This astonishing-looking car is the Aston Martin V12 Speedster, a highly limited edition roadster from the company that will be limited to just 88 examples worldwide.
A road-going F/A-18
Created by Aston Martin's bespoke customisation service, Q by Aston Martin, if you squint then it's clear the basis of the V12 Speedster is the current Vantage. But its carbon-fibre bodywork is obviously unique to this vehicle, while the example showcased by Aston Martin at the launch comes in a conceptual 'Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet' livery paying homage to the American fighter jet. This colourway will be available to order for customers, and it comprises Skyfall Silver paint with contrasting Satin Black on the exhaust tips, vent grilles and vanes. Inside, you'll get Satin Dark chrome, machined aluminium, black leather seats, black technical textile, black carpets and vivid red Aston Martin scripted door pulls, as well as little F/A-18 logos here and there.
Aston conceived the V12 Speedster a little more than a year ago and it has undergone an intensive development programme since then, allowing it to go from the drawing board to production reality in such a short space of time. It uses the company's latest bonded-aluminium architecture and takes further design hints from the DBS Superleggera.
'Invigorating aural signature'
The Aston Martin V12 Speedster uses independent double-wishbone front and multilink rear suspension, with coil springs and adaptive dampers that offer Sport, Sport+ and Track modes. The car sits on 21-inch forged centre-lock alloy wheels, while braking is handled by carbon-ceramic discs of 410mm diameter at the front and 360mm on the rear axle. Power comes from the all-alloy, quad-cam, 48-valve, 5.2-litre, twin-turbo V12 engine, which delivers 700hp and 753Nm in this application. It is front mid-mounted and mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission plus a limited-slip differential, all driving the rear wheels. Performance is rapid, with 0-100km/h taking just 3.5 seconds and the top speed limited to 300km/h, while the company claims it has given it an 'invigorating aural signature' courtesy of a bespoke stainless-steel exhaust system that exits centrally in the rear diffuser.
Aston says the interior 'pushes new boundaries' by offering a mix of traditional and modern materials. Structural satin carbon fibre sits alongside hand-crafted saddle leather, chrome, aluminium and even 3D-printed rubber. The sparse look of the cabin is deliberate, in an effort to visually and physically reduce mass, while in place of the glovebox there's a removable leather bag that sits in front of the passenger. Additional storage space for luggage is provided under the rear bumps of the bodywork. Oh, and you might want to wear a hat and some goggles if you're going to travel in the V12 Speedster, because you might have noticed it has no windshield at all at the front...
Low build numbers, high cost
Dr Andy Palmer, Aston Martin's president and CEO, said: "It makes me enormously proud to reveal Aston Martin's latest, most exciting special model today. The V12 Speedster is an incredible demonstration of the breadth of capability and determination from the 'Q by Aston Martin' team, who have worked tirelessly to create this stunning, two-seat sports car aimed at our most demanding and enthusiastic customers."
Miles Nurnberger, director of design for Aston Martin Lagonda, added: "With the V12 Speedster we do go back a step and look into our past for inspiration. Since the DB11 launch, everything has been focused and very forward looking. Here though, we find a different tempo. There's clear lineage from the 1959 Le Mans winning DBR1 to our Centenary celebratory CC100 Speedster Concept in 2013. There is also a bit of 1953 DB3S in the mid-section, so it really is our latest incarnation of the Speedster concept. It's also inspired by fighter jets as much as it is by our history, and it has been created to deliver an incredibly visceral experience, hence why it is a V12, rather than a V8. With the V12 Speedster we are amplifying all the emotional strings that we can to the absolute maximum."
And finally, Matt Becker, Aston Martin's chief engineer, also said: "For raw driving thrills, the V12 Speedster is unparalleled, the fully open element of the car adding a new dimension to the experience. It engages on every level, delivering a precise, involving driving experience, with agility and poise backed by abundant power from Aston Martin's twin-turbo 5.2-litre V12. Driving doesn't get any purer than this."
Orders are being taken now for the V12 Speedster. And the price? Oh, well, assuming the highest rates of VRT due to its engine, then it'll be somewhere around €1.41 million. Yikes! Deliveries will begin in the first quarter of 2021.