Gaydon’s roofless, windscreenless V12 Speedster, which was supposed to be outed at this year’s cancelled Geneva Motor Show, is the product of the company’s ‘Q by Aston Martin’ bespoke division and will be priced from 765,000 Pounds Sterling or $1,518,400 Australian dollars. As mentioned only 88 specimens will be manufactured. Best get on it.
Lately, the ultra-rare, ultra-expensive supercar/hypercar scene has been getting really busy. There is an entire crop of them out there and Aston’s creation here is right up there with the rest of them such as the Ferrari Monza SP2 and Bentley Bacalar.
Gaydon says their McLaren Elva rival was designed to deliver the “most visceral driver’s car that draws inspiration from both the brand’s rich racing history and aeronautical design”, says the brand.
The Aston V12 Speedster was conceived a little over a year ago, and in that time, it has gone from the drawing board to the floor of the production line. An incredible time line that’s almost unheard of in the car industry. But it does demonstrate the skill and thought process of the ‘Q by Aston Martin’ and the Aston Martin Design division.
The V12 is constructed on a unique chassis that is made up of bonded aluminium while utilising elements from the DBS Superleggera and Vantage models. The V12 gets independent double wishbones up front, and multi-link rear suspension with coil springs and adaptive damping with multi-mode select. The Speedster rides on a set of centre-locking 21-inch alloy wheels, and is stopped by a pair of 410mm carbon ceramic rotors up front and a 360mm pair out back.
The interior pushed new bounds, the company says. A mix of traditional and modern materials are used throughout the interior. The structural satin carbon fibre provides contracts against the hand-stitched saddle leather, chrome, aluminium and even the 3D printed rubber. The interior doesn’t even get a glove box but rather a removable leather bag. Additional storage can be found under both the rear humps as well.
The supersonic engine under the bonnet may not match up to the F/A-18’s grunt but it certainly packs a punch. The open-air Aston is powered by the marque’s scintillating 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 engine. The all alloy front mid-mounted quad-cam 48-valve motor puts out 521kW of power and 753Nm of twisting force to the rear wheels via an 8-speed ZF-sourced torque converter with a limited slip differential.
The twelve-cylinder engine under the bonnet can fling the V12 to 100 km/h from standstill in just 3.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 300 km/h. Bear in mind those ridiculous numbers are quoted for a car without a roof or windscreen.
“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” said Matt Becker, Aston Martin Chief Engineer.
The specimen you see here is made to mimic the livery of the legendary F/A-18 fighter jet and is finished off in what Aston Martin calls Skyfall Silver.
The order books for this striking lump of unobtanium are currently open, and priced from 765,000 Pounds Sterling inc VAT or $1,518,400 Australian dollars. Deliveries are slated for the first quarter of 2021.
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