinned by an all new carbon-fibre chassis and sporting handcrafted aluminium bodywork, the One-77 has been described by Aston chairman David Richards as “…a very special car for customers who want to take the bespoke experience to a higher level. Every car will be entirely individual.”
How individual, you ask? Well, Aston Martin will involve One-77 customers in every stage of their car’s development. This means owners can specify between a choice of dinky rear seats, extra luggage space or a combination of the two. Likewise, paint and other trim options will be entirely at the customer’s behest.
Although the One-77 is instantly recognizable as an Aston Martin, it plays host to a smattering of a new design elements that could hint at the company’s future offerings. The nose looks somewhat shorter than that of Aston’s usual offerings, but will wear the company’s traditional grille, while the vented bonnet and heavily sculpted sides not only make the car look more purposeful, but will also help dissipate heat from the car’s V12 engine.
The One-77 will be powered by a revised version of the company’s 6,0-litre V12, which has been bored out to a 7,0-litre capacity. Power outputs and transmission options are still to be confirmed, but there is talk of the revised engine developing between 447-485 kW and nearly 680 N.m of twist.
Combine this power with a projected kerb weight of less than 1 800 kg and you have the potential for supercar-troubling 0-100 km/h time of less than 4,0-seconds and a top speed of more than 350 km/h.The One-77 is expected to go on sale in Europe from late 2009 and wear a price tag of £1 million (roughly R15 million).