It's the Aston DB-ONE

One for the future - that's how this stunning new Aston Martin is being described by its celebrated designer

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Ross Pinnock

25th May 2007

The coupé is called the DB-One, and is the work of independent Spanish stylist Ruben Vela. It shows how the firm's new owners could evolve the current line-up - and Aston fans will be pleased to see several of the British brand's trademark styling cues on the sleek two-door.

These include a distinctive grille outline, and the long-nosed bonnets for which the car maker is famous. It even features air vents in the front wings, as on the legendary DB5 coupé.

Vela's concept has smooth surfaces and pronounced creases which run from the nose to the rear wheelarches. A low-slung body with huge five-spoke chrome alloy wheels helps to create an aggressive, purposeful stance.

Narrow hi-tech headlamps resembling air vents sit on the rounded nose, while the glass roof canopy mimics that of an F-15 fighter jet plane. Sporty details in the luxuriously appointed two-seater cabin include a race-inspired, flat-bottomed steering wheel, traditional Aston instrumentation and supportive bucket seats. Yet despite the clever roof and strikingly sculpted body sides, the most dramatic part of the design is its sweeping back end.

The upturned tail rises to meet the near-horizontal rear deck with a narrow, black band which incorporates the LED tail-lights. It runs parallel to the underbody diffuser, which has been designed to help keep the 200mph car glued to the road at high speed.