OK, so let's say your EuroMillions ticket came up trumps, and you've ordered yourself one of Aston Martin's new windscreen-less V12 Speedsters, but you're thinking; 'I'd like mine to be that little bit more special than the other 87 examples that will be made.'
1959 Le Mans winner
Aston Martin has just the thing, thanks to the just-announced DBR1 specification package. Named after Aston Martin's legendary 1959 Le Mans and World Sports Car Championship winning DBR1 race car (as driven by such legends as Carroll Shelby and Stirling Moss), the new pack adds a layer of extra customisation to what's already a pretty special car.
That original DBR1 was the most successful sports-racer produced by Aston in its 'DB' David Brown era, not only winning at Le Mans, but also at the Nürburgring, and famously at the Goodwood TT after a pit-stop fire. It was styled in-house by an incredibly talented designer, Frank Feeley and, working alongside Chief Racing Designer, Ted Cutting, represents what is unquestionably his finest hour - indeed, as Aston says: "the shape of the DBR1 remains one of the most beautiful and graceful of all time."
50 hours in the paint shop
So, to help celebrate that legendary racer, the V12 Speedster is getting a gorgeous Aston Martin Racing Green paint job, with a 'Clubsport White' pinstripe and racing roundels. There's also a Satin Silver grille, with a delicate little 'lipstick' finish to the edge. Inside, you'll find Conker Saddle leather and Viridian Green technical textile mixed with Caithness leather. There's plenty of glossy carbon fibre and satin-silver finished aluminium too.
The driver and passenger get their own racing helmets, coloured Aston Martin Racing Green to match the bodywork, while there are silver Aston badges that really are solid silver, covered with a thin coating of enamel.
The wheels, 21 inches in diameter, are finished in satin black diamond, and get centre-locking nuts. To get all these special finishes right, each V12 Speedster will spend more than 50 hours in Aston's paint facility.
Outlining the rationale behind this V12 Speedster DBR1 tribute specification, Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman, said: "Emotion and exclusivity are at the heart of this car. A rare and exceptional Aston Martin, it has been engineered to offer a visceral driving experience that belies its elegant, artistic shape. Creating a bespoke specification that nods to the glory of the DBR1 has been a huge privilege for my team and I, and I very much look forward to seeing these cars being driven with the same enthusiasm that we have applied to their design."
700hp turbo V12
The heart of the Speedster is, of course, its mighty 5.2-litre V12 twin-turbo engine, taken from the DB11 and DBS Superleggera. In Speedster spec it gets 700hp and 753Nm of torque, with a 0-100km/h time of 3.5 seconds and a top speed of more than 319km/h.
Orders are being taken now (again, EuroMillions territory) and the first cars will be produced in the summer.