It has been 10 years since David Beckham abandoned his role as an athlete to become a businessman. In May 2013, the English footballer played his last game for PSG and hung up his boots, leaving behind a professional career of more than 20 years full of success that led him to also wear the shirts of three European champion clubs: Manchester United, Real Madrid and Milan.
Since then, Beckham has dedicated himself to expanding his brand, which includes founding companies in different areas, and investing in emerging companies. One of them is Lunaz Design, a British corporation specialized in retrofit, or in other words, the transformation of classic combustion engine vehicles into electric vehicles.
One of the latest adaptations carried out by the company in which Beckham owns 10% of its shares has to do with one of the most emblematic cars in the history of the automotive industry. We are talking about the Aston Martin DB6, a grand tourer sports car that succeeded the legendary DB5 that agent James Bond immortalized in the saga films.
The DB6 is a car with improved aerodynamics compared to the DB5, but it has never achieved the essence and distinctive charm of its predecessor. Now, however, the little brother of the DB family has acquired the notoriety that it did not have during its time, between the late 1960s and early 1970s, when it was transformed into an electric vehicle.
Beyond the electrification process of the car itself, which took place in 2021, what draws attention to this retrofit is the use of recycled materials. Lunaz design director, Jen Holloway, and his team were especially interested in using materials waste whenever possible, as well as components not derived from animals.
The car seats are covered with a product obtained from apple skin and the mats are made from fishing nets recovered from the oceans and plastic bottles.
Some cabin components, originally made of plastic, are now made from wood and corn fiber, as well as materials derived from seashells. The dashboard is made of a biodegradable material made from eggshells and nuts.
The door trim is made of a plant-based polyurethane material and synthetic leather derived from apple pomace. This last material is also used in the heads. The seats are upholstered in what Lunaz calls “low-carbon leather and recycled fabric.”
The DB6’s original inline 6-cylinder engine has been replaced by a modular electric propulsion system with a power equivalent to 375 hp. The capacity of the batteries that power the motor has not been specified, as has the autonomy, although if we are guided by the adaptations that Lunaz has made in other similar vehicles it could be around 410 kilometers on a single charge.
In addition to the Aston Martin DB series, Lunaz’s catalog includes electric adaptations of other classic British cars such as the Jaguar XK120, Bentley S2 Continetal, Rolls-Royce Phantom V and the first-generation Range Rover.
