One-off Aston Martin Victor is road-legal V12 hypercar

The Victor is the most powerful road-legal, naturally aspirated car Aston Martin has ever produced. Its 7.3-litre V12 powerplant was stripped and rebuilt by Cosworth, with power raised from 560kW to 623kW and mated to a seven-speed manual transmission.

It uses the same inboard springs and dampers as the Vulcan race car, and is fitted with Brembo carbon ceramic brakes that Aston claims can deliver braking capability on par with a GT3 race car.  An aerodynamically-optimised front splitter and rear diffuser produce 842Nm of downforce at 160km/h, which is more than a race-prepared Vantage GT4.

The car began life as a one-77 prototype that has been significantly overhauled over an 18 month period. It features extensive use of carbon fibre, with the entire chassis weighing less than an original One-77.

The team used Aston’s muscle car era for inspiration, specifically the 1980s Vantage, and worked closely with the customer to develop the fully bespoke body. It borrowed elements from current Aston Martin models, including the rear rail light seen on the upcoming Valkyrie and vents found in the DBX SUV.

Inside, cashmere, polished titanium and walnut materials contrast with the leather-finished racing bucket seats and four-point harnesses, exposed carbonfibre and motorsport-derived steering wheel based the Vulcan’s.

According to an Aston Martin representative, the Pentland Green paint dried mere hours before the car made its public debut at the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace.

It was unveiled to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Vantage nameplate,  and named Victor after Victor Gauntlett, the man widely credited for reviving Aston Martin’s fortunes in the early 1980s. The car’s owner, a Belgian collector, has not been revealed.

Q by Aston Martin has previously worked on the company’s DB5 Goldfinger Continuation models and limited-run V12 Vantage V600.

Tom Morgan