Aston Martin Bulldog

Aston Martin Bulldog
Bulldog in 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed
Overview
Manufacturer	Aston Martin
Production	1979 (1 only)
Assembly	Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door coupe
Layout	MR layout
Powertrain
Engine	5.3 L V8

The Aston Martin Bulldog, styled by William Towns, was a one-off testbed vehicle produced by British car manufacturer Aston Martin in 1979. Originally, it had been intended to be a limited run of about 25, but only one was built.

The code name for the project was DP K9.01, named after a Doctor Who character. It was built in the UK, but is a left-hand-drive car. It is 15ft 6in long, very low at 43 inches (1.1 m) high, and sharp, distinctive Trapezium shaped design, features five centre-mounted, hidden headlamps and gull-wing doors. The interior uses digital instrumentation and the rear view is delivered via a television monitor mounted on the centre console.

The Bulldog is powered by a 5.3L twin-turbo V8 delivering 600 bhp (447 kW; 608 PS) (with the engine producing 700 bhp (522 kW; 710 PS) on the test bed) and 500 lb·ft (678 N·m) maximum torque. The first test drive of the Bulldog came in late 1979 and the Bulldog achieved a verified top speed of 191 mph (307 km/h).

The car was officially launched on 27 March 1980 at the Bell Hotel at Aston Clinton. After the development programme was over, Aston Martin sold the only Bulldog to the highest bidder for about £130,000. The Bulldog spent some time in the United States, but has recently been offered for sale in Britain. It was now green, compared to original exterior colours of silver and light grey. The interior has also been changed from the original dark brown and black to light tan.