One-77: Behind the wheel

Slot the credit card-sized key – the Emotional Control Unit – into the centre console, and prepare for fireworks... The One-77’s epic 7.3-litre V12 splutters for a moment, then lets out a blood-curdling roar which wouldn’t sound out of place in the pitlane at Le Mans.

Any doubts about whether this is the most special car Aston has ever produced are dispelled immediately. The figures speak for themselves: the One-77 costs £1.2million, gives 750bhp from an enlarged version of the DBS’s V12 and will be limited to a production run of only 77 examples. But to meet the most ambitious Aston to date in the flesh is an awe-inspiring experience.

You sit low in the ultra-light, shell-like seats with the sculpted centre console sloping dramatically away from you. Every surface is beautifully detailed and painstakingly constructed from the finest materials. Carbon fibre is in abundance; not only are the body panels crafted from it, naked weave also trims the chunky but featherlight doors, the huge rear diffuser and the beautiful suspension arms, visible through the rear screen.

There’s proven performance to match its looks – and chief designer Chris Porritt has felt it. “Acceleration is stunning,” he said. “In testing at Nardo, we hit the 220mph top speed within half a lap of the eight-mile track – something I’ve not experienced in any other car.”

Around 50 One-77s have been sold, with first deliveries at the end of the year. Can any car be worth this price? We’ll reveal all when we drive it...

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WHY: We get up close and personal with the £1.2million supercar and fire up its 7.3-litre V12