The Aston Martin DB12 S has had its grille painted bright blue, and ‘VMF’ is why
Aston Martin is going back to the 1950s with three special DB12s, designed to reference its famous ‘VMF’ DB2 racers
Monterey Car Week in California has officially kicked off, and Aston Martin is taking it just as seriously as you’d expect. While the Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance celebrates its 75th year, Aston Martin is doing precisely the same with its DB2 Le Mans racer of the early 1950s. It's transformed the DB12 S to mark the occasion.
Three unique examples have been created by the marque’s internal Q division to take direct inspiration from each of the racers. Most distinctive of all was the use of bold painted grilles to make them easy to spot on the circuit, and as you’d expect, this is exactly what has been carried across to the DB12 S.
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Named ‘VMF 63’, ‘VMF 64’ and ‘VMF 65’ in reference to the number plates worn by the three DB2 racers, the DB12 specials come with Rosso Red, Speed Yellow and Ellwood Blue painted grilles and accents respectively – remaining faithful to the originals, though all three are painted in Carbon Black to match the DB2. Look a little closer and you’ll spot ‘75’ roundels denoting the 75th anniversary celebration, carbonfibre side strakes and rear lip spoilers painted to match too, with the latter including a subtle DB2 silhouette.
Move to the cabin and each of the specials comes with bold contrast stitching to match the colourful exterior highlights, with a more subtle DB2 silhouette embroidered into the seat backs as a reminder of the marque's past. The start/stop button and shifter paddle tips are painted to match the exterior highlights too, with '75' edition sill plaques finishing the interior transformation.
The DB12’s underpinnings have been left alone, with the DB12 S VMF getting the same 692bhp 4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 as the standard car for a 3.5sec 0-62mph time and 202mph top speed. Given the S is better than the standard car in just about every way, we can’t say we’re disappointed performance is untouched.
Andrea Baldi, Aston Martin Chief Commercial Officer, said: ‘The globally significant celebration of automotive excellence that is Monterey Car Week is the ideal background for the unveiling of our very special DB12 S ‘VMF’ cars celebrating this, the 75th running of the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance. But, beyond these carefully crafted tributes to the sporting roots of the event, we will of course be at the historic centre of the luxury automotive world which is the perfect place to celebrate our own heritage in the shape of the Vanquish 25 Special Edition, as well as looking to our exciting and dynamic future.’
Aston Martin has also taken the opportunity to mark the 25th anniversary of the Vanquish with its own special edition, it too created by the Q division and to be sold in limited numbers. This car will sit alongside the DB12 S VMF trio, Valhalla, DBX S and a DB2 during the firm’s Monterey Car Week appearance later this week.
