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 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 last Friday’s 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.
And right now, 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 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 hand-crafted aluminum bodies ever created.
Under the hood, it comes with a hand-built 7.3-liter V12 cranking out a massive 750-horsepower – making it the most powerful naturally-aspirated engine ever built. Pedal to the metal, it’s good for 0-to-60mph sprinting in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 220mph.
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 till 9 p.m. Sunday, November 6.
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