► Ringbrothers turns its attention to a classic Aston DBS
► Aston Martin gets a dose of muscle car
► Revealed at The Quail as part of Pebble Beach
Custom car builder Ringbrothers is best known for its tuned American restomods but has turned its attention to a classic Aston Martin DBS for its latest project.
Revealed at The Quail, an event that is part of Monterey’s Car Week, the DBS ‘Octavia’, as it’s named, is a completely overhauled version of the classic Aston Martin with a strong muscle car twist.
Though the silhouette is similar, the Octavia is a completely rebodied version of the original with a bespoke carbon-fibre bodykit. The DBS’s ‘coke-bottle’ flanks remain but its track has been considerably widened by eight inches at the front and 10 at the rear.
Based on an original 1971 Aston Martin DBS, the wheelbase has also been extended, with the front wheels have been brought forward by three inches, and there’s a new bespoke chassis. We did say the changes were significant. A special set of three-piece centrelock wheels have also been penned with Ragle Design and HRE as an homage to the original DBS. They are bespoke to this restomod.
Under the long muscular bonnet sits a Ford 5.0-litre V8where the Aston’s usual 4.0-litre straight-six would sit. In Ringbrothers’ form, it puts out 794bhp with a six-speed manual gearbox featuring. The valve covers have been designed to have the look of the original Aston Martin emblem, though with an ‘i’ added so it reads Aston Martini. The dipstick handle has also been made to look like a martini glass. Shaken, not stirred. Etc.
Other mechanical changes include a set of custom 14-inch Brembo brakes with six-piston callipers at the front and four-piston at the rear, with the Octavia riding on Fox coilovers.
Moving inside, the DBS’s interior has been thoroughly modernised with a carbon-fibre dashboard and pleated leather throughout. Various metal trim was milled from billet aluminium, while modern camera and tech features to bring the Aston up to modern standards.
Ringbrothers co-owner Jim Ring, said: “The Octavia is a combination of state-of-the-art fabrication and imagination. We asked ourselves, ‘What would an MI6 agent drive on holiday?’ This was the result.
‘The engineering and attention to detail that went into this project are unlike anything we’ve done before.’
Senior staff writer, car reviewer, news hound, avid car detailer.
By Ted Welford
Senior staff writer at CAR and our sister website Parkers. Loves a car auction. Enjoys making things shiny