No roof, no windshield, and just around a million dollars for this new Aston Martin

Roofless, windshield-less, extreme supercars seem to be the trend of late. We had the Ferrari SP1 and SP2, which were followed by McLaren’s Elva. Now, Aston Martin joins the party with its limited edition V12 Speedster, revealed at the marque’s Gaydon headquarters since the Geneva Motor Show was cancelled.

Aston Martin says the V12 Speedster is a truly visceral driver’s car that takes inspiration from the brand’s racing history as well as aeronautical design.

Built using Aston Martin’s bonded aluminium architecture, the V12 Speedster borrows elements from the DBS Superleggera and Vantage models to create its own platform. It’s equipped with independent double wishbone front, and multi-link rear suspension with coil springs and adaptive damping offering Sport, Sport+ and Track modes. The V12 Speedster also comes fitted with standard 21-inch forged centre lock alloy wheels, covering carbon ceramic brakes measuring 410mm on the front axle and 360mm at the rear.

The bespoke body is constructed almost entirely from carbon fibre. Miles Nurnberger, Director of Design, Aston Martin Lagonda, says the lines have been inspired by the 1959 Le Mans winning DBR1 as well as the Centenary celebratory CC100 Speedster Concept from 2013, with a bit of 1953 DB3S in the mid-section.

Power comes from a 5.2-litre, Twin-Turbo V12 engine, with a peak output of 700hp and 753Nm of torque. The front mid-mounted engine is mated to a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission with a limited-slip differential driving the rear wheels. This setup helps the V12 Speedster accelerate to 100kph in 3.5 seconds on the way to a limited top speed of 300kph.

In the cabin, satin carbon fibre is used along with traditional hand-crafted Saddle Leather, chrome, aluminium and 3D printed rubber. While the design and layout are minimalist, exquisite craftsmanship is apparent.

Order books are open for the V12 Speedster, with pricing starting at £765,000 including VAT and deliveries expected to begin in the first quarter of 2021.