Red hot Aston takes the chill out of winter

ASTON Martin's ultra exclusive One-77 supercar has moved closer to setting a new all-time record for the British marque in initial high speed testing.

The £1.2 million ballistic Brit has surpassed all predictions by comfortably breaking the 200mph mark during stringent testing ahead of planned launch in 2010.

High speed testing at a top secret proving ground in southern Europe saw the One-77 record a 220.007mph (354.86kmh) top speed in dry but windy conditions under the guidance of the Aston Martin engineering team.

Dynamic testing is now scheduled to continue into the New Year.

Powered by a new Aston Martin 7.3 litre V12 engine, the dramatically styled two-door, two-seat sports coupe is based on an innovative new carbon fibre monocoque body structure and adopts new active aerodynamic technology.

A spokesman for Aston Martin said: "The One-77 is the ultimate expression of what Aston Martin stands for and will combine modern technology and design with craftsmanship and ultimate exclusivity to create the world's most desirable automotive art form."

As name suggests, production is limited up to a maximum of 77 individually numbered examples, with deliveries expected to commence in mid-2010.