For some, Aston Martin is something you admire from a distance. For others, it becomes part of how they move through the world. I / AM members Arjun Johal and Manraj Sanghera reflect on a day inside the AMR Technology Campus – and the feeling that stayed with them long after the drive home.
"It's not just about performance, it's how it makes you feel," says Arjun.
"I've felt it every time I've driven my DBS. The way it settles into the road. The way it never feels ordinary, no matter how familiar it becomes. Some things don't dull with time – they deepen.
"We drove to Silverstone early that morning. I'd been thinking about the visit all week, but as the AMR Technology Campus came into view, the nerves arrived properly. Butterflies. Anticipation.
"Parking beneath the wings, I stopped for a moment before getting out. Looked back at the car. Took it in.
"Inside, everyone is working. Properly working. Heads down. Focused.
"I study motorsport engineering, so seeing this up close hits hard. Turning a corner and suddenly being face-to-face with Formula One cars being worked on, right there in front of me.
"At some point, it dawns on me that I'm not just visiting a Formula One team. I'm visiting my brand. The one I already carry with me every day. The one that shaped my idea of cars, of design, of what excellence looks like.
"I think back to growing up watching Bond films. That Aston Martin silhouette. Always elegant. Always composed. It gets under your skin early, whether you realise it or not.
"The DBS feels like an extension of that. A naturally aspirated V12 – something becoming rarer every year. It feels like history you're trusted to look after. I never forget that."
"I didn't know what to expect walking in," says Manraj.
"I joined I / AM because I love Formula One. I love Aston Martin. But I never imagined it would lead to a day like this.
"You don't feel like a visitor for long; you feel like someone being let in. You belong.
"Walking through the AMR Technology Campus, you start to notice the details.
"Front wings moving past like it's the most normal thing in the world. Engineers deep in concentration.
"We're handed a sidepod. It's so light. I trace the honeycomb-structured core inside – delicate and strong at the same time.
"Then a steering wheel.
"I've seen them countless times on screen, but holding one is something else.
"There are so many buttons and dials. I try to imagine managing all of this at speed, under pressure, surrounded by other cars, fighting for position. It gives me an entirely new respect for what Lance and Fernando do.
"I know I'll never watch a race the same way again."
"Driving away later, the DBS felt different," says Arjun. "Not changed – familiar, but with something more.
"Inside the Technology Campus, you can sense it building. Momentum.
"I think about why I chose engineering. Why I'm drawn to this world. Why Aston Martin means what it does to me.
"It's how it makes you feel."
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