The striking new Aston Martin DBR22 speedster is an ultra-exclusive and highly strung tribute to the firm's legendary 1950s race cars, built to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the company’s bespoke division, Q by Aston Martin.
The DBR22 design concept, which made its public debut at Monterey Car Week in California, is the latest in a line of radical, low-volume V12 creations out of Gaydon’s Q branch, following the likes of the Vulcan, Vantage V600 and one-off Victor.
Over the past decade, Q has evolved into an integral part of Aston’s operations, handling not just the launch of high-margin halo cars such as these but also add-ons for standard Aston models through Q Collection and enhanced personalisation opportunities through Q Commission.
Aston has called the DBR22 “a perfect celebration” of the division’s potential, in that it blends traditional coachbuilding practices with “cutting-edge” manufacturing technology in a package that is at once one of Aston’s most powerful cars and one of its rarest.
It’s understood that the firm will build 10 examples of the final production car (one for each year since Q was formed), priced at around £1.5 million apiece.
As with other bespoke Q cars, the DBR22 is a radically different design proposition from Aston’s series-production cars, wearing a retro-inspired new look heavily influenced by the 1959 Le Mans-winning DBR1 and the earlier DB3S.
Defining features include the aerodynamics-boosting twin nacelles on the rear deck, a new-shape front grille with carbonfibre vanes, bespoke 14-spoke 22in centre-locking alloy wheels and a wraparound tail-light bar, all of which ensure this latest open-top two-seater is easily told apart from the closely related V12 Speedster that Aston launched last year.
Like that car, it’s powered by Aston’s twin-turbocharged 5.2-litre V12. In this application, the engine is tuned to make 705bhp and 555lb ft, which is sent to the rear axle via a uniquely calibrated eight-speed automatic gearbox, propelling the DBR22 from 0-62mph in 3.4sec and on to a top speed of 198mph.
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Just keep chucking money at it, Stroll... see what happens...
Stroll has talked about moving the brand to low volume and high value. Problem is they have about 1.3bn in debt (does that matter if it's £ or $?). Low volume will never clear that, or the interest they're paying. But Reichman has certainly helped them move to the low-volume segment! And that's the problem.
They need a design success that sells itself. I like what Frank Stephenson did at McLaren, but I think they need someone different from that. McLaren cars sell for thier F1 heritage and performance.
Aston needs to sack Reichman, and if that means getting someone like Pininfarina to design for them, they should pay them. They'd have a chance of survival if they did.
Although with the amount of debt that Stroll has built up, his and successive CEOs refusal to sack Reichman, Aston is probably now finished. I'm gutted, but that is the truth - Reichman has killed Aston.
Absolutely STUNNING. I'd give my right nut...
Reichmann shows yet again why he's The Man.