Tuesday 5th August

Jaw-dropping 'Octavia' Aston DBS set for Monterey

800hp supercharged V8, six-speed manual, carbon-bodied and 10 inches wider - Ringbrothers does it again

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If Ringbrothers was doing a new merch drop, it would be exciting. The Wisconsin outfit has simply been building too many spectacular cars for too long; anything it does now piques interest. Its latest creation seems very much cut from the same crazy cloth; once a 1971 Aston Martin DBS, this is now ‘Octavia’ - and it has eight hundred horsepower. 

Specifically, Ringbrothers reckons on 805hp, which sounds about adequate. That power reaches the road through a six-speed manual gearbox. Perhaps more exciting even than those aspects is how the Octavia is going to look. Now entirely carbon-bodied, the William Towns-designed DBS is eight inches wider up front and fully 10 inches broader at the back, so it’s going to look like the Aston Martin of a comic book villain - just how we like a Ringbrothers project. Mad, bad and like nothing else, but also with unflinching attention to detail. 

‘Every fact of the Aston Martin has been tailored with bespoke components that showcase Ringbrothers’ zealous attention to detail… Octavia furthers innovation in engineering and celebrates the spirit of hot rodding on the grandest scale of them all.’ 

Raising the bar for Ringbrothers ought to mean something very special indeed. On the finely manicured lawns of Monterey, around supercars that have been seen before or those that will never go anywhere, the Ringbrothers Octavia has to be an absolute must-see. Full details coming next Friday. 

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[mrclav]

Whatever this ends up looking like, I'm here for it.

Especially as a lot on here will hate it just because!

[powellypowelly]

These teasers look like they're from a Mustang

[ian_c_uk]

I can’t wait for them to rebody a Cygnet - they could call it the Ringbrothers Fabia.

[m62tu]

Did they have to venture there, 911s are in abundance, the DBS is high triple digits. It is exceptionally stunning OEM form.
Flared arches and carbon bits, aesthetically do not work on this. Wood, metal, leathers are the only way.

[Robertb]

Will be interesting to see how it compares to the Victor, which looked like Darth Vader’s Aston.

[Baileyk]

Been watching the build of this on YouTube, whilst it is certainly cool it doesn’t look like the end product is going to resemble the original DBS.

[Wardy78]

Great idea in theory, but (contentious question), in 2025 is any manual gearbox really going to be a good option in a 800bhp car?

I've driven a 2024 (I think) Mustang with a manual gearbox. It wasn't a dog, but it wasn't great. I've also driven a manual M3, it was no better - and BMW manual boxes used to be the benchmark (IMO).

Lightweight, lower powered cars have some great manual 'boxes. The GR Yaris and a GR85/86(?) were a lot better, but a (partly) American developed Aston with 800bhp?

[Sporky]

ian_c_uk said:

I can’t wait for them to rebody a Cygnet - they could call it the Ringbrothers Fabia.

Excellent work.

[m62tu]

Wardy78 said:

Great idea in theory, but (contentious question), in 2025 is any manual gearbox really going to be a good option in a 800bhp car?

I've driven a 2024 (I think) Mustang with a manual gearbox. It wasn't a dog, but it wasn't great. I've also driven a manual M3, it was no better - and BMW manual boxes used to be the benchmark (IMO).

Lightweight, lower powered cars have some great manual 'boxes. The GR Yaris and a GR85/86(?) were a lot better, but a (partly) American developed Aston with 800bhp?

Bmw was not in the gearbox business, they always used Getrag for manuals and ZF for the auto alternative. M-B is one of the few that engineer in house. But it is strange that since the 00s manuals became notchy in most cars and drivers became critical of them.

• Regarding the Mustang, only the Tremec version is high praise and can withstand abuse.

[peteA]

I’ve watched this on YouTube as well, I like their work and the yank muscle cars, etc look good, it will be interesting to see how this turns out? Ford coyote engine and styling won’t be for the traditionalists!

[CountyLines]

Wardy78 said:

BMW manual boxes used to be the benchmark (IMO).

I've always thought BMW manuals were awful.

[Wardy78]

CountyLines said:

Wardy78 said:

BMW manual boxes used to be the benchmark (IMO).

I've always thought BMW manuals were awful.

I'm talking 1990s. I always found them precise, firm/well-weighted, short throw, and set high with a short stick.

[philrs03]

Can’t wait to see it, an engineering masterpiece no doubt.

Although, it’s kind of like turning up to a pheasant shoot in Camouflage trousers wielding a semi auto shotgun with a red dot on it… I can’t imagine the Aston old guard being fans!

[C5_Steve]

Love their work, keen to see what this looks like.

[el romeral]

This will give its Skoda namesake a real image lift

[NDNDNDND]

Wardy78 said:

CountyLines said:

Wardy78 said:

BMW manual boxes used to be the benchmark (IMO).

I've always thought BMW manuals were awful.

I'm talking 1990s. I always found them precise, firm/well-weighted, short throw, and set high with a short stick.

Clutch Delay Valves.

[LotusOmega375D]

I‘ll hang on until the vRS model is launched. Maybe go for the diesel version for better fuel economy?

[Sporky]

I wonder if they'll ever achieve Skoda levels of reliability?

[thegreenhell]

Is this the same one they're documenting on their youtube channel?

[fflump]

It will be interesting to see how they manage to keep the essence of the original DBS which is a superlative design. One challenge is that the overall shape has similarities to the American muscle cars of the era and it will be tricky to avoid it turning out like a modified Mustang of the same era. Best of luck to them anyway.