Aston Martin V12 Speedster production confirmed
88 examples of the DBR1-inspired roadster will be made, each priced at an anticipated £800k
Four months after its buyers were provided with a rumoured private showing, Aston Martin has confirmed that it is producing a run of V12 Speedsters in homage to its iconic DBR1 Le Mans winner. The upcoming open-top model, illustrated only by a sketch, is set to cost around £800k and be limited to just 88 examples – making it almost half the price and four times as rare as McLaren’s recently revealedElva.
The two-seater, which also takes inspiration from the 2013 CC100 concept Aston produced to celebrate its centenary, will be powered by the company’s 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12, sending 700hp and 516lb ft of torque to the rear wheels. That gives the Speedster 61hp more than the DB11 AMR delivered alongside identical twist, all transmitted through an ZF eight-speed automatic, as there’s no mention of a three-pedal version. Boo.
While the other recently announced open-top supercar, the Elva, is honed to provide outright performance and lightness, the Speedster looks more intent on providing character by the bucketload. The engine’s vocals are said to be tuned to suit an “invigorating driving experience”, while the exterior lines suggest a sleeker take on the current Aston silhouette, with no mention of an Elva-aping active air management system. Of all the high-powered hair dryers out there, we suspect this will have much in common with Ferrari’s V12-engined Monza SP2 - the car which arguably kicked off this extremely exclusive niche.
Although Aston has withheld further technical details for now, it’s expected that the Speedster’s underpinnings will be technically similar to the DB11 for V12-related reasons. Indeed, Aston said in its announcement that the car’s “forward-looking features are shaped from the same advanced materials and expert engineering used throughout Aston Martin’s contemporary sports car range”. So it’s fair to assume the firm’s aluminium architecture is under the car’s skin, presumably with much the same strengthening that was deployed in the V8-only DB11 Volante.
“The V12 Speedster we’re proud to confirm today once again showcases not only this great British brand’s ambition and ingenuity, but also celebrates our rich and unrivalled heritage,” said Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer. “The 88 enthusiast drivers and collectors who secure the keys to these cars can be confident that in doing so, they are also securing an iconic new piece of Aston Martin history.”
For everyone else, we’ll have to make do with the sketch until the car is finally revealed to the public, possibly at the Geneva motor show in March. If you have the appropriate bank balance to secure a build slot, however, orders are being taken now, so we'd imagine you'll be treated to a sneak peak under the cover. Either way, Aston expects the first finished customer cars to be delivered at the start of 2021.
I do hope the DBX reverses the fortunes at AM, I really (I fear they're too late though). This looks like a blatant cash grab exercise and I can't blame them.
If they're selling less than RR (and they just had a record breaking year at over 5k units sold) and the DB 11 isn't exactly flying out of the showroom it looks pretty bleak.
Fingers crossed they'll get the investment to bring a small coupe to market and go for the volume sales.
I do hope the DBX reverses the fortunes at AM, I really (I fear they're too late though). This looks like a blatant cash grab exercise and I can't blame them.
If they're selling less than RR (and they just had a record breaking year at over 5k units sold) and the DB 11 isn't exactly flying out of the showroom it looks pretty bleak.
Fingers crossed they'll get the investment to bring a small coupe to market and go for the volume sales.
Some people on here need to go out into the big wide world or even read a newspaper or two and understand a little more of how such global businesses tick.
I'm pleased to see AML are chasing this sector, sparked by the success of the SP2.
There is trouble at mill...
There is trouble at mill...
DBX was an outstanding milestone, but instead of acknowledging that a very small company had developed a bespoke chassis platform (when its rivals use VAG's parts bin), with what looks like a peach of a car, when the UK car industry is facing dire times, it was just called "too late to the party". The investment required to make that possible, was large - and the benefits wont be reaped for some years. As a prestige performance car firm, to not offer an SUV at this moment in time is short sighted. Aston would have developed it sooner had it been able to, and had it had the vision to do so (something AP brought, because the management prior to that were happy to rest on their laurels and assume customers would continue to buy increasingly outdated products on old underpinnings).
The obsession with the share price often leads to every single announcement of a new model being termed "desperation". My opinion, as a customer, who's had a few visits to the factory, spoken to the workers on the assembly line, who are proud of the work they do and the company they work for, and had the benefit of experiencing everything in the current model range - there should be be more discussion of the good things surrounding the company, because the cars they make are outstanding, customers are treated well, the factory is in tune with the dealers, and the company continues to develop new cars when the UK car making industry faces an uncertain future.
I appreciate that they're navigating through some difficult waters, but when they're trying to grow the company and offer a more diverse range of products, to do that in the current economic climate, where performance car sales appear to be reducing across all makes (in particular, non-essential cars like supercars), and the UK's own manufacturing situation and future appears somewhat foggy - the challenge was always going to be difficult, and financially very costly.
The V12 Speedster - why not? McLaren has the Elva, Ferrari has a couple of 812 based offerings. Few complained about other car makers making small number specials with no windscreen, but for some reason when Aston Martin does it, it's deemed "desperate".
I cant ever seeing any of these type of cars actually being driven, and at that point whats the use in it being lighter than the standard car?
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