New Aston Martin DBR22 Is A Roofless V12-Powered Beauty

Even Aston Martin will need to build fully electric cars eventually, but the British supercar brand has shown there’s a little bit of life left in its thumping V12. The monstrous power unit features in the new Aston Martin DBR22, a limited-run roadster inspired by some of the brand’s classic sports cars. Aside from looking pretty, it’s been built to commemorate 10 years of Aston’s in-house ‘Q’ customisation service.

The roofless DBR22 has been unveiled at this year’s Monterey Car Week festival, and it takes inspiration from the brand’s DBR1 and DB3S sports cars from the 1950s. While Aston’s heritage models have inspired the design, the DBR22 has all the technology and performance you’d expect from a modern supercar.

You’ll find a twin-turbocharged 5.2-litre V12 under the car’s front bonnet, capable of sending 705bhp to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. That twelve-cylinder power unit will propel the DBR22 from standstill to 62mph in just 3.4 seconds, while top speed is rated at 198mph.

Standout features of the DBR22 include unique 14-spoke wheels with motorsport-inspired centre-lock hubs, a full-width rear light bar, a central exhaust system and a minimalist windscreen, which should help keep bugs out of the driver’s teeth while driving at speeds close to 200mph (assuming these cars don’t spend their lives as garage queens).

Despite the car’s aggressive and sporty looks, the interior isn’t exactly ‘stripped-out’ for light weight and performance. Instead, you’ll find extensive use of leather and carbon fibre, while an all-new dashboard featuring an integrated touchscreen could represent a glimpse into the future of Aston’s interior design in production series models. Hopefully it’ll be a better system than Aston’s current one.

Watch: The Aston Martin Valkyrie’s Glorious V12 Sound Will Restore Your Faith In Cars

As a Q division model, DBR22 buyers can customise their cars with an incredible level of bespoke details, even down to bespoke ‘Paint to Sample’ colours for the wheel’s centre-lock nuts. Then again, you’d expect nothing less for a car that has a base price of £1.5 million (around $1.8 million).

Earlier this year, Aston Martin also took the wraps off its limited-edition V12 Vantage supercar – a celebration of the glorious, fire-breathing twelve-cylinder engine as electrification gradually takes over the brand’s line-up.

Next up, check out New 690bhp Aston Martin V12 Vantage Outguns The Porsche 911 Turbo S