Aston Martin has unveiled three handcrafted 'Year of the Dragon' special edition models at the 2012 Beijing motor show.

The Dragon 88 Limited Edition DBS Volante, Virage Coupe and V8 Vantage S Coupe are designed to demonstrate the personalisation possibilities available to Aston Martin customers. To ensure their exclusivity, the famous British manufacturer is limiting the special edition run to just 88 cars.

Each Dragon 88 Aston Martin will feature details that it says "celebrate the mystical qualities of the dragon symbol". This means 24-carat gold applied to the Aston Martin badges, gold embroidery on the headrests, special gold interior trim highlights, commemorative plates on the door sills and three special exterior paint colours.

The special edition DBS Volante, Virage Coupe and V8 Vantage S Coupe have been put together by Aston Martin's bespoke customisation service known as 'Q by Aston Martin', which was also responsible for the satin Mariana Blue Virage that appeared at this year's Geneva motor show. Aston says the 'Q by Aston Martin' service provides its customers the "ability to commission the design and manufacture of a truly unique car".

Joining the three limited edition Dragon 88 models on the Aston Martin stand is the 7.3-litre naturally aspirated V12-engined One-77 supercar and a four-door 'Q by Aston Martin' Rapide with its design inspired by the Ming dynasty. The Rapide sports unique touches including Ming Blue Paint, Walnut wooden boot and door inserts, Falcon Grey and Metallic Bronze leather, and Ming-inspired seat embroidery.

Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez said, "We expect China to become one of our most important markets and look forward to sharing the Aston Martin experience with Chinese customers." This will be made easier with Aston Martin opening 11 new dealerships across China this year.

Car Advice