Topless beauty: Aston Martin reveals one-off DBR22
Old meets new in the Aston Martin DBR22 design concept
Aston Martin might have just revealed its most beautiful open-top two-seater to date. Set to make its official debut at the 2022 Monterey Car Week is the DBR22. Meant to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Q by Aston Martin, the brand's in-house bespoke division, the two-seater design concept harkens back to race cars of yesteryear while benefitting from modern engineering.
Combining class coachbuilding techniques with advanced materials and cutting-edge manufacturing technologies, the DBR22 is where the old meets the new. Starting with its design, Q by Aston Martin drew inspiration from past racers such as the DBR1 and the DB3S. It gets a long hood and short deck design that is complemented by large alloy wheels, muscular curves, sharp creases, and an unmistakable silhouette.
Underneath its sleek and sexy exterior lies a carbon fiber bodywork that is both lightweight and rigid. Meanwhile, its coach-built form was created thanks to a number of body panels that allows it to have a sculpted and muscular appearance. Also worth mentioning on the vehicle itself is the entirely new front grille that incorporates a carbon fiber design which in itself is a design that takes inspiration directly from the DBR1 and DB3S.
As mentioned earlier, it has a long hood (or bonnet for those in the UK) with a horseshoe-shaped vent that aids in channeling airflow from the 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 that sits beneath. Thanks to its long, unbroken design that goes all the way to the wind deflector, it is smooth, aerodynamic, and also pleasing to the eyes.
Other exterior highlights include massive 21-inch alloy wheels, a pair of large center-exit exhaust tips, full-width LED taillights, an integrated diffuser for the rear, and the large buttresses that sit behind the driver and front passenger seats.
Like the exterior, the cabin of the DBR22 is both old and new. Neat touches of fine leather and exposed carbon fiber form a unique-looking interior that blends style and function. There are also leather straps inside the vehicle that doubles as aesthetic trims and functional pieces of the cabin. When it comes to amenities, it has a digital instrument cluster, a touchscreen infotainment system, large paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, a push-button style gear selector, and a flat-bottom steering wheel.
Powering the DBR22 is, you guessed it, a twin-turbo V12 that we mentioned earlier. It makes 715 PS along with 753 Nm of torque and is coupled to an 8-speed automatic transmission. This allows the two-seater to go from 0 – 97 km/h in 3.4 seconds and achieve a top speed of 319 km/h.
Aside from giving the DBR22 a sleek body, Aston Martin was also busy with the chassis. It has unique front and rear shear panels that further increase torsional rigidity with a bespoke calibration for the adaptive dampers.
The DBR22 also features a 3D-printed rear subframe – the first time Aston Martin has used such a method. The component is made from multiple 3D printed parts printed from aluminum, which are then bonded to form the finished subframe. This provides a significant reduction in weight while not affecting the subframe's stiffness.
Since the DBR22 is a concept vehicle, don't expect to see a production model coming out anytime soon. However, Q by Aston Martin did mention that its design concept will become a production reality for select customers. This means those who wish their vehicle to have similar styling cues as the DBR22 can ask Q by Aston Martin to make it happen.
