Aston Martin has opened a new design studio which sits next to its manufacturing and engineering centre in Gaydon.

It is the first time the brand has had its own design studio. The site was designed by Weedon Partnership in collaboration with Austrian pre-fabrication specialists Holzbau Saurer and took six months to build.

The foyer has been designed to be used as both a gallery and a VIP area for new launches and private viewings, complete with a Bang and Olufsen projection and speaker system.

Dr Ulrich Bez, Aston’s CEO, said: “In the past, the most wonderful cars came from Italian design houses.

“Bringing these skills in house, with their own dedicated facility, places Aston Martin in a position of considerable strength.”

At the official opening the dedicated design centre Bez revealed new 600bhp performance concept car; the V12 Vantage RS.

The V12 Vantage RS is based on the V8 Vantage coupe, but has been tweaked by Aston’s design and engineering team.

With a power-to-weight ratio of over 375bhp per ton, the V12 Vantage RS concept is the fastest accelerating road car ever built by the company, capable of reaching 62mph from rest in 4.0 seconds and 100mph in 8.5 seconds. The RS features a deployable spoiler that rises automatically at high speeds to increase rear down force.