Ringbrothers always makes the news at SEMA, but being in the thick of the well-mowed atmosphere of Monterey Car Week is new. It’s almost like Sid Vicious crashing a polo match, or Salvador Dali showing Grant Wood how it’s done—you can always count on the Bros for shaking things up and doing something different and jewellike. The crowd at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering were not left disappointed, though certainly a few purists were possibly reaching for more of their Château d’Yquem.
Octavia is a 1971 Aston Martin DBS—quite the unusual choice for this type of build, but the world doesn’t need more custom Chevys and Fords. Just like everything else Ringbrothers do, they deconstructed and reconstructed the DBS into something completely new.
“It’s nearly impossible to convey all the intricacies that went into engineering this car. It pushed us to innovate beyond our comfort zone and create a moving mechanical work of art,” says one half of the Ring, Mike Ring. “We’ve combined the ferocity of American muscle with the stiff upper lip of English sophistication and motoring. Octavia is beyond anything we’ve built before and a celebration of the hot-rodding spirit, unveiled in Monterey on the grandest stage of them all.”
The wheelbase has been stretched three inches to approximately 105.8, with the track increased eight up front and 10 out back, giving the Aston new proportions while exploiting the fine symmetry that was already baked into William Townsend’s original design. The body has been painted in BASF Glasurit’s Double-0 Silver with Nuclear Olive Green accents. All accompanying trim and brightwork were milled from billet aluminum and 3D printed in stainless steel.
Lest you forget, this DBS is an Aston Martin, so the interior has been given the proper respect, featuring sumptuous tan leather complemented by modern style courtesy of tasteful use of 3D-printed stainless steel accents and carbon fiber.
Wheels are custom HRE three-pieces and are balanced on a set of four Fox RS SV coilovers, with Ringbrothers-designed and machined upright arms at the front. Brakes are 14-inch Brembo rotors with six-piston calipers fore and four-pistons aft.
The original 4.0-liter DOHC inline-six has been replaced by a modern, 805-horsepower 5.0-liter Ford V8 paired with a six-speed manual. Before you start reaching for synonyms for “sacrilegious,” let us point out that Ford once owned Aston Martin, so it’s fair game, right? God forbid a bunch of hot rod builders swap out an engine!
“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,” adds the other Ring, Jim Ring. “The engineering and attention to detail that went into this project are unlike anything we’ve done before. We’re honored and incredibly grateful for our partners, including Gentex, HRE Wheels, BASF, Ragle Design, and more, that worked alongside us to create something we are decidedly proud to present.”
To view this Aston Martin’s build, visit Ringbrothers’ YouTube channel. If you enjoy their work, then check out www.ringbrothers.com to learn more about the parts they produce for your own custom build.
