Let’s start by dispensing with one not-so-small detail. Aston Martin’s new One-77 costs £1.2million, which, with VAT included, equates to a not inconsiderable £1.44m. However, while the One-77 is indeed quite pricey, next to the £2m Bugatti Veyron 8.0 W16 Super Sport the better- looking Aston Martin could be seen as something of a bargain.

Two years after the first running model was revealed, at the Villa d’Este concours on the shores of Lake Como, the One-77’s first customers have recently been taking delivery of their cars. Actually, ‘taking delivery’ is somewhat of an understatement in this case, because what actually happens is that Aston Martin stages a dramatic handover ceremony for owners, complete with light show and attended by senior company executives, at its headquarters at Gaydon in Warwickshire.

For those with a technical bent who haven’t yet placed an order (be quick – Aston are limiting production to 77, hence the name), the body is made from hand- crafted aluminium panels with active aerodynamics, while the chassis beneath is a rigid carbon fibre construction, with double wishbone suspension, horizontally mounted spring/damper units with adaptive ride height, and brakes of the carbon/ceramic variety.

The front/mid-mounted 7.3 litre, 750bhp engine is an extreme evolution of Aston’s existing six-litre V12 and the most powerful naturally aspirated production road car motor ever made. This, coupled to a rear/mid-mounted six-speed automated manual transmission, rockets the 1,500kg
two-seater from 0 to 60mph in a mere 3.5 seconds and on to a heady 220mph.

According to Aston Martin’s Director of Design, Marek Reichman, the aim with the One-77 was “to create a car closer to art than the automobile”. Before the car is assembled, customers are invited to choose from countless combinations of colours, leathers, materials and finishes, as well as deciding whether their One-77 should be left- or right-hand drive. And if they’re feeling very flush then they may even specify the only optional extra: £40,000 instrument bezels.

It could be argued that Aston Martin might have better used its not unlimited resources to develop a more affordable new model that would sell in higher volume, but word is that most of the 77 One-77s are already spoken for, and so, along with those owners both present and future, I’m quietly pleased they didn’t.

Aston’s little runaround
If you’ve ever driven a supercar around town then you’ll know what a complete chore it is. For this reason Aston Martin has created the Cygnet, a luxury city car that’s intended to stand alongside your full-sized Aston as the ultimate means of urban transport. Based on the excellent Toyota iQ, production of the 3m-long Cygnet began in April this year. The ‘White’ and ‘Black’ Launch Editions feature special paint finishes, brightwork and wheels, as well as hand trimmed leather interiors and a bespoke five-piece luggage set thrown in. At the time of writing, prices still hadn’t been confirmed, but estimates range from £30,000-£50,000.