Aston Martin Unveils Speedster Concept

Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. says its new open-top CC100 Speedster Concept offers styling cues likely to show up on future Aston Martin production supercars.

The Speedster, which marks Aston Martin's 100th birthday, evokes the company's DBR1 race car from the late 1950s. That car won the 24 Hours of Nurburgring race for three consecutive years beginning in 1957. It also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1959.

A restored DBR1 and the CC100 concept made a parade lap on Sunday ahead of the 24 Hours of Nurburgring race in Germany.

The CC100, which measures about 14.5 feet long and 6.5 feet wide, was built by custom fabricator Multimatic Inc. in Markham, Ont. The Canadian company also produced the interior, including its leather racing seats.

One of the most distinctive design elements of the carbon-fiber-bodied CC100 is the large openings cut into each door area. The doors themselves are small panels above the openings that swing forward and up.

The concept is powered by a version of Aston Martin's 510-hp 6.0-liter V-12 engine, which links to the rear wheels through a six-speed, dual-clutch sequential transmission. The company says the concept can scoot from zero to 60 mph in four seconds and reach an electronically limited top speed of 180 mph.