Aston Martin Vantage GT3 special edition previewed

Aston Martin has released images of its limited-edition road-going Vantage GT3. Full details are being held back for now, but we know the 6.0 litre V12 will be good for around 600hp and the kerb weight will be close to 1565kg, some 100kg less than a V12 Vantage S.

Only 100 Vantage GT3s will be made and we reckon if the market reacts well, and why wouldn’t it, that Aston could consider making a GT3 a permanent part of future model lines.

The bodykit and massive rear wing is a little OTT for an Aston, but falls in line with what you’d expect from a model wearing a GT3 badge. Because racecar.

Some of the race-inspired handiwork under the bonnet includes magnesium inlet manifolds and a full titanium exhaust system. That aggressive body work goes to town on carbon fibre use. Further, the roof can be optioned in carbon fibre and if you want to keep adding less weight a polycarbonate rear window is waiting for your cash.

Inside, as you’d expect, you can’t see anything else for the carbon fibre. There’s some alcantara fabric for good measure, all of which results in one very desirable Vantage. Is there any other kind?

UPDATE: New pics added.

Inspired by racing: The Aston Martin Vantage GT3 special edition

• Lightweight and extreme Vantage special edition limited to 100 cars
• Motorsport-derived chassis, aerodynamics and handling
• Bridges the gap between road and race track driving

18 February 2015, Gaydon: Aston Martin is today revealing the first details of its most potent and uncompromising Vantage to date: the track-inspired Vantage GT3 special edition.

With production strictly limited to just 100 examples, the new model combines all of Aston Martin’s learning from its years of sports car competition around the globe to produce its most performance focused road-going Vantage.

Equipped with a new iteration of the brand’s 6.0-litre V12 engine which is capable of generating up to 600 PS[1], the car weighs in at 100kg less than a standard V12 Vantage S.

Comprehensively re-engineered, as well as significantly restyled, the GT3-inspired special edition is lower and wider than any of its siblings in the Vantage family. A broader track – front and rear – brings even more composed cornering thanks to a reduction in lateral load transfer, while the use of Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres provides even more assured handling.

Thoroughly equipped with cutting edge motorsport-inspired features, from the extensive use of carbon fibre inside and out to the track-focused aerodynamics pack – which includes a prominent rear wing and pronounced front splitter – the race-derived new Vantage brings more focused and uncompromising capability and styling to a road-going Aston Martin.

The aerodynamics package in particular has a profound effect, producing significant downforce to provide even greater levels of grip and stability at higher speeds.

Inspired by Aston Martin Racing’s successful campaigns, this new GT3-derived Vantage has been designed and engineered exclusively at Aston Martin’s Gaydon Headquarters in Warwickshire, England, to be the most overt expression of everything that defines Vantage: an inspirational sports model offering supreme driveability on the road, and uncompromising dynamic performance on track.

New flared carbon fibre front wings, carbon fibre bonnet, a lithium ion race-derived battery, carbon-fibre door casings, optional carbon fibre roof, optional weight-saving polycarbonate rear window and rear quarter windows are just a few of the measures which illustrate the engineers’ determination to eliminate mass wherever possible. That determination has paid off, too, as the new car weighs in at only 1,565 kg[2].

Under the skin lie a number of bespoke engineering upgrades, aside from the new 600 PS1 V12 engine. Magnesium inlet manifolds with revised geometry, a lightweight magnesium torque tube and a full titanium exhaust system with centre outlets are just a few of the features that underline the rigorous re-engineering of this exclusive new Vantage.

The car’s interior is comprehensively reworked, too, with a full carbon fibre centre stack and touch-sensitive control array; race-derived carbon fibre sports seats; Alcantara trim and the option of numerous bespoke features courtesy of the brand’s popular personalisation service: Q by Aston Martin.

Announcing the arrival of the Vantage GT3 special edition, Aston Martin CEO Dr Andy Palmer said: “Motorsport is in our blood at Aston Martin. The Vantage is the car we campaign in top level sports car racing around the world and so it seems only fitting that we offer an exclusive, limited edition Vantage that expertly fuses our motorsport know-how with our road car prowess.”

He added: “The Vantage GT3 special edition is an uncompromising example of our design and engineering expertise and I’m sure the 100 owners who secure one of these cars will savour every second behind the wheel; whether on the road or on the track.”

The Vantage GT3 special edition will make its public debut on 3 March at the 85th Geneva International Motor Show (Hall 5, Stand 5253), with first customer deliveries beginning in the third quarter of 2015.

[1] Predicted power output
[2] Predicted kerb weight