Aston Martin has long been in the industry of producing exotic supercars like this limited run One-77. According to Aston Martin, the One-77 exceeded expectations of the company when it recorded a top velocity of 220.007mph (354.86kmh) in “dry but windy conditions” in a series of test runs completed last week.

The British manufacturer said that it will continue the development of the One-77 in the new year with handling tests.

The two-door, two-seat supercar has a carbon fibre monocoque chassis with power being set by a front-mounted, 7.3-liter V12 engine cranking out around 750HP. The V12 sends its power to the rear wheels through a new six-speed robotized gearbox with paddles shifters on the steering wheel.With a projected weight of around 1,500kg or 3,300 lbs, Aston Martin expects the €1.1+ million One-77 to hit 0-60mph (96km/h) in 3.5 seconds.

Only 77 individually numbered examples will be built, and the first deliveries are expected to commence in mid-2010.

Aston Martin has revealed two special edition version vehicles, the DBS and V12 Vantage, the delivery of which will begin in March. The models are called Carbon Black and will come with special coloring, lighter weight, and more.

The DBS and V12 Vantage come with Carbon Black metallic finish that takes 50 man-hours of hand painting and quality checks to complete.

Both special edition cars feature gloss black 10 spoke diamond turned alloy wheels. The V12 Vantage will be equipped with a carbon fiber side strake over a black mesh vent, a bright finished grille and front parking sensors which are normally an option.

On the inside the vehicles will feature Obsidian Black leather contrasted by hand stitched silver thread. The sport seats are formed from Carbon Fibre and Kevlar which saves 17 kg or 37 pounds over the standard seats while other features include the Piano black facia trim, centre stack and centre console, anodized black tread plates and unique sill plaques made out of carbon fiber.

The DBS and V12 Vantage Carbon Black will be powered with a 6.0-liter V12 engine with the capacity of 510-horsepower.

According to manufacturer the more information and pricing for both vehicles will be in January 2010. For now it was reported that there will be a 5 per cent increase over the price of the basic models.

This is Aston Martin’s new mini car, the Toyota iQ-based Cygnet. The Cygnet looks like the iQ because it is a retrimmed Toyota. Aston Martin’s designers took several design cues from their sports cars like the trademark grille and air-vents and used them on the small Toyota without making any other changes on the car’s shape.

Styling characteristics on the outside are limited to the pop-up handles, reshaped front and rear bumpers, particular head and tail lamps, and newly designed multispoke alloy wheels.

Aston Martin decided not to give any data on the car’s hardware. Its plan is first to sell the Cygnet to present and future Aston Martin drivers with a general release to follow at a later date. Aston Martin said that it will continue to improve the Cygnet, but wants to have the car into production and on sale in the UK and Europe before the end of 2010.The car will cost around £20,000 or about $32,000 – €22,000 at today’s exchange rates.

Aston Martin Rapide was introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September and is scheduled to go on sale in delaerships throughout the world early next year. And today, Aston Martin has finally released a photo gallery and detailed specifications of its new high performance Rapide sports sedan.

Aston Martin Rapide Specifications
Body
Four door body style with 4 individual seats
Extruded bonded aluminium VH body structure
Aluminium, magnesium alloy and composite body
Extruded aluminium door side impact beams
Single bi-xenon headlamps with integrated LED side lights and direction indicators
LED rear lamps and side repeaters

Engine
All alloy quad overhead cam 48 valve 5935cc V12
Front mid-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive
Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves
Compression ratio 10.9:1
Max Power 350 kW (470 bhp / 477 PS) at 6000 rpm
Max Torque 600 Nm (443 lb ft) at 5000 rpm
Acceleration 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds; 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 5.3 seconds (predicted)
Max Speed 188 mph (303 km/h) (predicted)

Transmission
Rear mid-mounted ‘Touchtronic 2′ six-speed gearbox with electronic shift-by-wire control system
Alloy torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft
Limited slip differential
Final Drive Ratio 3.46:1

Steering
Rack and pinion, Servotronic speed-sensitive power-assisted steering, 3.0 turns lock-to-lock
Column tilt and reach adjustment

Wheels & Tyres
20″ alloy wheels
Front Bridgestone Potenza 245/40 R20
Rear Bridgestone Potenza 295/35 R20

Suspension
Front Independent double wishbone incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers
Rear Independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers
Adaptive Damping System (ADS)

Brakes
Front Dual cast brake discs 390mm diameter with six piston calipers
Rear Dual cast brake discs 360mm diameter with four piston calipers
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
Traction Control
Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA)
Positive Torque Control (PTC)
Electronic Park Brake (EPB)

Dimensions
Length 5019 mm (197.6″)
Width (including mirrors) 2140 mm (84.3″)
Height 1360 mm (53.5″)
Fuel Capacity 90.5 litres
Kerb Weight 1950 kg (target) (4299 lb)

Interior
Full grain leather interior
Walnut facia trim
Iridium Silver centre console outer finish and Graphite inner finish
Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror
Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror with garage door opener (USA and Canada only) *1
Electrically operated front seats
Memory front seats and exterior mirrors (three positions)
Dual stage driver and passenger front airbags
Front occupant side airbags
Head protection airbags for front and rear occupants
Heated front and rear seats
Heated rear screen
Automatic front and rear temperature control
Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays
LED map lamps and ambient lighting
Trip computer
Cruise control
Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system *1,2
Bluetooth telephone preparation *1
Satellite radio system (USA only)
Powerfold exterior mirrors
Front and rear parking sensors
Tyre pressure monitoring *1
Alarm and immobiliser
Remote-control central door locking and boot release
Battery conditioner
Tracking device (UK only) *3
Boot mounted umbrella

In Car Entertainment
1000W Bang & Olufsen BeoSound audio system with ICEpower® technology
Integrated Apple iPod® connector *4
USB connector with Windows Media Audio (WMA) and MP3 audio file compatibility
3.5 mm auxiliary input socket

Options
Cooled front and rear seats
Twin screen rear seat entertainment system with 6-disc DVD player, auxiliary input, wireless headphones and remote control
Alternative facia trim finishes – Mahogany, Piano Black, Bamboo, Tamo Ash, Double Apex Alloy, Nexus Alloy
Matching wood door trim
Colour-keyed steering wheel
Second glass key
Magnum silver rear lamp infills
Delete model badging
Delete protective tape
20″ alloy wheels with graphite finish
20″ alloy wheels with polished finish
Alternative brake calliper finish – black, red, silver
Personalised sill plaques
Auto dimming interior rear view mirror with garage door opener (Europe only)
Alarm upgrade (volumetric and tilt sensor)
Tracking device *1,3
First aid kit
Ashtray and Cigar Lighter

 

After introducing the production Aston Martin Rapide at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show in September, Aston Martin has now released a new promotional video, which presents the testing and development of the Rapide.

The new promotional video shows high speed testing of one of the most attractive sedans at the Mira facility in Warwickshire, England, and durability testing on Germany’s famous Nürburgring. The video also reveals the Rapide in various stages of development, including the powertrain testing in the mountains of Italy.

It is already known that the Aston Martin Rapide will be powered by a 6.0-liter V12 engine with the maxium output of 470 bhp (477 PS / 350 kW) and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft) of torque. The engine is backed up by a six-speed Touchtronic 2 transmission, which allows the vehicle to  accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds.

Aston Martin has officially unveiled one of the most expensive and exclusive luxury sports sedans on the market, the production version of the Rapide at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Outside the vehicle is identical to the Rapide concept, which was introduction at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show. Exterior features of the vehicle include bi-xenon headlamps (with integrated LED sidelights and direction indicators), clear LED taillights, hidden door handles and 20″ alloy wheels outfitted with Bridgestone Potenza tires.

The interior features of Rapide include a luxurious cabin with leather upholstery, walnut trim, and iridium silver accents. Other highlights of the interior include a rear center console, automatic climate control, individual seating for four (with heat), organic electroluminescent (OEL) instrument displays, and LED interior lighting. In the tech department, the Rapide has a GPS navigation system, Bluetooth connectivity, and a 1000 W Bang & Olufsen BeoSound audio system with iPod and USB connections.

Aston Martin Rapide will be offered exclusively with Aston Martin’s hand built 6.0-liter V12 engine which produces 470 bhp (477 PS / 350 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft) of peak torque at 5000 rpm. The engine is backed up by a specifically tuned six-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic transmission, which allows the driver to change gear automatically or manually via the steering column-mounted magnesium paddles. The vehicle accelerates from 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds (0-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds) before hitting an estimated top speed of 188 mph (303 km/h).

“Rapide is the culmination of the Aston Martin range of sports cars, a car that seals the revival of a truly admired marque. There is now an Aston Martin for every taste and for every use,” said Chief Executive, Dr. Ulrich Bez. “With Rapide, the entire family can enjoy their Aston Martin together in unison, in an invigorating yet comfortable environment, sitting low, with plenty of visibility from every seat and with new levels of comfort, refinement and entertainment.”

Rapide will be the first ever Aston Martin built outside of the United Kingdom. This is thanks to a partnership with Magna Steyr. It is expected that the Aston Martin Rapide will hit the market sometime during 2010, with a price tag in the $200,000 range.

Aston Martin lifted the covers off the One 77 at the Geneva Show today. The full size model previews the production model that will be built in a limited number of 77 units. Aston Martin says that when it began developing its most exclusive supercar, it took a good look at the cars of the DTM racing series.

The One 77 structural core is a lightweight yet extremely rigid carbon fibre monocoque which was conceived and designed at Aston Martin’s Gaydon HQ, and built in partnership with Multimatic (MTC).

Aston Martin’s enginners fitted the One 77 with a double wishbone suspension and fully adjustable dampers featuring Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) technology, a world-first for a road car application according to the British firm. These special valves are state-of-the-art even at the highest levels of motorsport.

Underneath its elongated bonnet, the One 77 gets a naturally aspirated 7.3-liter V12 engine derived from the 6.0-litre V12s fitted to the DBS, DB9 and new V12 Vantage models. Aston Martin projects that it will deliver over 700HP offering the car a projected top speed in excess of 200mph (312 km/h), with a 0-60mph (96km/h) time in approximately 3.5 sec.

It’s not an easy task to sell million-dollar supercars as it used to be. While Lamborghini quickly turned over its small run of seven-figure Reventons and Bugatti has gone through the bulk of its Veyron production, Aston Martin may be finding it a bit more difficult to separate the obscenely wealthy from their millions.
The One-77 is the big-ticket supercar in debate, to be built in a limited run of 77 examples, with only six headed to the US, five staying in the UK and the remaining 66 ending up in the Emirates dispersing around the world. According to previous reports broadcasting the interwebs proposed that the complete production run sold out almost immediately – before the car was even fully unveiled – but those reports may have been misleading. Nevertheless, 100 potential users reportedly expressed interest in obtaining the uber-supercar, the order books have apparently yet to be filled with buyers who’ve plunked down the £200k deposit. But even in this day of economy, they’re engaged to liquidize soon, so if you’ve got the cash to spare, you’d better act fast. Like, 700-horsepower supercar fast.