Ultimate Aston has Veyron in sight

Heat is on in the £1million hypercar club as Brit’s new One-77 goes head-to-head with fastest-ever Bugatti...

In true James Bond style, some top-secret files have been liberated – and these are the spectacular results. This is Aston Martin’s ultra-exclusive supercoupé, the One-77, revealed for the first time thanks to images you weren’t meant to see. At least not yet anyway!

And in a double scoop, Auto Express can also take the wraps off the One-77’s closest rival in the billionaire club – Bugatti’s forthcoming Veyron Super Sport (see panel, opposite). This is an even more powerful version of the world’s fastest car, and as with the One-77, it’s another £1m machine. It will have the Aston beaten for speed, but will it match it for visual drama?

Judging by these images, the answer has to be no. The One-77 was partly unveiled at last month’s Paris Motor Show – bosses kept it cloaked under a cover, revealing only the front and rear wings. But these are the first images to show the newcomer from every angle.

The car here is the same prototype that appeared at Paris. After it left the French expo, it was photographed by Aston Martin and the pictures sent to potential buyers.

However, they leaked on to the Internet. And, as you can see, the One-77 is the ultimate progression of a shape that has evolved through the Vanquish, DB9, V8 Vantage and, most recently, the DBS.

At the front, it has a huge grille and wide wings with deep air intakes. The flanks get gaping gills, too, while at the rear is a race-style diffuser and what looks like a pop-up spoiler integrated into the bootlid – this is part of the car’s ‘active aerodynamics’. Add the deep side air intakes and grooved ceramic disc brakes, and the One-77 looks every inch a £1.2million machine.

Although official details are still scarce, the new Aston is said to feature a modified version of the 6.0-litre V12 that appears in the DBS. With a capacity of 7.3 litres, this will be the firm’s most powerful engine ever, producing around 700bhp.

Thanks to a carbon fibre monocoque chassis and a hand-finished aluminium body, the One-77 should tip the scales at around 1,500kg. That means a 0-60mph sprint time of around 3.5 seconds and a top speed of more than 200mph.

A twin-clutch semi-automatic gearbox with steering wheel paddleshifters is likely to be fitted, while buyers will get the option of a six-speed manual, plus adjustable suspension.

But it’s not all about speed and power. Aston is expected to reveal the interior soon, too, and it’s sure to be one of the most luxurious ever made, offering customers an incredible level of personalisation. Owners will be able to tailor nearly every part of the cabin to suit their own tastes – no two cars will be the same. About the only thing they won’t be able to change is the interior layout: the One-77 will be a strict two-seater.

Despite the current financial slowdown, interest in the Aston has been very strong, with more than 100 potential buyers putting their names down for the limited run of 77 models. Bosses will take the wraps off the final production version of the One-77 early next year.