Aston Martin’s formula as a brand is a pretty straightforward one: Make fast cars that look good, drive great, and cost much. Its unending push for automotive perfection, though, doesn’t mean its engineers and designers aren’t given room to play around.
Enter the company’s Q Advanced Operations department. No, James Bond’s trusted quartermaster isn’t tucked away in a secret garage building Astons—though you’d be forgiven for thinking so given the kinds of cars this branch puts out.
The Aston Martin Victor. The One-77. The Vulcan. The Toyota IQ-based V8 Cygnet. The Vantage V12 V600. These are some of the most capable—not to mention unique—cars on the face of this planet, and they’re all products of the British manufacturer’s Q branch.
Top Gear gets behind the wheel of each one of the abovementioned cars on Silverstone’s Stowe circuit for our viewing pleasure. Because, well, let’s face it: very few of us will have the pleasure of stepping near these ultra-rare rides, let alone push one to its limits on track. Watch:
“We’re here to celebrate the special-ops Astons. The weirdest, the rarest, the most expensive, the most extreme cars to ever wear the Aston Martin wings. And here they all are laid out for your viewing pleasure,” Top Gear’s Jack Rix says to the audience as he introduces the bevy of bespoke Astons surrounding him.
“I’m going to tell you what I know, then we’re going to tell you what they’re like to drive. Sound good? Excellent.”
And, that’s it. You didn’t think we were going to spoil this for you, did we? It’s not every day that this many rides of this caliber are parked together on video, so press play on the video above and enjoy. Also, do let us know which of these vehicles you would drive home given the chance.
