Aston Martin's 'truly visceral' new $1 million supercar has no windshield but can go 186 mph
Aston Martin unveiled a new limited-run roadster on March 4 called the V12 Speedster — it's got lots of design quirks, but let's start with the obvious.
Built to be a "truly visceral driver's car," the new Aston lacks a roof and windshield. It doesn't have a clever air-deflecting system, either, so passengers get the full brunt of the oncoming wind.
A giant bar running down the middle of the car adds to the roadster's fighter-jet aesthetic, but also creates a handy barrier should you not feel like talking to your passenger that day.
Due to the lack of a windshield, Aston Martin told Business Insider that the car will only be available for track use in the US — not on the streets. The company also suggests drivers and passengers wear helmets or goggles, no matter the country.
Up front, the Speedster sports a hood vent — or, in other terms, a "bonnet nostril."
That gap in the hood makes room for Aston to cram in a 5.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V12 that the company rates at 700 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque.
Thanks to a high-powered engine and a lightweight, carbon-fiber body, the V12 Speedster sprints to 62 mph in around 3.5 seconds, Aston Martin predicts.
With no windscreen, 62 mph surely feels like a lot more, so it's tough to imagine how terrifying it would be to take the Speedster to its limited top speed of 186 mph.
As for performance touches, the car gets center-locking 21-inch wheels, standard carbon-ceramic brakes, and adaptive-damping suspension.
Those glassed-in rear humps aren't just for style, either — they can house a pair of carbon-fiber helmets.
The helmet might not be the most normal accessory to take out on public roads, but it will likely cut down wind noise and bugs flying at your face, which is nice.
On the inside, there's a huge amount of carbon-fiber trim — pretty much required of any pricey supercar today.
In place of a regular glovebox, the V12 Speedster gets a removable leather bag fastened to the dash.
And the concept livery, developed through a collaboration with Boeing, features plenty of plane-centric references ...
... like red accents and door pulls that reference the "pull before flight" straps found on planes.
There's also a label urging you not to step on the Speedster's center divider, no matter how much it might look like a balance beam.
Aston Martin will hand build 88 examples of the V12 Speedster for the entire world, and pricing starts from roughly $998,000 at current exchange rates. Aston says the first deliveries will go out in early 2021.
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