Aston One-77 cracks 220mph

£1.2m supercar is Aston's fastest yet - with more to come?

Aston Martin says its £1.2m One-77 supercar has moved closer to setting a new all-time record for the British marque in initial high speed testing, after surpassing all predictions and comfortably breaking the 200mph mark.

The One-77 is currently undergoing development ahead of its planned launch in 2010 with high speed testing taking place at an industry proving ground in southern Europe.

In a series of test runs completed last week, Aston says the One-77 exceeded original expectations and recorded a 220.007mph (354.86kmh) top speed in dry but windy conditions. Dynamic testing is now scheduled to continue into the New Year.

Powered by a new 7.3 litre V12 engine, the One-77 looks to be living up to its aim of delivering breathtaking power and performance for a lucky few buyers, with new pictures released today from the test track showing the dramatically styled two-door in action.

According to the company, the One-77 is the ultimate expression of what Aston Martin stands for and will combine modern technology and design with craftsmanship and ultimate exclusivity to create the world's most desirable automotive art form.