Aston Martin One-77: Forbidden Dance - Sports Cars
We spent 48 hours with exclusivity One-77worth one million euros, which makes it possible to test it on the road and on the highway. Under rain.
Who knows why Aston Martin he didn't want us to try ...
Day One: Jethro Bovingdon
We are looking forward to this moment from Paris Salon from 2008.
After a long wait, my meeting with her takes place in a place with maximum security, and all this is kept in the strictest confidence. My iPhone's camera has been blacked out, and a uniformed manager is watching me sternly and suspiciously as I sign a form that allows me to overcome barriers. The second guard is more cheerful, but this is only a pretense: if I do not show him the permit form, I can also fall to the ground and he will not turn.
"Um, I'm pretty sure I have it," I wait. He checks his monitor. “It expired in 2007,” he replies, and my mood plummets. This is a historic day, and if I ruin it because of my disorganization and forgetfulness, I better look for a new job.
"Oh no, I'm sorry, you got a new one in March, okay." I nod, trying to tone myself up and sign another form, this time for a radio called Pogo # 707.
Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating.
I've been before Milbrook Proving Ground and, as always, this structure, crammed with twisting chains and uneven surfaces, designed to rip apart prototypes, is one of those places where you feel guilty, even when you're perfectly fine and with a clear conscience.
This is a form of unmotivated guilt that makes you blush like a pepper when the cop waves at you for a check.
Our mission is secret or almost secret, and it does not help me to relax. Photographer Jamie Lipman, who by then had joined me, was also clearly uncomfortable. His cameras weren't blacked out, but the security officer follows him like a shadow to make sure he's only photographing one car. But it won't be necessary: I have a distinct feeling that today there will be nothing more exciting than full throttle on a satellite dish or on the control track with the car that we have at our disposal. Because we have at least one on hand Aston Martin One-77... Number 17, to be precise. How interesting can a camouflaged minivan that has passed the endurance test be compared to you?
The ANONYMOUS white CAR that the One-77 was in is already empty when we drive up to the Aston Hospitality Hotel in Millbrook. The elegantly designed glazed building is closed this morning. This is not a press machine, and House of Gaydon did not help us find the One-77 to test. Moreover, his intention was to prevent any reporter from driving.
However, the owner of the car wants it to be used as it is, i.e. supercar, and we will be grateful to him all our lives. For the next two days, this One-77 is completely ours, and we are allowed to drive it here in Millbrook and on real roads with potholes and puddles. A few months ago, Top Gear managed to drive the One-77 in Dubai, so our car is not exclusive to the whole world, but the swamps of Wales are very different from the desert dunes, and I'm sure this is even more significant. Until then, I need to take a look at this green Aston Martin Racing One-77. It is beautiful, mesmerizing, brutal and spectacular at the same time.
Although we have never tried it (until now), we know a lot about it. Aston didn't feel the need to let multimedia drive it, but it certainly didn't hide its superior performance and impressive construction methods. How to blame her? The "dressed" One-77 is stunning, but it's just a chassis. carbon At first glance, the stars of numerous salons, this is enough to fall in love and spend over 1 million euros.
As we said, the One-77 has a carbon monocoque frame that weighs 180kg and is very rigid, while body consists of panels in aluminum handmade. It took three weeks of work to shape and refine each of the One-77's stunning front fins, crafted from a solid aluminum sheet. Three weeks on the fin! The unparalleled journey from Aston is marked by the incredible craftsmanship of the people who have spent decades machining and casting aluminum in Newport Pagnell. The carbon body just wouldn't be the same.
Of course, the One-77's layout also honors tradition, with a front-center V12 engine, rear drive и Speed six-speed automatic mechanics. But the traditional 12-liter Aston Martin V5,9 has been radically redesigned by Cosworth Engineering, increasing it to 7,3 liters, 60 kg less. New engine, which has dry sump and a compression ratio of 10,9: 1, it has power Claimed 760 hp and a torque of 750 Nm. Thanks to the dry crankcase, it sits 100mm below the DB9 and far back from the front axle. Its power, released to the rear, reaches PPC six-speed through carbon propeller shaft. Aston Martin One-77 is also equipped with suspensions fully adjustable, allowing a happy and wealthy owner to customize their vehicle for the specific use they want to use.
Chris Porritt, program manager, promised it would be "pretty hardcore." I don't know how hardcore this particular instance is, but since there are several extreme cars in its collection, I think this setting is one of the most hardcore for the One-77. If I know Porritt the way I think his personal tastes match the tastes of the most passionate owners, so this One-77 is probably exactly what the engineers and testers always thought.
Despite everything we know about her in theory, in practice I don't know what to expect. Generally speaking, the Vantage V12 is "pretty hardcore," but compared to the Carrera GT, Enzo, Koenigsegg and Zonda, it's about as aggressive as the Golf Bluemotion. And the One-77 is better or worse than the Vantage V12? And why doesn't Aston want the press to lead?
THE DOOR OPENS, lifting up elegantly like the DB9 and the new Vanquish, but faster like a balloon that slips out of your hand and soars into the sky. The interior is made of high-gloss carbon fiber. skin black and skin with visible baseball-style stitching. The dashboard undoubtedly shares the Aston Martin line, but has a more elongated, teardrop shape. This is not the car that you get in and out of when breathless to admire it. Not too much to say that the One-77 is really special, it fits perfectly with the Pagani Huayra and is much more impressive than the rugged Veyron.
The seat is very low, like a racing car, and like a racing car, Driving Position It appears to be designed to maintain a center of gravity at the expense of visibility. IN steering wheel flat with side inserts in Alcantara strange to look at, but beautiful to handle. Devices in graphite on the dashboard it's hard to read, but two things immediately catch your eye: the last digit on the speedometer is 355, and the tachometer goes up to 8 and does not end with a red line. If you believe what Aston says, it should be possible to hit 354 per hour and touch 100 in 3,7 seconds (it looks like the One-77 hits 0-160 in 6,9 seconds in testing, compared to 7,7 for Koenigsegg CCX and 6,7 for Enzo).
I'll take key di crystal and insert it into the narrow slot cut out on the button Engine starting. What happens next costs One - 77 million euros. V12 7.3 barks and growls in a strong and unpleasant tone. The circles go up and down, like in the Carrera GT or the Lexus LFA V10.
I hit the first with the paddles and touch the throttle timidly, turning the super-Aston on with the grace of a novice driver in ski boots. This is really hardcore, there is no other way to define it.
Secondly, the gearbox is smoother but just as dry as a single clutch gearbox with paddle shifters, especially because of the very light flywheel and its inherent aggressiveness. The One-77 is a very special and definitely noisy engine. If desired, the smooth transmission of torque allows you to quickly shift from one gear to another. But it's much better to ride it like a VTEC. A hundred meters is enough to understand that this is not a Veyron-style supercar: it is more ferocious and crazier. It's more like a front-engined Koenigsegg.
She is ferocious, it is true, but she is not fickle or nervous. IN steering it's reassuringly responsive and bouncy like the Vantage V12. Unlike the Ferrari F12, where you are obsessed with rack and pinion speed, it is more intuitive and allows you to focus on driving to get the most out of the frame and engine. Great thing, especially on the infamous Millbrook Alpine Circuit, which is narrow and slippery.
The 335mm PZero Corsa doesn't like frozen pavement, and traction control continues to slash V12 supplies. It's a losing battle from the start. Aston has two souls: on the one hand, he is grumpy, who is interfered with by electronics, and on the other hand, he is cheerful and lively and loves to ride tires. To select a mode Track traction control, or turn it off completely, you'll have to lift up the carbon-and-leather shroud on the dashboard: beneath it is a chrome strip with the design of a car that rides on skates. Considering the importance of the team and the danger of its circulation, it would be better to make it red with a protective glass so that in case of an accident it would break. I'm not sure it's enough to turn DSC off - it's better to choose a more reasonable Track mode.
Millbrook is like a roller coaster with blind turns, challenging counter descents and jumps. With a car as big and expensive as the One-77, this is hell. After the initial confusion, however, the big Aston begins to feel at ease. Later, Metcalfe will get the opportunity to test it on real roads, but now it turns out to be tough, agile and reactive on the track. Roll is reduced and the forefoot can be relied upon. The front end looks very promising, with the advantage that engine mass doesn't affect it too much, so it should experience understeer in the middle of a corner, but it doesn't: The One-77 continues to grip the road tenaciously. IN traction control system it keeps the torque under control in the middle of a turn and then allows the outgoing engine to run freely, causing the Pirellis to slide and kick the rear to the side.
Everything in the blink of an eye. What a thrill!
It is immediately apparent that the One-77 needs wider roads and that Corsa tires will prefer a milder climate than English in the middle of winter. Here at Millbrook, I can only enjoy the V12's insane traction on the limiter on a straight line, and while it is enough for me to understand that the chassis is excellent, I can only feel the true potential of the One-77. Eventually I work up the courage to turn DSC off, and oddly enough, the One-77 becomes more predictable because the engine gives you exactly what you ask for the moment you ask for it. A couple of times I provoke One-77 in the middle of the curve, it gradually starts up in oversteer but by dispensing gas, I can hold the bar. I know it's not worth playing with fire, but this will be my only chance of my life to drive an Aston Martin One-77, and I don't want to regret it.
I will never forget the feeling you get when you start pushing - it's like walking a tightrope. If there's anything I've learned from my brief experience with her, it's that One-77 is wild and wild. Harry will need all the courage to launch him on the road tomorrow ...
Day Two: Harry Metcalfe
I first saw the One-77 at 6,45am in a gloomy parking lot in Beths-y-Coed, Wales, and while polar temperatures do not bode well, I am delighted. By moonlight and a dim street lamp, all I can see is the outline of its curvaceous aluminum body. This almost mythical Aston, in complete silence (with the engine off, using only gravity) climbed down from the truck that brought it here a few minutes ago. We are doing our best not to disturb the locals, waiting for the last moment when V12 7.3 starts ranting and leaves. The transporter hands me an Aston crystal key: this is a historic moment.
I open the light door and climb aboard. The interior is dominated by visible carbon: door sills, door panels, floor (with pedal protection mat) are all carbon. Even the wall behind the seats is made of visible high-gloss carbon fiber. Everything that is not carbon or leather is black anodized aluminum, except for the profile in gold red surrounds the center console, moving away from the windshield, circling the handbrake, and then climbing back onto the windshield. I can't find the words to describe the cockpit: "impressive" doesn't convey an idea.
It's time to take a ride on this very special Aston. The plan is simple: I will spend as much time as possible behind the wheel of the One-77 on the most beautiful roads in Wales. I'm spending too much time talking about this, it's time to leave. When I insert the key, the electronics wake up, the arrows on the discs go up to the end of the stroke, and then return to their original position. Then you hear the hiss of the starter, which awakens 12 hp. and 760 Nm V750. The sound is more discreet than some of the Italian brands, but still mesmerizing. It differs from other modern Aston: sportier, more decisive and instantly revs up when you press the accelerator pedal, which is a sign that the straight line between the pedal and the flywheel is complete.
We want to take a sunrise photo of the Aston in a swamp, half an hour's drive from here, so there's nothing to waste. I put on my traditional three-point seat belts, insert D and open the throttle. To be honest, I expected more. The start is so disappointing that I think something is wrong with me, because as soon as the twin-disc racing clutch is seized, there is a sharp movement. It doesn't matter: gear shifting from first to second is smoother and I don't think about it anymore, focusing on following the car with the camera to the chosen location.
The ASPHALT is WET, and the road is lined with stone walls of an intimidating look. The One-77 looks huge, and the large mirrors are so long that they resemble the ones you put on cars when you drive in a trailer. They are so long that they allow you to see the wide arches of the rear wheels. I've driven many cars for work and pleasure, and yet here, for the first time with the very special One-77, I feel awkward like a rookie kid, not to mention I don't even have a great view. as the window washer nozzles froze and the wipers scratched the windshield dry while trying to remove the dirt raised by the car camera in front of me. Not a bad start.
As we go up, the edge of the road gets whiter and whiter. The weather forecast for today is good, but we are still in the mountains in the middle of winter. Fingers crossed. At least I'm comfortable: the seat is fantastic, the perfectly shaped leather and fabric combination that hugs and supports me without even realizing it. The One-77 square handlebar may seem odd at first glance, but ergonomically it is fantastic. I would like to have more information about the front grip, but it's still early, the air and asphalt freeze, probably in a few hours, a few more degrees and the promised good weather, I will be fulfilled.
It was still dark when we arrived at the swamp, and the fog had also fallen. While we are thinking about plan B - in such conditions it is impossible to take a photo - the gray sky is turning pink, and the sun is peeking out from behind the hills. It is a magical atmosphere in which the light becomes more and more intense and envelops the sinuous forms of One-77. Everything around us is quiet, there is not a living soul, not even a breath of wind. If only the locals knew what they were missing...
After the usual photos were taken, I can finally experience the One-77. I spent my youth running at full speed on these same roads with cars of all kinds, especially crash cars, so I know them very well. My favorite is the A4212, which starts from Bala, crosses the Celine Nature Reserve and then continues on to the west coast of Wales. Wide, open and scenic, it's perfect for the One-77. Too bad we're dry... Damn, luckily there's a back-up spy because I didn't really notice it. Considering consumption - on-board computer indicates that the Aston has maintained an average of 800 km/l over the last 2,8 km – it is best to stop by Bala and build up your strength before embarking on this adventure.
The small distributor is blocked by the tractor, so I have to maneuver to get to the free pump. In this case, I understand that Clutch trying to disconnect. Apparently the Aston drivetrain hates maneuvers, seeing how when differential the back locks up, the clumsy rear features green clutch mice.
Finally, the tractor is out of the way and the tank is full: now we are finally ready to stretch the super-Aston's very long legs. As I leave the country, I pick up the pace and the tough changes begin to show their true nature: they behave well, inserts are lightning fast and smooth, as in some ultra-sport automated guides (do you know the Aventador?). As kilometers pass, the gearbox makes you completely forget about turning it off during the maneuvering phase.
The V12 symphony, which you can enjoy exclusively in the cockpit, is mesmerizing from the moment the key is turned, but if you press the button Sports the dashboard becomes truly irresistible. The exhaust pipes, which run inside the two side members, create a spacious effect for passengers in the passenger compartment. More than the sound, I'm most impressed by the V12's character. Sport mode not only gives access to the full 750 Nm of torque (with other settings, the available torque is 75 percent), but the high-revving engine is really similar to the VTEC. Or, starting at 4.500 RPM, it looks like it has a NOS: the V12 rises steeply and violently to the red line, bumping into the 7.500 limiter. The electronics that hold back the One-77's power seem to be a true troublemaker because they intervene when the V12's power is at its maximum.
I really need to focus on driving because at high revs it gets complicated when all the power is sent to the ground just from the rear. Even the excellent 335-inch Pirelli 30/20 do their best to keep up. But in the end, it only makes the Aston even more exciting. Nothing is more conspicuous than a car driving on straight tires at highway speeds. Since every millimeter of throttle travel translates into an instantaneous power delivery, this is not a car you are driving full throttle in the hopes that electronics will intervene to correct the situation. It's an old-school supercar that demands respect, especially when the pavement is as slippery as it is today. And this, in my opinion, makes it even more fun. IN carbon ceramic brakes sensitivity and proper calibration is another sign that this car should be driven seriously and not collected dust in a private collection.
AFTER THE FAST CURVES OF THE A4212, I decided to test the Aston on the sharp curves of the A498 towards Snowdonia and the Llanberis Pass. There I discovered that the One-77 is a fascinating combination of race car powertrain and engine and luxury car suspension and equipment. Take, for example, the multifunction screen on the center console: satellite navigator, connection forIPOD и Bluetooth and connected to speakers Bang & Olufsen which come out on command from both ends of the dashboard. The seats and steering column are electronically adjustable to find a near-ideal driving position, even though the front end is far away and the windshield is far from easy. It is enough to look at how far the engine is on the frame to understand why the One-77's nose is so long, and the result is a rearward-shifted weight distribution that sticks the nose to the asphalt. All you have to do is focus on what's behind it.
After several kilometers of strolling along the bends of the A498, the snow-capped peaks of Snowdon appear on the horizon. It's impressive, especially when the streets are as empty as they are today. Every time I exit the One-77, I can't help but turn to look at it. So it is beautiful in this color: the owner chose it after his favorite Aston of all time, the DB4 GT Zagato. The green color gives it a lot of shade, accentuates its sculptural lines, and also marks the great past of the house. From an aesthetic point of view, the only drawback is that the air intakes at the ends of the front end cut the air intake. Headlightsbut this is offset by the distinctive shape of the rear lights and the aggressive crease above the rear wheel arches. On the other hand, the One-77 is fantastic from every angle. I'm sure the engineers had a budget to factor in when designing it, but you get the clear impression that Aston wanted to solve every problem with the most elegant solution available.
I want to ride the superhero a little more before sunset, and the gentle curves of Llanberis Pass are perfect for a grand finale. Tourists with backpacks and raincoats left for a while, only me and Aston Martin, apart from a few stray sheep, are destroying my trajectories. I insert the key and the V12 wakes up for the last time on this incredible day. The V12 instantly gobbles up the first, second and third, as only a 760bhp supercar can do, and soon after, we're in the most difficult stretch, where mountains loom and threaten to crush the asphalt belt that winds along the sides and the other. I roll the window down to hear in all its glory the sound of four exhaust gases bouncing off the stone walls that frame this breathtaking passage. I love this car. It's like a drug: you can't get enough, the more you drive it, the more you want to do it. He's very demanding and I haven't figured it out yet, but I can't wait to learn.
This is exactly the kind of problem that a million-euro supercar can offer. I don't want an easy-to-drive hypercar that takes me to the horizon and delivers impressive performance at the flick of a finger. If that's what you're looking for, buy a Veyron. With the One-77, you'll have to roll up your sleeves to bring out the best. I bet some of the owners won't live to see it and sell it or leave it to gather dust in an exclusive garage. Too bad, because that would mean they didn't get it. The Aston Martin One-77 is a champion capable of combining handcrafted aluminum profiles with cutting-edge carbon technology, a charismatic monster of breathtaking beauty.
From the beginning, this car was designed to be the best Aston Martin of the modern era, and after driving it all day, I can honestly say it hit the mark.
