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Revealed: Aston Martin shows first V12 Speedster prototype

The V12 Speedster — Aston Martin's "living show car" — has moved from the realm of dreams (and digital renderings) to the physical world. Here it is in the metal. In the composite? A bit of both, we'd reckon, but we can say this for certain: it's definitely not glass. Aston Martin's 88-unit, $950,000, topless supercar is officially entering the physical development stage "in earnest," the company's spokesperson said, and here are the photos to prove it. Aston Martin had originally planned to start delivering V12 Speedsters in the first quarter of 2021, but whether that's possible in the world of COVID-19 remains to be seen.  The company says this prototype is intended for "dynamic development," meaning it's going to be used to fine-tune road and track performance. Based on the details Aston Martin has released so far, we're inclined to believe that it will be a treat in both departments. Aston Martin V12 Speedster View 18 Photos Fortunately, we have Aston Martin's previous renderings. Aston says the V12 Speedster is powered by a 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 making 700 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque. Power goes to the rear wheels by way of a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox. The British luxury builder claims this combo is good for a run to 62 mph in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 186 mph. The platform itself is made by combining elements of the DBS Superleggera and Vantage. It has 21-inch forged, center-locking wheels, huge carbon ceramic brakes and adaptive dampers. As you can see from the gallery, Aston Martin did not include any photos of the prototype's interior, and we suspect that's because it doesn't actually have one yet — at least not anything worth showing. That's just as well. This is a single-purpose toy, not a touring coupe, and anything more than a well-anchored set of seats and intuitive driver controls is just a bonus anyway. 

Aston Martin mulls Formula E, but one thing must change

It may be the off-season, but Formula E is on fire. It seems that everybody is scrambling for a spot on the grid. Jaguar relaunched its racing program in the electric series, and is doubling down with a support series. Audi took a more prominent position for next season. BMW's in. Mercedes-Benz will be joining, too. Porsche has ditched WEC for Formula E. FCA is interested. So it shouldn't be too surprising, then, that Aston Martin is now considering a Formula E entry, as Automotive News Europe reports. Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer told the outlet that the series could support the company's development of electric vehicles, such as the upcoming RapidE, pictured above. "We don't have an electric car yet, but we will have in 2019," he said. "You can imagine the two coming together. I love Formula E." Palmer said, though, that Aston Martin wouldn't want to join the series until it does away with car swaps mid-race. "For me, the use of the two cars reinforces the range anxiety," Palmer told Automotive News Europe. "That will change, and then it starts to get interesting." In the past, other automakers have expressed similar concerns about car swaps. The upcoming season will be the last to use the practice, and Formula E will move toward using a single car per driver for each race beginning in the 2018-19 season. Aston Martin scaled back plans for the RapidE electric car after its partner LeEco pulled out of the project. Instead, Aston Martin will rely on the engineering expertise of Williams, and limit the RapidE to 155 units, priced at around $255,000. Related Video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin RapidE concept View 12 Photos News Source: Automotive News EuropeImage Credit: Aston Martin Green Motorsports Aston Martin Electric Racing Vehicles Formula E aston martin rapide fia formula e championship

2019 Aston Martin designed by Daniel Craig is this year's Neiman Marcus car

The Neiman Marcus holdiay gift catalog is known for its extravagant offerings that sometimes involve cars. One year there were gold-painted Infiniti Q60 coupes, and another year there weren't high-powered Mustang convertibles, which ended up at a Michigan Ford dealer. This year, Neiman Marcus is offering some special James Bond-themed 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera supercars. Only seven will be built, and they're all done to the specifications set by current 007 actor Daniel Craig. They're quite attractive and subtle, with a gray-blue paint and matching leather interior. Nothing changes on the performance front, but we doubt anyone will be disappointed by the 715 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque produced by the standard twin-turbo 5.2-liter V12. With each car, Neiman Marcus will include a special Omega Seamaster Diver 300M watch, with dials that have the trademark 007 gun barrel rifling design. And of course, only seven of these watches are being made. Buyers of the Aston and its watch will also get tickets to the world premiere of the latest Bond film, "No Time to Die." Also, 12% of the purchase price will go to Opportunity Network, a charitable organization that helps minority and low-income students get into and through college. All of this can be yours for the also-Bond-themed price of $700,007. That's more than twice the $304,995 base price of a normal Superleggera. Such is the cost of exclusivity.