The Aston Martin V12 Speedster has made its global debut on last march, with just 88 examples of this essential limited-edition barchetta.
Created by luxury British marque’s bespoke customisation service ‘Q by Aston Martin’, the Aston Martin V12 Speedster is a truly visceral driver’s car that draws inspiration from both the brand’s rich racing history and aeronautical design.
Today’s example is showcased in a conceptual F/A-18 livery, also curated by the same artisans.
The V12 Speedster is Aston Martin’s latest, most exciting special model; an incredible demonstration of the breadth of capability and determination from the ‘Q by Aston Martin’ team, who have worked tirelessly to create this stunning, two-seat sports car.
Demonstrating the skills and meticulous planning of ‘Q by Aston Martin’ and Aston Martin Design, the V12 Speedster is a living show car, underlining the company’s commitment to deliver customers a stunning driver’s car, using the engineering ingenuity and advanced materials evident throughout the entire Aston Martin range.
Utilising Aston Martin’s latest bonded aluminium architecture, the V12 Speedster takes elements from both the DBS Superleggera and Vantage, to create a unique platform.
Over the V12 Speedster’s unique chassis is a bespoke body constructed almost entirely from carbon fibre.
With the V12 Speedster Aston Martin Lagonda goes back a step and look into past for inspiration.
Every detail has been focused looking to a lineage from the 1959 Le Mans winning DBR1 to Centenary celebratory CC100 Speedster Concept in 2013.
The V12 Speedster is the latest incarnation of the Speedster concept.
It’s also inspired by fighter jet planes, and it has been created to deliver an incredibly visceral experience, amplifying all the emotional strings to the absolute maximum.
No roof or screen, a big engine, low, with broad shoulders and exaggerated and emotional styling with twin humps and the spine separating the driver and passenger.
The light, low, rear end contrasts with the bold, enlarged grille, unique headlights and bonnet nostril at the front, that creates an iconic looking vent.
The interior specification pushes new boundaries, using a mix of traditional and modern materials. Structural satin carbon fibre, contrasts with traditional hand-crafted Saddle Leather, chrome, aluminium and even 3D printed rubber.
Visually and physically the interior reduces mass, for a leaner, efficient style, but one that retains all the emotion and craftsmanship Aston Martins are renowned for.
In front of the passenger is a removable leather bag in place of a traditional glove box, while there’s additional storage space under the rear bumps for luggage.
Born from an exciting new collaboration with Boeing and created by the brand’s bespoke customisation service ‘Q by Aston Martin’, this striking livery takes the legendary fighter jet for inspiration and is finished in Skyfall Silver, with contrasting satin black on the exhaust tips, vent grilles and vanes.
The dark theme is carried through to the interior, with satin dark chrome, machined aluminium, black leather, black technical textile, black carpets and vivid red Aston Martin scripted door pulls, creating a purposeful look for this conceptual styling.
Powering the V12 Speedster is Aston Martin’s scintillating 5.2-litre, Twin-Turbo V12 engine, the V12 Speedster is able to accelerate to 62mph (100km/h) in 3.5 seconds on the way to a limited top speed of 186mph (300km/h).
With the V12 Speedster, every element of the drive is experiential, most obviously the removal of the windscreen adding to the visceral engagement, heightening the driving experience to new levels.
Virgil Hilts