Aston's hommage to the DBR1
Just 88 examples of the Aston Martin V12 Speedster will be available to buyers worldwide. 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 celebration of Aston Martin’s century of sports car excellence – reflecting the sporting heritage and 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, Carroll 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.
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.
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.
Photos © Aston Martin