Lunaz Aston Martin DB6 is a petrol-powered restomod

AM DB6 by Lunaz First Edition

(Image credit: Lunaz)

The 50th vehicle to come out of bespoke electric restomodder Lunaz is something of a conundrum. Founded in 2018 by David Lorenz as a way of transforming classic cars into modern, whisper-quiet EVs, Lunaz has seemingly switched lanes in order to create its very first petrol-powered project.

The car in question is undeniably worthy of the update. This is the Aston Martin DB6, manufactured from 1965 to 1971, with just under 1,800 cars built. If it’s not resorting to electrification, how has Lunaz updated this elegant grand tourer? The DB6, like the closely related DB5 before it, is an iconic form but less than graceful on the open road, especially when compared to modern machinery.

Lunaz has attempted to address this dichotomy by giving the DB6 more power, along with uprated kit to handle it. The car’s original 4.0-litre straight-six has been substantially overhauled, transforming it into a 5.0-litre unit that puts out 350bhp (the original had 282 bhp). To go with this power hike, Lunaz has also adapted the car’s suspension, braking and steering (traditionally the weak points in the early DB models).

While purists baulked at the idea of stripping out an engine and replacing it with a bunch of batteries, Lunaz has always ensured its conversions can be reverse-engineered. What’s not quite as undoable are the aesthetic changes wrought on this DB6. The flared wheelarches and cream, cashmere, silver and mother-of-pearl interior makeover are definitely out there, and it seems the new owner (a returning Lunaz customer) isn’t afraid of ruffling a few feathers.

This car is the first in a short run of so-called First Edition DBs, celebrating both the Lunaz milestone and 60 years of the original Aston Martin. Lorenz describes the car as a ‘watershed moment’, adding that ‘we are creating a DB that honours its heritage, while expressing the pinnacle of bespoke automotive craftsmanship’.

Previous machines from the Northamptonshire-based company include the mighty electrified Rolls-Royce Phantom V, along with Bentleys, Jaguars and Range Rovers. Now that the company has gone (in its own words) ‘powertrain agnostic’, expect a whole host of other exotic cars to get the Lunaz treatment.

Inside the Sophia Loren Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud by Lunaz

AM DB6, more information at ByLunaz.com, @Lunazdesign

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Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.