Will this new concept help Aston Martin redeem itself?

The day before Aston Martin revealed their highly criticized Lagonda concept at the Geneva Auto Show, they showed the chassis of their upcoming One-77 concept.

Maybe the Lagonda was just a diversion; a way for Aston Martin to throw our collective attention one direction only to backhand us by revealing something amazing later.

That’s the theory I’m sticking with because new images of the One-77 were taken this week as the remarkable car was unveiled at Italy’s exclusive Lake Como. (In case you’re wondering, the One-77 gets its name because only 77 will be built, by hand, at a cost of $1.4 million each.)

Though very few people had positive things to say about the Lagonda’s design, I’m guessing they’ll sing a different tune about the One-77. Aston Martin has taken some very bold styling moves on the car, including heavily-chiseled sides, over-sized headlights and front air ducts that might look more at home on a fighter jet.

When you’re buying the second-most expensive car in the world, though (the Bugatti Veyron barely holds that title still), you don’t want styling that any schmuck in a Jaguar can get.

Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez said of the car:

"Quite simply, it had to be the ultimate expression of Aston Martin. As you can now see, we have achieved that goal in magnificent style."

Adding to that magnificent style are 700 ponies unleashed by a 7.3-liter V12 that’ll reach the 60-mph mark in just over 3 seconds.

But when a car costs over $1 million, I’d expect nothing less.