Octavia: The 805-Horsepower Aston Martin DBS Reimagined by Ringbrothers

 The car you see before you, dubbed Octavia, is no ordinary Aston Martin. Originally born as a 1971 DBS, this machine has been completely transformed by the American custom-building maestros, the Ringbrothers. What was once a dignified British GT of the 1970s is now a full-blooded, 805-horsepower monster that blends American muscle with British elegance in a way few would dare attempt. Introduced at the 2025 edition of The Quail during Monterey Car Week, Octavia is a rolling paradox: a car steeped in Aston Martin heritage but reengineered from the ground up into something entirely new. Only a handful of parts remain from the original DBS — by Ringbrothers’ own admission, the only factory items that carried over are the power window switches. Everything else has been stripped, redesigned, or custom-fabricated. It’s a restomod in spirit, but one that grew into a complete reimagination. Octavia is Theseus’s Paradox on four wheels, a car that asks whether it’s still a DBS at all or a wholly new creation. What is certain is that it captures attention, balancing nostalgia with unrestrained creativity, and standing as one of the wildest reinterpretations of an Aston Martin ever attempted.

The Brothers Behind the Madness

For those familiar with the custom car world, the name Ringbrothers carries serious weight. Based in Spring Green, Wisconsin, brothers Mike and Jim Ring have earned international acclaim for their meticulous craftsmanship and wild imagination, turning muscle cars and classics into modern engineering marvels. Their work has graced countless SEMA shows, with builds like “Enyo” and “Recoil” pushing the boundaries of what restomod culture can achieve. With Octavia, however, the challenge was different. Instead of reworking an American classic like a Camaro or Mustang, they tackled a British icon — an Aston Martin, no less. The DBS has an aura of sophistication tied to its James Bond connections, and altering it comes with a level of risk. But rather than treating the DBS as untouchable, the Rings approached it with their signature philosophy: honoring heritage while reimagining it boldly. This time, they asked a tongue-in-cheek question — “What would an MI6 agent drive on holiday?” The answer was Octavia: a car with the refinement of Aston Martin, but filled with the raw energy of a supercharged Ford V8 and an aesthetic that nods as much to American hot rods as it does to British sports cars.

Under the Hood: Ford Power in an Aston Body

At the heart of Octavia beats a Ford Performance 5.0-liter V8, supercharged with a massive 2.65-liter blower to unleash a staggering 805 horsepower. It’s a powerplant borrowed from the world of American muscle and tuned for brutal performance. This engine alone makes Octavia a radical departure from the original DBS, whose inline-six and later V8s produced far more modest figures in the 280–320 horsepower range. The choice of engine may raise purist eyebrows, but it underscores the Rings’ philosophy of fusing the best of both worlds: American muscle with British refinement. The power is channeled through a six-speed manual gearbox, ensuring the driver is fully engaged in every mile. Purists will appreciate that despite the absurd power, the Rings resisted the temptation of automatics or paddle-shift units. Instead, Octavia keeps the visceral joy of shifting gears manually, making it as much a driver’s car as it is a showpiece. It’s a drivetrain designed to shock and delight — an Aston in silhouette but a muscle car at heart, capable of overwhelming force delivered through the purity of analog control.

A Chassis Built from the Ground Up

The Octavia is not just a rebodied Aston Martin — it sits on a completely new custom chassis developed by Roadster Shop. This Illinois-based fabricator specializes in building high-performance underpinnings for restomods, and their work ensures that Octavia is as capable dynamically as it is visually. The wheelbase has been stretched by three inches compared to the original DBS, giving the car more stability and space for its modernized components. The track has been widened substantially — eight inches in front and ten in the rear — creating the foundation for a more muscular stance. Suspension duties are handled by Fox Racing coilovers, tuned specifically for the car, while sway bars sourced from a C7 Corvette sharpen handling. Brembo brakes provide the stopping power necessary for 805 horses. In effect, the Octavia’s chassis is closer in spirit to a modern supercar than a classic British grand tourer. It is designed to take full advantage of its immense power and to deliver control and confidence on the road. While its outward appearance pays homage to the 1970s, its bones are thoroughly modern and engineered for serious performance.

Bodywork: Carbon Fiber and Coke-Bottle Curves

One glance at Octavia makes it clear this is no mere restoration. The entire body is crafted from carbon fiber, giving it both strength and lightness. The design was overseen by Gary Ragle, who set out to create a modern interpretation of William Towns’s original DBS shape while enhancing its musculature. The result is a car with what the Ringbrothers call “Coke-bottle curvature” — a wider front and rear end that emphasize its athleticism. The proportions are more dramatic, the stance more aggressive, but the spirit of the DBS remains visible under the carbon skin. Every panel is bespoke, sculpted with precision to blend Aston Martin sophistication with custom-car bravado. The exterior is finished in a shade the Rings call “Double-O Silver,” a cheeky nod to James Bond, complete with a license plate reading “SHAKN.” The HRE three-piece centerlock wheels fill the widened arches perfectly, giving Octavia an almost concept-car-like presence. It’s unmistakably a DBS in silhouette, but one that has been stretched, sculpted, and modernized into something entirely unique. It’s equal parts elegance and aggression, a visual metaphor for the car’s blend of British and American identities.

Interior: James Bond Meets Custom Craftsmanship

Step inside Octavia, and the Bond references become even clearer. The interior is a playground of custom details, blending luxury with playful nods to 007. The dipstick handle is shaped like a martini glass — complete with an olive — while the handbrake resembles a chrome pistol. The valve covers on the engine read “Aston Martini,” a clever twist that would surely bring a smile to Q-branch. Beyond the jokes, the interior is a showcase of materials and craftsmanship. Carbon fiber and stainless steel are used extensively, alongside fine leather upholstery that balances modern flair with classic luxury. 3D-printed stainless steel elements, created by Azoth 3D in Michigan, add futuristic touches: a bespoke shift knob, headrest collars, and custom Aston logos. Even the sunshades are innovative, featuring Gentex auto-dimming technology that adjusts transparency based on sunlight. This cabin is not just a tribute to Bond but a statement of how restomod interiors can push boundaries. It’s simultaneously luxurious, playful, and technologically advanced — a space that respects Aston Martin tradition while boldly reinterpreting it for a new era.

The Attention to Detail

One of the most remarkable aspects of Octavia is the obsessive attention to detail poured into its creation. The project consumed more than 12,000 hours of labor, every component considered and reimagined. From the integrated structural roll cage hidden within the carbon body, to the bespoke stainless steel trim pieces, no part of the car was left untouched. Even seemingly minor elements — like the way the tailpipes exit or the way the headlights are recessed — were reconsidered to achieve the right blend of aggression and elegance. The Rings are known for leaving no stone unturned, but Octavia may be their most ambitious project yet. It’s not just a car; it’s a complete work of art, designed to be both admired on a concours lawn and thrashed on a back road. This is what elevates Octavia beyond being just another restomod. It is a total reinvention, where form, function, and detail come together seamlessly. In many ways, it feels less like a modified car and more like a modern concept built on a classic foundation — one foot in history, the other in the future.

Octavia’s Place in the Restomod World

The rise of restomod culture has seen countless classics reborn with modern powertrains, suspensions, and technology. Yet, few projects have been as radical or as polished as Octavia. What sets it apart is not only the scale of transformation but the willingness to cross cultural boundaries. The Aston Martin DBS was the epitome of British GT elegance in its day, while the Ford Performance V8 represents raw American muscle. By combining the two, the Ringbrothers created something entirely new: a British muscle car with American firepower. This kind of transatlantic fusion is rare and risky, but Octavia proves it can be done with artistry and respect. In doing so, it challenges purist notions of what restomods should be. Instead of simply preserving history, Octavia reimagines it, asking what a DBS might look like if Aston Martin had pursued an entirely different path in the 1970s. It’s not for everyone — purists will argue it’s no longer a true Aston — but it’s undeniably compelling. In a sea of cookie-cutter supercars, Octavia stands as a singular vision, unapologetically bold and unrepeatable.

Final Thoughts: A Car Fit for Bond — Or Beyond

Ultimately, the Ringbrothers’ Octavia is a car that defies easy categorization. It is at once a tribute, a parody, a performance machine, and a rolling art piece. Its supercharged V8 and manual gearbox ensure it will thrill behind the wheel, while its bespoke carbon body and Bond-themed interior guarantee it will dazzle onlookers. It may no longer be a “pure” Aston Martin, but perhaps that’s the point. Octavia doesn’t exist to preserve history but to reinterpret it. It takes the DBS — a car forever tied to cinematic glamour and British sophistication — and injects it with American ferocity, creating a machine that feels both familiar and alien. It’s a car that James Bond might take on a holiday, but also one that any enthusiast would dream of driving hard down a coastal road. At a time when the automotive industry is shifting rapidly toward electrification and homogenization, Octavia stands defiantly as a one-off statement of creativity, passion, and audacity. Whether you love it or see it as heresy, one thing is undeniable: Octavia is unforgettable, a restomod that has redefined what’s possible when imagination and craftsmanship collide.