Aston Martin presented a One-77 technical showcase at the Geneva show in the form of ‘Chassis no.1’. The One-77 is designed to be the ultimate Aston, epitomising everything that the carmaker stands for today, from hand rolled aluminium body panels to the latest technology.
Aston Martin’s Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez, said that revealing the One-77’s secrets is a proud moment.
‘Right from the very beginning of the project the vision for One-77 was very simple: It had to combine high-technology with hand-built craftsmanship, and demonstrate the unique capabilities and passion of our designers, engineers and technical partners.
‘Quite simply it had to be the ultimate expression of Aston Martin. As you can now see, we have achieved that goal in magnificent style.’
Chris Porritt, One-77 Programme Manager added: ‘We wanted to create something that wows you as much when you see what’s under the skin as the exterior styling itself. We started by identifying the most technologically exciting front-engined, rear-wheel drive cars in the world: those from the DTM race series. We then applied the principles and technology that feature heavily in their design and translated it to a road car application.’
At the heart of the One-77 is a lightweight rigid carbon fibre monocoque, which was designed at Aston Martin’s Gaydon HQ and built in partnership with Multimatic (MTC). There are double wishbones at each corner and inboard suspension front and rear, with pushrods employed to transfer vertical suspension movements to the horizontally mounted spring/damper units.
The dampers are fully adjustable and feature advanced Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) technology, which Aston claims is a world-first for a road car application.
The One-77 is designed to offer a bespoke driving experience and once delivered to its owner the car’s suspension characteristics will be precisely set-up by Aston Martin engineers to suit their exact requirements. This can be anything from a long-distance GT to effectively a track car.
The One-77 will be powered by an evolution of the 6.0-litre V12 engines fitted to the DBS, DB9 and new V12 Vantage models. Aston has collaborated with Cosworth to develop the engine. Top speed is predicted to be in excess of 200mph, with a 0-60mph time in approximately 3.5sec.
Not content with showing off the One-77 Aston also had the new V12 Vantage and the DBS Volante on its stand. Production of the Vantage V12 will be limited to 300-500 cars per year and deliveries are expected to start in autumn.
Although the V12 engine weighs 100kg more than the standard car’s engine thanks to the use of lighter materials the weight gain is kept to a minimum. The DBS drop-top features a motorised fabric roof which disappears behind a new tonneau cover at the touch of a button.