Aston Martin will build a flagship GT for a ‘strictly limited number of discerning customers’. No further details have been released by the company, so you can expect a feeding-frenzy of speculation and ‘scoops’ on what form the new model will take.

The title ‘One-77’ might, or might not, be the actual model name, although my money would be on something beginning with a ‘V’ in order to link back to the fondly remembered Vanquish, for many years considered a genuine world-beater in the public’s eyes – something the DBS has yet to achieve. 1077bhp? You never know...

The new car will be powered by a 7-litre V12 and have a carbonfibre chassis with handcrafted aluminium body panels. I could be proved wrong, but it’s unlikely that this will be Aston’s new challenger at Le Mans, as the superb results for the Lola-Aston mid-engined car this year would suggest only such a set-up has any hope for overall victory.

Indeed, reports elsewhere in the press suggest that just such a car is under construction, the major challenge being body-styling worthy of the marque, while ensuring aerodynamic efficiency, too. Peugeot showed how a stunning-looking racing car can still be brutally efficient.

Aston Martin has created a microsite for the new car, www.one-77.com, where prospective purchasers can register their interest.

Text: Steve Wakefield
Photos: Aston Martin