This Is It: Aston’s One-Off CC100 Centenary Special [w/Video]

Aston Martin has lifted the veil off its CC100 Speedster concept car that marks the company’s 100th birthday. The CC100 Speedster, which stands for Concept Car 100 years, is also a tribute to the Le Mans-winning 1959 Aston Martin DBR1 racecar, from which it adopts the classic two-seat speedster shape.

Built on the platform of the V12 Vantage, the CC100 can also be considered a tribute to Aston’s smallest V12 model that will soon be discontinued. Last but not least, Aston Martin says the study hints at potential future design direction.

The fully-working prototype debuted on Sunday at the Nürburgring 24 Hours where it was given a demonstration lap by Aston’s boss himself, Ulrich Bez, alongside a DBR1 driven by Sir Stirling Moss.

“CC100 is the epitome of everything that is great about Aston Martin. It represents our fantastic sporting heritage, our exceptional design capability, our superb engineering know-how and, above all, our adventurous spirit!” said an enthusiastic Ulrich Bez.

Designed and built in less than six months, the CC100 combines the DBR1’s concept with modern Aston Martin design cues, such as the enlarged grille, the side strakes air vents and the powerful rear end styling that reminds of the V12 Zagato. The area surrounding the lights looks like a mirrored front grille without the top part. The minimalist interior includes bucket seats, a racing-inspired center console and a TFT display behind the steering wheel that replaces traditional dials.

The car measures almost four and half meters (177 inches) in length and more than two meters (79 inches) wide, including mirrors. The body and interior are crafted from carbon fiber, which is visible in the cabin and at the rear. Although Aston didn’t provide weight details, the CC100 is tipped to be more than 400 kg (882 lbs) lighter than the V12 Vantage, weighing under 1,200 kg (2,645 lbs).

The CC100 Speedster is powered by the latest generation AM11 naturally aspirated 6.0-liter V12 gasoline engine mated to a six-speed automated sequential manual transmission that is controlled via steering column-mounted paddle shifts.

The output of the V12 unit was not disclosed, but it is powerful enough to catapult the CC100 from standstill to 62 mph (100 km/h) in little over 4 seconds, with top speed limited to 180 mph (290 km/h).

By Dan Mihalascu

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