Aston Martin pivots to war machines: meet the Dreadnought

► Aston’s changed tack – it’s now designing war machines ► Dreadnought concept will feature in the new Call of Duty game ► (Digital) V12 engine, armour plating and rifle storage included

Has Aston Martin gone quite mad? The company’s created this one-off V12-engined assault craft for the latest Call of Duty Modern Warfare game – and called it… the Dreadnought. We think the only way Aston could have created a car that better appealed to our inner 10-year-olds would be if it fitted a Valkyrie with space thrusters. And laser guns.

It’s inspired by the 1980s Aston Martin V8 Vantage and – this is probably going to be the first time you’ve read this on a motoring site – early 20th century British naval battleships. So, you get plush leather seats and herringbone carbon fibre weave, along with reserve fuel tanks, armour plating and a convenient cubby for your assault rifle.

Sadly, it’ll never turn a wheel in the physical world. Aston Martin has built a full-size model of the car that’ll be on display at Fanatics Fest in New York between 16 and 17 July 2026. But that’s as close as we’re going to get. Still, it’s an interesting exercise in what Aston Martin’s design department can do when it’s let off its leash.

Perhaps what’s most impressive about the project, though, is the care Aston Martin took to root the Dreadnought’s form and function in real-world car design as much as possible. Things like the cabin proportions, ergonomics and suspension travel were all penned to mimic the meat realm.

Aston Martin’s chief creative officer, Marek Reichman, said: ‘The team has hugely enjoyed the not inconsiderable challenge of redefining what an Aston Martin can be when the only limit is imagination.

‘To create the ultimate exotic off-road machine, I had to imagine Dreadnought not only as a digital asset, but as a vehicle living in the real world – navigating the streets of New York, powering through the monsoon-soaked roads of Mumbai, and performing with complete authenticity in every environment. That vision allowed us to create something that feels genuinely real, even within the immersive world of the game.’

Players will be able to find the Dreadnought dotted around the game map in both its DMZ and Warzone modes. Then, hopefully, they can use it to flatten their opponents into a thin red, digital veneer. Apparently, it’ll be parked up outside the most luxurious properties on each level. How fitting.

We reckon it looks brilliant, but it’s probably just as well Aston isn’t planning on building any. It’d be rushed off its feet just keeping up with orders for the SAS.