Aston’s 750-horsepower Supercar makes an all-too-brief appearance at the Miami Auto Show, blogs Road Test Editor Howard Walker
So what’s the hottest car on the planet right now? No doubt about it; that would be Aston Martin’s One-77. As the name suggests, just 77 of these stunning 750-horsepower Supercars will be built, each priced at a nice round one million British pounds, or a cool $1.6 million. If you were at the opening of the Miami Auto Show last week, you’d have seen the only one in America right now.
It was there just long enough for myself and eight other
scribblers, who make up the Southern Automotive Media Association Cars of the Show judging panel, to vote the Aston,
above, the undisputed
Star of the Show. What we didn’t know was that the One-77 had to be trucked up to Virginia straight after the press preview for some key certification work.
Of course, that to me only adds to the car’s mystique. Here’s a car that’s so rare, you can’t even see one - even if you have 1.6 million bucks burning a hole in your chinos. As of right now, all but nine of the 77 cars have been sold. One Saudi prince - who else? - has reportedly bought 10 cars. He originally ordered 13, but when three of his sons started getting picky - probably over the color of leather - he cancelled their cars!
Currently there are no firm plans to even offer the car for sale in the States. Seems that for the One-77 to meet stringent U.S. Federal Type Approval requirements, Aston Martin would be required to crash-test five cars. When you’re only building 77, that’s tough on the budget.
But there is a loophole that Aston is looking at. It’s called “Show and Display” which allows collectors to own exotic cars like the Aston, provided they cover less than 2,500 miles a year. Ken Gorin, who runs The Collection dealership, in Miami, reckons he has at least five wealthy customers who’d love to own a One-77, providing the legal machinations can be met.
For me, the car is worth every cent of its asking price. It features a carbon fiber monocoque chassis that’s wrapped in one of the sexiest-looking handcrafted aluminum bodies ever created. Under the hood is a hand-built 7.3-liter V12 cranking out a massive 750-horsepower - making it the most powerful naturally aspirated engine ever built. Putting the pedal to the metal it’s good for 0-to-60 mph sprinting in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 220 mph.
Rumor has it that ‘007’ Daniel Craig will be driving one in the next
James Bond adventure. That will definitely have him shaken and stirred!
The South Florida International Auto Show is on right now at the Miami Beach Convention Center and runs until 9 pm Sunday, November 6.
For more information about the latest from Aston Martin, please visit,
http://www.astonmartin.com/
