Aston Martin has taken the covers off the DBR22 design concept built to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the company’s bespoke division, Q by Aston Martin.
The Speedster will make its public debut at the Monterey Car Week, which kicks off this week, and will join the other low-volume creations like the Vantage V600, Vulcan and the one-off Victor.
Aston has called the DBR22 “a perfect celebration” of the division’s potential, in that it blends traditional coachbuilding practices with “cutting-edge” manufacturing technology in a package that is one of Aston’s most powerful cars and one of its rarest.
It’s understood that the firm will build 10 examples of the final production car (one for each year since Q was formed), priced at around £1.5 million apiece.
Under the body sits the familiar twin-turbocharged 5.2-litre Aston Martin V12. In this application, the engine is tuned to make 705 hp (526 kW) and 752 Nm (555 lb-ft), which is sent to the rear axle via a uniquely calibrated eight-speed automatic gearbox, propelling the DBR22 from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.4sec and on to a top speed of 318 km/h (198 mph).
Aston noted: “With nothing but the slipstream between the driver and this epic engine’s unforgettable 12-cylinder howl, the DBR22 promises to be an intense sensory stimulation.”
There are a number of interesting engineering details here, most notably, an entirely 3D-printed rear subframe. Individual components are printed from aluminium, and then bonded together to create the complete assembly. Aston says this brings “significant” weight savings without compromising on rigidity, and this process can be used for additional components on future low-volume models.
Marek Reichman, Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer, added: “We set our design systems to “hyper-drive”, pushing the exploration of formalism further and endeavouring to express a future in the here today. Where could we go with the surfaces, proportion and form. Combining this approach with advanced process, technology, and materials, we’ve effectively modernised our racing bloodline and created a new pedigree. DBR22 is a hot-blooded, purebred Aston Martin sports car full of speed, agility and spirit, and a machine that we think will be the basis of many of tomorrow’s icons”.
