Aston Martin reveals V12 speedster

By: Unique Cars magazine

Date: 04.06.2021

A mere 88 buyers will experience wind in the hair motoring with the limited-edition open-cockpit Aston Martin V12 DBR1 Speedster that pays homage to the 1959 Le Mans winning original driven by Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori.

The 88 carbon bodied, A$1.23 million Speedsters are to be hand-built at Aston Martin’s Gaydon manufacturing facility, alongside the other DB coupes and roadsters.

With the tiny production run guaranteeing collector status The modern day DBR1 Speedsters has captured many of the feature elements of the 1959 Le Mans winning car, including the signature racing green finish with each car spending over 50 hours in the painting process.

There’s also white pinstripes and roundels, satin black 21-inch centre lock wheels, a silver anodised grille, satin silver brushed aluminium switchgear, Forest Green Caithness leather seats with Viridian Green textile inserts and other details hand-made from Conker saddle leather in the V12 Speedster’s open cabin.

A zero to 100km/h time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 318km/h is courtesy of a high-performance version of Aston Martin’s iconic, 5.2-litre V12 Twin-Turbo engine that generates a substantial 514kW and 753 Nm and is coupled to a ZF 8-speed auto gearbox mounted towards the rear of the car.

Outlining the DBR1 V12 Speedster tribute specification, Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman said: "Emotion and exclusivity are at the heart of this car. A rare and exceptional Aston Martin, It has been engineered to offer a visceral driving experience that belies its elegant, artistic shape.

"Creating a bespoke specification that nods to the glory of the DBR1 has been a huge privilege for my team and I, and I very much look forward to seeing these cars being driven with the same enthusiasm that we have applied to their design."

After the DBR1s debut in 1956 and a string of victories including at the 1957 Spa sportscar race, back-to-back Goodwood Tourist Trophy wins, the 1959 Nürburgring 1000 and Le Mans triumph, Aston Martin claimed the World Sportscar Championship and became the most successful racing machine built by Aston Martin. The original DBR1, of which just five were made, was also the foundation for some of the marque’s best remembered ‘DB' road cars.

From Unique Cars #453, May 2021

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