Aston Martin One 77: Exclusive Performance

Motoring Channel Staff - 4/March/2009

Geneva, Switzerland – It's been leaked and previewed but now, finally, we get the first official look at Aston Martin's magnum opus, the One 77.

You've probably read the previews and seen the images of this $2.6 million (£1.05 million) rarity, so now the time is right for the performance data, surely?

Well, Aston Martin is still testing the new model's performance so there's no concrete data.

But feast your eyes on this excerpt from the AM media statement:

With a projected weight of 1,500kg the One-77 will occupy the very highest echelons of road car performance. Top speed is confidently predicted to be in excess of 200mph, with a 0-60mph time in approximately 3.5sec. 

Perhaps more importantly, thanks to the purity of a front-engined, rear-drive layout, the responsiveness and immense tractability of a naturally aspirated V12 and the low mass, high-rigidity properties of a carbon fibre chassis, the One-77 promises a driving experience of unrivalled intensity and excitement while representing the world's most desirable automotive art form.

Any super car fan will know that having a light weight is the key to reaching the highest levels of performance, but having a monstrous engine also helps.

We know that the car has a 7.3-litre V12 but what we don't know is how much power and torque it develops. Rumour suggests that peak power is around 700hp or around 520 kilowatts of power.

Though not official, these performance specs will give you idea of what to expect from Aston Martin's most exclusive and powerful luxury sports car to date:

Power: 520kW @ 7600rpm
Torque: 710Nm @ 5000rpm
Top Speed: 330km/h (205mph)
0-100km/h: 3.6 seconds

The new 7.3-litre V12 engine originally started life as a 6.0-litre V12, the same unit used on the Aston Martin DB9 and DBS models.

Engine builder Cosworth then increased the bore and stroke of the engine to reach the 7.3-litre displacement, at the same time reducing the engine's weight by 25%. A 6-speed robotised sequential manual gearbox will shift the gears in the Aston Martin One-77. 

The man in charge of the One-77 project, Chris Porritt, explains: "Our brief to the engine team was for them to take the 6.0-litre V12 as far as it could go, both in terms of output and weight reduction. 

"The targets were a power output of no less than 700bhp with a 10 per cent reduction in engine mass. Incredibly, the Aston Martin and Cosworth engineers achieved a mass reduction of some 25 per cent, and although we've yet to complete the final engine calibration work, I'm confident we'll see in excess of 700bhp," says Porritt.

The British sports car maker says the One-77 epitomises everything that makes Aston Martin what it is, from the high technology solutions to the high levels of craftsmanship, such as the hand-rolled aluminium panels.

Aston Martin's Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez, spoke at the Geneva Auto Salon unveiling: "Right from the very beginning of the project the vision for One-77 was very simple: It had to combine high-technology with hand-built craftsmanship, and demonstrate the unique capabilities and passion of our designers, engineers and technical partners.

"Quite simply it had to be the ultimate expression of Aston Martin. As you can now see, we have achieved that goal in magnificent style," said Bez.

The One-77's frame is a lightweight, immensely rigid and ridiculously expensive carbon fibre monocoque. 

The Aston Martin's shock absorbers are also cutting edge technology: fully adjustable and feature advanced Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) technology it claims is a world-first for a road car application. These special valves are state-of-the-art even at the highest levels of motorsport, and use high-precision machined components to enable the shock-absorbing characteristics of the damper to be changed without having to remove them from the car, as is the norm.

Other chassis features include Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres, in 255/35 ZR20 and 335/30 ZR20 aspect ratios at the front and rear respectively. Aston Martin says these tyres were developed specifically for the One-77, to handle the 500kW+ of power slamming into the rear wheels.

Lightweight carbon ceramic matrix brake technology not only sounds cool, but should be very effective at decelerating the Aston Martin One-77, time after time on the road and the race track. 

And get this: the internals of the calipers have been re-engineered to transmit less heat from the brake pads into the brake fluid, while the discs themselves have been developed to ensure the maximum possible contact area between the face of the disc and the brake pads for improved stopping power. 

If you've got a spare $3 million dollars, you may be able to still purchase one of the limited edition Aston Martins, of which only 77 will be built. It is expected to be delivered to customers late in the year.

Related Links:
- Aston Martin V12 Vantage (2010)
- Aston Martin One-77: Leaked (2009)
- Aston Martin One-77 (2009)
- Aston Martin V8 Vantage (2009)
- Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS (2008)
- Aston Martin DBS (2008)
- Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster (2007)
- Aston Martin V8 Vantage (2005)
- Aston Martin DB7 Zagato (2003)