It took Aston Martin three years to finally start producing their powerful and limited One-77, and inquiring minds will now be able to get a first look at what the heck took so long. National Geographic’s Megafactories series will be opening their next season this weekend, featuring the Aston Martin supercar and its short and tumultuous history. The one-hour show will follow the intense One-77 development program from the car’s conception in October 2007 to the build of the first production One-77 in October 2010.
The episode will give viewers an inside look into the exclusive facility where up to 77 examples of the One-77 will be hand-crafted. Megafactories will detail the highly skilled manufacturing process fusing modern technology with traditional hand-craftsmanship and painstaking attention to detail. Each ultimate One-77 model takes over 2,700 man-hours and a dedicated team of 27 technicians to complete.
The One-77 is powered by a naturally aspirated 7.3-liter V12 engine that develops a total of 750 HP. With this power, the supercar make the 0 to 60 mph sprint in around 3.5 seconds with an impressive top speed of 220 mph.
MegaFactories: Aston Martin will air on Sunday, September 4, 2011 at 9pm on on National Geographic, Sky Channels (526, 543-HD) and Virgin Media (230, 232-HD).
Hit the jump to watch the trailer.
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James Bond may be a fictional character to all of us, but the dashing debonair / awesome secret agent is still an inspiration to all of us. Who wouldn’t want to be in his shoes? He’s got a killer job, he scores the hottest women, and best of all - at least in our case - he drives the fanciest cars.
That last part is such an integral part of the Bond legend that an exhibition is actually being planned to showcase the largest collection of James Bond vehicle to ever be displayed. The whole event is being prepared through the collaborative efforts of the UK’s National Motor Museum, Beaulieu and EON Productions, which is doing the groundwork for the event in preparation for the 50th anniversary of Ian Fleming’s Bond franchise.
Around 50 cars are expected to be included in the exhibit highlighted by the 2008 Aston Martin DBS from Quantum of Solace, the 2002 Jaguar XKR with SFX weapons from Die Another Day, the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 from Goldeneye, and the 1937 Phantom lll Rolls-Royce from Goldfinger.
The exhibit will be held at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, United Kingdom and will run the entire length of the 2012 calendar year.
“Following the success of the first Bond cars exhibition staged at Beaulieu in 2001, we are delighted to be working with EON again on this new display, bringing together the world’s largest collection of Bond vehicles, Beaulieu’s Commercial Director, Stephen Munn said.
The exhibit won’t open for another few months, but it’s safe to say that we’ll be dropping by to check it out if we find ourselves in the area next year.
The crazy powerful and very rare Aston Martin One-77 has been in the public eye now for some time, after it was first shown in North America at the lovely Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Like all Aston Martin products, this one is stunning in every category, from exterior styling to power. What they have done with the One-77 is fuse advanced technology with a stunning design to create possibly the world’s most desirable automotive art form.
Yet, as is the way with these things, most people in the world will never get the chance to own or even drive one of these vehicles. The first reason is the price, which is - get ready for this - $1.4 million. Fine, we can just sell everything we own and work really hard for the next 50 years. Yet, even if you have the money, only 77 will be made, making this automotive art form quite rare indeed.
UPDATE 04/06/11: And then there were ten... Interested in purchasing the One-77? You still have a chance because there are ten units still available. Potential customers seem to be hesitating due to the fact that they can’t test drive their $1.4 million investment before they buy it. Sounds reasonable to us.
UPDATE 08/04/11: Aston Martin has unveiled a new video revealing the One-77 supercar in action on the French Mountain roads, just a few short miles from the famous Paul Ricard circuit in France. This video apparently shows the highlights of the vehicle’s visit to the mountains. Enjoy!
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The Aston Martin DBS first appeared in 1967 and remained in production until it was phased out by the Aston Martin V8 in 1972. It wasn’t until 2007 that the DBS showed its face again, and the second time around seemed to be the turning point for the grand tourer, benefiting from five successful years on the market. Now, Aston Martin is working on the new generation DB9 which will eventually give way to a refreshed DBS.
The new DBS, set to be launched in late 2012, will receive a revised front grille and bumpers, fresh body side styling, and a revised cockpit. Expect to see an exterior inspired by the One-77 supercar, with its borrowed bonnet, sides, and cooling vents. These elements will help transform the elegant DBS into a more aggressive sports car.
As for the power behind this beast, a 6.0-liter V12 engine will still find its way under the hood of the sports car, but will get tweaked to deliver about 530 HP (up 20 HP from the current model). The added power will be put to better use now that the VH platform is dropping about 10-15% of its weight, bringing it down to about 3,300 pounds.
Current Aston Martin DBS pictured
We haven’t even gotten around to digesting the full breadth of the Aston Martin V12 Zagato and we’re already getting a close look at the race-spec version of the new Aston supercar. Or at least something like it.
In preparation for the car’s racing debut at the Nurburgring later this week, Aston Martin gave the eager public a first-hand look at the race-spec version of the V12 Zagato. It might only be a rendering of the car, but at the very least, it gives us an idea on what to expect when the car officially makes its track debut on May 28, 2011 at the 53rd ADAC ACAS H&R-Cup VLN race.
Judging from the rendering, the race-spec V12 Zagato looks pretty much like the street-version with a couple of notable additions, including the prominent rear wing, the table-top front lip, and the black wheels.
That’s as much as Aston is willing to share for now. But at least the wait won’t be that long before we see the race-spec version in the flesh. Good timing too, considering that the 24 Hours of Nurburgring is scheduled for June 25 and 26, 2011 and Aston Martin will be fielding two V12 Zagatos in the annual endurance race.
UPDATE 07/14/2011: Aston Martin has unveiled a new official video in which they reveal the two V12 Zagato racers at the Nurburgring 24hr race. Check out the two cars as they take part in a grueling test of endurance, engineering, and driver skill. Enjoy!
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