It may be No Time To Die, but it’s the perfect time for an electric Aston Martin DB6 conversion.
As the long-delayed latest 007 flick reaches the big screen overseas (no spoilers, please!), Lunaz Design has revealed its latest electric re-engineering project.
The company is doing a limited production run of restored, re-engineered and electrified Aston Martin DB6 sports cars, with “highly limited” build slots also being made available for the DB4 and DB5.
The company won’t say how many it will produce of each, but says the DB6 will be available in both left- and right-hand drive and will be priced at over US$1 million (A$1.36m).
Prices for the DB4 and DB5 will be available “strictly on application”.
Deliveries will begin in the third quarter of 2023.
Each electrified DB6 undergoes an “exhaustive bare-metal restoration and re-engineering process” to create a “concourse-level vehicle”.
Brakes, suspension and steering are uprated, while the interior gains air-conditioning and the “sensitive integration” of the latest infotainment, navigation and wi-fi connectivity.
Powering Lunaz’s DB6 is an electric powertrain developed in-house.
Lunaz produces batteries ranging from 80-120kWh in capacity, with CCS fast-charging capability and a claimed range of 410km.
It doesn’t quote power or torque outputs for the electrified Aston models.
The company employs over 100 engineers, craftspeople and restorations specialists at its Silverstone Technology Park headquarters, many of whom have worked for companies like Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce.
The team inspect a car to understand the weight distribution, then carefully remove the original 4.0-litre inline-six and associated components and 3D scan the car before the car is re-engineered.
The styling team is led by design director Jen Holloway, previously a design lead in Aston Martin’s Q-Branch.
Battery status readouts and other displays are neatly integrated within the existing dashboard.
While all Lunaz cars get a new electric powertrain, buyers are given the choice between a more traditional, restoration-focused re-engineering, where Lunaz consults original build sheets, or more of a refurbishment with interior trim produced from recycled materials.
Aston Martin originally produced 1788 DB6s between 1965 and 1970.
In contrast, only 1059 DB5s were produced and 1185 DB4s.
Aston Martin itself produced another 25 ‘Continuation’ DB5s in 2020, priced at almost $5 million each.
“The introduction of electric Aston Martin DB6 cars has been driven by sustained demand from our existing clients. It also reflects the desires of an entirely new classic car buyer,” said founder and CEO David Lorenz.
“These women and men have been drawn to Lunaz because for the first time they are presented with the powertrain and modern conveniences of today, clothed in a design that speaks of an era when aesthetic purity was the only requirement.”
Founded in 2018 by David Lorenz and named after his daughter, Lunaz counts among its investors David Beckham.
Previous re-engineering projects by the company have included the Rolls-Royce Phantom and Cloud, Jaguar XK120, XK140 and XK150, and the S1, S2 and S3 Bentley Continental.
David Lorenz’s vision is for new generations of enthusiasts to be able to enjoy classic cars, particularly in markets where societal attitudes and legislative requirements are making classic car ownership harder than before.
“For Luna, my daughter, not to have access to a car like the Mercedes-Benz 190SL when she is of driving age would be a tragedy. Without building Lunaz, this is the reality she faces,” says Lorenz.
