Aston Martin

Yes, Geneva finally lets us get a full viewing of Aston Martin’s supercar for the mega-rich – the stunning One-77. Even though we've previously glimpsed a corner or two of this impressive machine, the impact of the full car is still staggering. It's lower and more compact than we'd first imagined, as well as a sublime beauty, as indeed it needs to be with a projected $1.4 million price tag.

The car unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show isn't, in reality, any different than the one kept under wraps at the Paris Auto Show last September. It’s still a full-sized mock-up but painted a different color and now with lights. But the key thing is a full display of the new chassis that incorporates so many innovations for Aston Martin. All-carbon-composite construction, dry-sumped V12 and push-rod inboard suspension are all firsts in an Aston Martin road car.

The 700-horsepower 7.3-liter engine has been developed with Cosworth and will be assembled at its Northampton base, rather than in Germany like other Aston engines. It's set well back and very low in the chassis, giving it that gfront mid-engined h configuration that should give it the dynamics of a rear mid-engined supercar without the edgy handling.

The suspension system cleans up the airflow around the front wheels to optimize aerodynamics. But it's not just the state-of-the-art design. The chassis alone is a thing of such precise technological beauty it is reason enough to covet the One-77. The billet machined aluminium suspension components are works of fine art.

The 6-speed transmission is, of course, controlled via steering-column-mounted paddles. It's a new generation of Aston Martin’s familiar robotized sequential manual. Though it's made specifically for the One-77 and features specially strengthened internals to cope with the tremendous power and torque, the lessons learned in its development will ultimately find their way into the company’s series production models.

With a projected weight of 3,307 pounds, a top speed in excess of 200 mph and zero to 60 mph runs of around 3.5 seconds, elevate the One-77 into the very top bracket of the ultra-supercars. But let's not forget that as well as raw numbers, the One-77 promises an unrivaled combination of driving experience and automotive art.

DBS VolanteIn the more affordable realm, if $224,847 can really be called affordable these days, comes the debut of the DBS Volante. Aston Martin's Ferrari California rival wipes all thoughts of credit crunches and recessions away, leaving you to simply savor one of the most beautiful cars at the show. It’s not just a pretty face either, this soft-top gaining all the features you’d expect of a flagship Aston Martin.

Adjustable dampers and ceramic brakes are standard. Buyers have a choice of a 6-speed manual or 6-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox, the latter specially configured to match the DBS Volante’s formidable power output. Capable of running from zero to 62 mph in just 4.3 seconds en route to a top speed of 191 mph, the Volante matches its coupe brother in performance.

But surely a traditional cloth hood is old tech compared with the folding metal hardtop offered by the Ferrari California? Perhaps, but it means the Volante looks just as elegant as the coupe when the roof is up, preserves the finely balanced lines (the California’s looks are compromised by the need to accommodate its solid roof) and minimizes weight gain.

Aston Martin’s sophisticated bonded and riveted aluminium structure means the DBS is inherently stiff anyway; chopping the roof off barely compromises this and requires a minimum of extra bracing. The rear-mounted gearbox, meanwhile, ensures perfect weight distribution with which to enjoy the added performance of the DBS model.

And while the standard DB9 Volante already develops 470 horses, the DBS version of the fabulous 6-liter V12 in this new model boasts an output of 517 horsepower and a mighty 420 lb-ft of torque. Much of the extra grunt comes from a revised induction system including a flap to bypass the standard intake beyond 5,500 rpm, boosting power and noise.

The latter is especially spectacular and all the more enjoyable in this open-top version. It’s not the only V12 Aston here though; the new twelve-cylinder 517 horsepower version of the Vantage is also on the stand. Previewed in concept form already, the production car is one of the most extreme road-going Astons ever built.

Production will be limited to just 1,000 cars when it starts later this year – recession notwithstanding. The headline figures of a 190 mph top speed and zero to 62 mph in 4.2 seconds might not sound dramatically different from the 180 mph and 4.8 seconds of the standard V8 Vantage, but the new V12 is a much more extreme proposition.

The V12 Vantage includes technology honed on track with the N400 and GT4 race versions. Carbon ceramic matrix (CCM) brakes help keep weight gain over the V8 to just 110.2 pounds, despite the engine alone weighing 220.5 pounds more. There’s also a “track” mode on the stability control and a “sport” button to unleash the ferocious side to the V12’s nature.