After many months of speculation and the occasional leaked image, the Aston Martin One-77 is set for its Geneva Motor Show reveal this week before the car goes into its final stage of development. Impressive as it looks on paper, does it have the mettle to become a supercar posterchild?
By Kyle Kock
As the One-77, of which only 77 will be produced, represents Aston Martin’s finest effort for the supercar crown, it epitomises the pinnacle of the company’s technological advances, hand-craftsmanship and attention to detail.
“Right from the very beginning of the project the vision for One-77 was very simple: It had to combine high-technology with hand-built craftsmanship, and demonstrate the unique capabilities and passion of our designers, engineers and technical partners,” revealed Aston Martin’s Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez.
Lower than a Vantage and shorter than the DBS, with a track just short of two metres, the One-77’s purposeful stance is complemented by the striking exterior styling. With double wishbones in each corner, the One-77 features inboard suspension front and rear, with pushrods employed to transfer vertical suspension movements to the horizontally mounted dampers.
The full-adjustable dampers also feature advanced Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) technology. DSSV uses high-precision machined components to enable the shock-absorbing characteristics of the damper to be changed without having to remove them from the car.
The One-77’s structural core is a lightweight and immensely rigid carbon fibre monocoque. Conceived and designed at the marque’s Gaydon headquarters, the monocoque, has been built in partnership with leaders in carbon composite technology, Multimatic (MTC).
Of course, what would a project like the One-77 be without an exceptional powertrain. Aston Martin engineers, in collaboration with iconic engine builders Cosworth, have stretched the natuarally-aspirated 6,0-litre V12 used in the DB9, DBS, and V12 Vantage models to 7,3-litre and tickled 522 kW out of the powerplant. To further aid agility, the engine now weighs 25 percent less than before and is mounted 247 mm behind the front axle.
All the grunt is sent to the rear wheels (wrapped in 335/30 ZR 20 rubber, 255/35 ZR 20 up front) via a specially-strengthened six-speed sequential transmission for a zero to 100 km/h sprint of approximately 3,5 seconds and top speed easily eclipsing the 320 km/h mark. Carbon Ceramic Matrix brake discs retard this beast from progress in any direction, should the need arise.
With its sprint and top speed capability, front-engined, rear-wheel drive layout, highly-rigid carbon chassis, and fine-tuned V12 engine, there wouldn’t be much out there that would best the One-77 for the driving experience when it finally goes into production.
