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Above: Vehicles are lifted or lowered to ergonomically accommodate workers, who work in a workshop so clean it borders on sterile. Photo: Nick Dimbleby
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The One-77 build process starts once several key components coalesce at the assembly area, among them a carbon fiber monocoque fabricated by Toronto firm Multimatic and a 7.2-liter V12 powerplant built by Cosworth, a British outfit that has developed race engines for everything from Groupe B Rally cars to Formula 1.
The monocoque, which is worth roughly one half the value of the car, demands a maddeningly delicate manufacturing process that takes six workers three weeks to complete — that is, when every step is executed flawlessly. If someone flubs the cutting, laying, curing or autoclaving process at any point in the meticulous construction process, the entire structure is scrapped and the process begins again.
Above: Workers prepare the 750-horsepower V12 engine for installation into a One-77. Photo: Nick Dimbleby
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Above: The One-77Άs bonded aluminum front structure, which cradles the engine, is mated to the body of the car. Photo: Nick Dimbleby
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Once the car's chassis is assembled and passes final inspection in Canada, it's shipped to Coventry Prototype in nearby Thetford. There, the carΆs aluminum skin is hand-formed into muscular, organic shapes that include menacingly flared haunches, artfully sliced front air intakes and side mirrors that appear to sprout directly from the doors — all of which Reichman penned. The skin is eventually bonded and bolted to the main structure, and the two-week process ends with a layer of black e-coating. The chassis and bodywork is then shipped to Aston Martin HQ where it receives a nine-layer paint job that can be matched to any color — perhaps the walls of a Florentine villa, or a favorite shade of lipstick.
But no matter how deep its lustrous paint or how rakish its lines, an exotic is nothing without its mechanical underpinnings. And that's where the seven stations come in.
Above: A team installs a headliner into a One-77. Photo: Basem Wasef
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Above: A worker integrates the "waterfall" wood center console into the dashboard. Photo: Basem Wasef
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The first station sees the installation of unglamorous but essential components including the maze of wiring harnesses and fuel lines. Once the plumbing's in place, it's time for station number two, where parts like the fuel filler and heat shields (some of which are finished in gold, for maximum reflectivity) are fastened.
The chassis becomes more visually interesting at stage three, where the instrument panel gets bolted onto the sub-assembly, along with the myriad switches, dials, and stretches of upholstery that constitute the interior.
The One-77 gets its monster motor in step number five, a careful marriage in which the hulking powerplant is mated to a cannon-like torque tube via twelve crucial bolts. The rest of the cockpit is assembled in stage six, while the fully adjustable inboard suspension components are installed, as well as the subassembly for the front fenders and various parts like grilles, latches, and hinges for what Brits call the "bonnet," or hood.
Above: The One-77's inboard suspension components are completely adjustable; though their setup suits roughly 90 percent of driving styles, an Aston Martin employee will fly out to each customer to setup the suspension to his or her specifications. Photo: Nick Dimbleby
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Above: A section of the carbon fiber monocoque is visible through the headlamp opening. Photo: Basem Wasef
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At the final point of assembly, everything comes together when four 20-inch wheels — shod with 235mm front and 335mm rear Pirelli P Zero Corsa rubber — are bolted on, millimeters away from the hulking carbon ceramic discs and six-piston front, four-piston rear calipers.
Finally, the One-77 can move on its own steam, and it's driven to an area where the wheels and suspension are aligned using a laser before the body panels are scrutinized for fit and finish beneath a tunnel of light.
A rolling simulation of a road test guarantees that everything from ABS and traction control to drivetrain components are functioning normally, and a battery of checklists are ticked off. Additional indoor simulations ensure that water and air won't leak into the cabin.
Above: Brembo supplies the One-77's massive carbon ceramic brakes, which measure 398 mm up front and 360 mm at the rear. Photo: Nick Dimbleby
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Above: A completed One-77 drives past others under construction. Photo: Nick Dimbleby
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When customers make the pilgrimage to Aston Martin headquarters to take delivery of their One-77s, each is treated to an unveiling experience that's nothing short of theatrical. Seated in a satin black room, a uniquely composed musical sequence fills the space from a Bang & Olufsen sound system. Five hundred organic LED lights hanging like tiny chandeliers start pulsing over the vehicle with a heartbeat, creating wave-like movements across the roofline and evolving into a choreographed shimmer that grows in intensity, finally shedding full light on the sheet metal below. The tease culminates with a musical crescendo, a sea of photons and the reveal of an impossibly sexy supercar.
Above: A completed One-77 sits on the turntable where its paint will be inspected for fit and finish. Photo: Nick Dimbleby
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Above: This is what a buyer first sees when taking delivery of a One-77 at the factory. Merely handing over the keys simply would not do. Buyers are treated to An Experience. Photo: Nick Dimbleby
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To date, all but 10 One-77s have been delivered to owners who span the globe from Asia to the Middle East. The remainder of the run will be completed in 2012. American buyers will have limited ability to drive the car on public roads since the One-77 was never crash tested for the U.S. market and thus receives NHTSA's limiting Show or Display classification — all of which further begs the question: Is a car like the Aston Martin One-77 worth its astronomical price?
If you've never slipped on a Savile Row suit or a perfect pair of handmade Oxfords, the idea of an off-the-rack exotic may seem perfectly passable, maybe even desirable. But for the slender slice of the population whose garage is already populated with Ferraris, McLarens, Lamborghinis, and maybe the odd Porsche, nothing will quite round out a collection of übercars like Aston Martin's deliciously rare and undeniably beautiful One-77.
Above: One of the final steps in the assembly process involves attaching the enameled Aston Martin badge to the One-77's hood. Photo: Nick Dimbleby
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