Aston Martin to Showcase One-77 at Canadian International Auto Show

Irvine, CA, 10 February 2012 – Aston Martin will premiere the company’s ultimate supercar; the One-77 at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto next week as the 750bhp sports car makes its public debut in the region.

Joining the British marque’s presence at the show in conjunction with dealer partner Aston Martin of Ontario, the appearance marks the culmination of a One-77 tour of the Americas which started late last year and affords Canadian enthusiasts a rare opportunity to see the car in person. The One-77 will be joined on the stand by a new Virage and V8 Vantage S, both of which were launched last year.

The One-77 is testament to Aston Martin’s combination of advanced technological processes and highly skilled workforce. Formed around a full carbon fiber monocoque, the One-77 is immensely strong and light, with 3,500 carbon fiber elements combined to make up the car’s structural elements. Giving added resonance to the car’s appearance in Toronto, this carbon fiber basis has been developed and produced in conjunction with automotive specialists, Multimatic (MTC) of Canada.

Julian Jenkins, Vice President Aston Martin the Americas said: “Whilst our time with the One-77 in this region was limited we were keen to show this very unique Aston Martin in Canada before it returns to the UK and the Canadian International Auto Show offered the perfect showcase.

“We are therefore delighted, in conjunction with our dealer partner Aston Martin of Ontario, to offer enthusiasts the opportunity to see the One-77 for the first time in Canada.”

Aston Martin’s design and engineering teams have overseen the intense One-77 development program throughout the three years it has taken from the car’s initial conception in October 2007 to commencing the first production of the strictly limited 77 examples in late 2010.

The example of the One-77 to be displayed in Toronto is the final pre-production engineering development car, which has covered some 14,000 miles incorporating extensive endurance testing at Nardo in Italy and the Nürburgring in Germany. While the car will not be offered for sale in Canada this pre-production car showcase offers an insight into the testing and development carried out on the One-77 project, with this particular car still having been painstakingly assembled over approximately 2,700 man-hours by a team of 27 technicians inside a purpose-built facility at Aston Martin’s Gaydon, England headquarters.

The One-77, powered by a 7.3 liter V12 engine producing 750bhp and 553lb.ft of torque, is being built to order for no more than 77 customers and is Aston Martin’s ultimate expression of design, engineering and craftsmanship. With its handcrafted aluminum body and full carbon fiber monocoque chassis, the One-77 is the most powerful naturally-aspirated road car in the world today.

The four days of intensive, back-to-back testing and evaluation are known in the automotive industry as “TestFest”. The results of the journalists’ test-drive evaluations were made known today during a press conference wherein the category winners were announced. The press conference was held at the Niagara Drive Centre, located at the Niagara District Airport where “TestFest” is staged each year.

The winners are:

1. BEST NEW SMALL CAR (under $21k) Hyundai Accent
2. BEST NEW SMALL CAR (over $21k) Hyundai Elantra
3. BEST NEW FAMILY CAR (under $30k) Kia Optima
4. BEST NEW FAMILY CAR (over $30k) Kia Optima Hybrid
5. BEST NEW LUXURY CAR Mercedes-Benz C-Class C350 4MATIC Sedan
6. BEST NEW PRESTIGE CAR (over $75k) Mercedes-Benz S-Class S350 BlueTEC 4MATIC
7. BEST NEW SPORTS/PERFORMANCE CAR (under $50k): Hyundai Veloster
8. BEST NEW SPORTS/PERFORMANCE CAR (over $50k): BMW 1 Series M Coupé
9. BEST NEW SUV/CUV (under $35k) Dodge Journey
10. BEST NEW SUV/CUV ($35k-$60k) Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel
11. BEST NEW SUV/CUV (over $60k) BMW X3

The results were compiled by the international accounting firm KPMG and kept confidential even from AJAC until this morning’s press conference. They were determined from more than 40,000 individual data points established in the testing of 170 different vehicles.

The purpose of the AJAC awards is to provide consumers with a valuable resource they can use when researching the purchase of a new vehicle – one that includes a broad range of comparative information on vehicles that are new to the market. That information includes not just specifications and features but actual performance data and subjective ratings on up to 23 different characteristics – from interior roominess and comfort to ride quality and handling ability.

Our journalists’ vote results – including all of the comparative test data amassed this week – are on our web site for use as a consumer resource buying guide. Consumers that want to compare a Fiat 500 to Honda Civic Sedan or a Hyundai Accent? Or a Acura TL to a Mercedes-Benz C-Class C350? You need look no further than the AJAC web site: www.ajac.ca > Canadian Car of the Year Awards > Results

Photos from the TestFest evaluation program and press conference are available on the AJAC web site as well on the various social networking sites.

The 11 category winners listed above now go on to compete for the honour of becoming the 2012 Canadian Car of the Year or the 2012 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year. These overall winners will be announced on February 16th, 2012, at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, ON. Award winners for Best New Design and Best New Technology, presented by Shell Canada, will also be announced at that time.

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR

New customer sport top model for 2012 race season

Stuttgart. The new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR is ready to race. The top model of Porsche Motorsport’s customer racing vehicles will head into the 2012 season with extensive modifications. Particularly striking at first glance are the changes to the body: the width of the new GT3 RSR has grown by 48 millimetres. Built to conform to the A.C.O. “LM” GTE regulations, the 911 represents the crowning pinnacle of a range of successful customer sport race cars that are based on the 997 type 911 GT3 RS street sports car.

Powering the new 911 GT3 RSR is a particularly efficient six-cylinder boxer engine with a four-litre capacity. With a mandatory air-restrictor, it generates 460 hp (338 kW) and drives the 310 millimetre wide rear wheels. The diameter of the front wheels has increased by 30 mm to now measure 680 millimetres. The Porsche sequential six-speed gearbox is operated via paddle shifts on the steering wheel.

The nose and rear panels are adapted to the flared front and rear wheel arches, as are the door sill and the wheel arch coverings. The aerodynamic concept is complemented by a new ducting of the intake air. Openings in the rear side sections, as known from the turbo variants of the Porsche 911, replace the air scoop on the engine hood, which is very similar to the 911 GT2 RS street sports car.

The new 911 GT3 RSR can be raced at the Le Mans 24 Hours, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the Le Mans Series, the American Le Mans Series as well as the International GT Open and in other series and races.

“Our customer teams can expect a technically mature, high performance race car with which they will be highly competitive at international long distance races,” assures Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport. “Our test programme on various international race tracks is currently running at full speed. We are very pleased with the car’s performance and driveability.”

The new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR will be delivered to customer squads around the world from January 2012. The selling price is 498,000 Euro plus value added tax of the respective countries.