Aston Martin One-77: British Auto Erotica

By Jay Williams - 8/August/2008

Gaydon, England — The rumours that Aston Martin will replace McLaren as Mercedes/AMG's new performance partner are gaining momentum.

The surprise unveiling of this rare exotic car, the One-77, which is powered by a new 12-cylinder engine, adds weight to the rumours of an Aston-AMG tie-up and you don't have to use your imagination to see that elements of this new vehicle could be the inspiration for an upcoming Mercedes super car.

The newest supercar in the range will be a limited production vehicle with only 77 of these super cars to be made, hence the name.

The powerplant that awakes this beast is said to be a 7.0-litre V12, but Aston Martin is yet to disclose the amount of power the 77 will be kickin'.

Speculation around the water cooler say that the new 7.0-litre powerplant will be powerful enough to send the One-77 sailing from 0-100km/h in under four seconds, and as low as 3.6 seconds. 

Power levels could be higher than 500 kilowatts.

On its way to a top speed in excess of 320km/h, thanks to advanced aerodynamics, the word on the street is that the One-77 will be crafted out of aluminium, while its chassis will be made completely from carbon fibre. 

This would also explain its fast 0-100km/h acceleration time.

Aston Martin claims it will have the car completely finished by the end of this year, with sales starting in late 2009. 

The One-77 is expected to carry an eye-watering price tag of £1 million ($2.15 million), which is quite a price hike compared to the Aston Martin DBS which retails for $466,500 in Australia.

But having said that the price tag comes with an elite and privileged status because of the limited numbers. The price also catapults Aston Martin's daring One-77 into Bugatti Veyron and Ferrari Enzo supercar territory.

The One-77 maintains the Aston Martin style while giving it a newer and sleeker appearance; the accents on the side of the doors are reminiscent of an American muscle car and the vents on the bonnet give it that ready-for-business attitude.

Sleek lines and a low roof give the One-77 an almost exotic feel, and the rear end appears to stick closely to Aston's family DNA.

Huge wheels and low profile shoes top this bad boy off nicely, and could well and truly make Bugatti owners envious. 

Whether this model was the catalyst that sparked the rumoured talks between Mercedes AMG and Aston Martin is not known, but the niche British car maker is showing that it wants to compete at the top of the table.

We'll have more details and images on the new One-77 model when we get them, so check back often.

Related Links:
- Aston Martin V8 Vantange (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)