What's all this then?
This is a pair of very special Aston Martin DB11s.
I thought all DB11s were special.
Well, quite, but these two are just a little more so. In the case of the convertible Volante, Aston Martin is continuing its partnership with the Henley rowing regatta. Last year it made a special Henley Royal Regatta DB11 coupe and this year it's the Volante that will form the centrepiece of a big Aston display at the prestigious rowing event.
The Henley Royal Regatta DB11 Volante gets a White Stone paint job, which is complemented by forged gloss black diamond turned wheels, a black fabric roof, an exterior carbon-fibre styling pack and dark finishes for the grilles, bonnet vents, and brake callipers.
Inside, there are lashings of Red Oxide Caithness, even more carbon fibre and, to hammer home the rowing theme, stainless steel crossed oar badges and hand-painted blue stripes that are meant to mimic the markings on rowing oars.
This one-off DB11 is priced at £199,995 and will be on display this week at Henley-on-Thames for the regatta.
Just the one? Got one I can have?
Well, yes, if you've got the cash. Aston Martin is also celebrating the 20th anniversary of one of the first online homes for high-end car enthusiasts, the Classic Driver website.
To mark the occasion, there will be 20 DB11 coupes and Volantes, finished in an intriguing new paint job. Inspired both by the Classic Driver colour scheme and by some historic Aston Martin colours, the Classic Driver Grey paint has little 'pearl' flakes embedded in it, which flash a dark green highlight when they catch the sun just right. There's also a carbon fibre exterior trim pack with an Eifel Green lacquer finish.
Inside, there's Eifel Green leather, and a Westminster Green fabric roof if you go for the Volante convertible. The Classic Driver logo is sewn into the headrests in Westminster Green thread and there are special badges on the front wings and the door sills.
What's the connection? Well, before he broke the early internet, Classic Driver founder, Alexander Knapp Voith, was an Aston Martin dealer, with a dealership in Hamburg. "Having worked closely with Aston Martin, and having kept a special place in my heart for the brand for almost three decades, I am proud to celebrate Classic Driver's anniversary with this limited-edition DB11," says Knapp Voith. "For me, seeing both brands unite for this bespoke car truly feels like the perfect match."
If you want one of the 20, you'll have to find £199,275. Who says there's no money in cyberspace?
Neil Briscoe - 4 Jul 2018