The Aston Martin V12 Speedster DBR1 is a tribute to the original.
When it comes to open cockpit racing, few brands have such a rich history to draw from than Aston Martin. Back in the late 1950s, the brand had one of the most successful racing machines of the sorts in the DBR1. It triumphed in the 1959 staging of the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as at the 1,000km of Nürburgring (which it later won in 1957 and 1958).
Now the company is looking to pay tribute to that legendary vehicle with an interesting specification of its V12 Speedster.
The Aston Martin V12 Speedster DBR1 Specification will be extremely limited. It gets the same AE31 engine, a 5.2-litre V12 Twin-Turbo with 700PS and 753 Nm of torque. This in-house engine is paired to an 8-speed ZF-sourced transmission.
What’s truly special about the DBR1 Specification is the cosmetic details. Similar to the Le Mans-winning car, the V12 Speedster DBR1 is finished in Aston Martin Racing Green finish with a pinstripe and its roundels finished in Clubsport White. The grille is finished in Satin Silver and there’s a Clubsport lipstick graphic. Inside, you’ll find Concker saddle leather and Viridian Green textile/Caithness leather. These are all nostalgia-inducing colours and materials, except for the very modern application of gloss carbon fibre.
Aston Martin are also throwing in helmets for driver and passenger helmets which are finished in the same shade of green as the car. Stepping back outside, the Aston Martin V12 Speedster DBR1 Specification gets satin black, diamond-turned 21″ centre-lock wheels which takes more than 50 hours to paint.
Order books are now open for this limited-edition vehicle. They will each be hand-built at Gaydon and ready for customers by the middle of this year.
Here’s the press release with more.
PRESS RELEASE
Aston Martin is revealing today more details of its forthcoming V12 Speedster – the open cockpit celebration of the British luxury sports car brand’s proud past and exciting future.
Just 88 examples of the Aston Martin V12 Speedster are available to buyers worldwide and today the brand is unveiling details of a custom specification that is certain to underscore the cars’ instant collector’s item status.
The new car aligns gracefully with a heritage that features not only the exceptional DBR1, but also the breathtaking CC100 which was unveiled in 2013 as a stunning celebration of Aston Martin’s century of sports car excellence – reflecting the sporting heritage and exceptional design capability woven throughout well over 100 years of Aston Martin history.
The DBR1 is, to date, the most successful racing machine constructed by Aston Martin, having triumphed in the 1959 staging of both the 24 hours of Le Mans and the 1,000 km of Nürburgring, also winning the latter in 1957 and 1958.
After its debut in 1956 the DBR1 recorded a string of famous victories, including at the Spa Sportscar Race (1957, Tony Brooks); the Goodwood Tourist Trophy (1958, Sir Stirling Moss, Tony Brookes; 1959, Sir Stirling Moss, Carrol Shelby, Jack Fairman); and the 1000 Km at the Nurburgring (1959, Sir Stirling Moss and Jack Fairman) in the same year as that famous Le Mans triumph which culminated in Aston Martin taking the World Sportscar Championship.
Although a car made for competitive racing, the DBR1 was also a precursor for some of the marque’s most well-known heritage ‘DB’ road cars. It was styled in-house by a highly talented designer, Frank Feeley, and, working alongside Chief Racing Designer Ted Cutting, represents what is unquestionably his ‘finest hour’ – indeed the shape of the DBR1 remains one of the most beautiful and graceful of all time.
At the car’s heart from 1958 onwards lay a 2,992 cc straight six engine mated to a David Brown five-speed gearbox. It was capable of powering this c. 800 kg sports car to an estimated top speed in excess of 150 mph.
Produced as a pure racing model – not directly derived from a road car – just five examples of DBR1 were built: four used to such commanding effect by the Aston Martin Works’ team, and a single car for private use.
With such a rich and important history it’s no surprise, then, that the brand should choose to create a dedicated optional DBR1 specification for it’s new V12 Speedster.
Featuring cleverly integrated custom elements reminiscent of the Le Mans winning race car, the Aston Martin V12 Speedster DBR1 specification offers highlights such as the iconic Aston Martin Racing Green paint finish, Clubsport White pinstripe and roundels, a Satin Silver anodised grille with Clubsport lipstick graphic, Conker saddle leather and Viridian Green technical textile/Caithness leather. All these features hint at the period attributes that made DBR1 the undisputed icon it remains today.
Unique Aston Martin Racing Green driver and passenger helmets sit under transparent ‘windows’, while solid silver ‘wings’ badges glint beneath transparent enamel. The finely judged application of gloss carbon fibre, Caithness Green leather and satin silver brushed aluminium switchgear in the V12 Speedster’s open cabin underline the tasteful homage to a true motoring great.
Satin black diamond turned 21-inch centre lock wheels are a feature of this specialist specification, which each Aston Martin V12 Speedster spending more than 50 hours in the painting process alone at the brand’s advanced paint facility.
At the new car’s heart lies a high-performance variant of Aston Martin’s now iconic, 5.2-litre V12 Twin-Turbo engine, capable of generating an output of around 700 PS and 753 Nm. Offering a compelling breadth of performance, superb response and thrilling V12 soundtrack, the engine is mated to a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission mounted towards the rear of the car.
This translates into a 0-62 mph time in the order of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 198 mph – no mean feat in a car devoid of roof or windscreen.
Orders are now being taken for the DBR1 custom V12 Speedsters, each being hand built at the company’s Gaydon headquarters, with deliveries expected to begin in mid 2021.
