Chris Harris has already driven the Aston Martin Vantage GT12 in full race mode and now we have his review of the GT12 road car.
Pro tip: turn up the volume to 11!
Tag: Vantage
Here’s a couple of independent videos that give us a closer look at the new Aston Martin Vantage GT3. The first video is from Autocar and features Marek Reichman, Aston’s design director, while the second is from Xcar and doesn’t.
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.
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VIDEO: Three days of fun
Chris Harris and mates at Portimao with his favourite cars from 2014. There’s no agenda, no forced result to pick a winning car. It’s simply a recipe for fun. Enjoy!
- Aston Martin V12 Vantage S
- BMW M3
- Ferrari 458 Speciale
- Ferrari F12
- Porsche 911 GT3
- Porsche 918 Spyder
- Renault Megane 275 Trophy R
[Thanks to Richard for the tip]
The current Aston Martin Vantage (VH platform) has been with us for 10 years now. It’s still one of the best looking cars around. But there’s still life in the old dog yet!
Later this year, at the Geneva Motor Show to be precise (5–15 March), Aston will launch the road-going Vantage GT3. Cool and fast. Very fast!
Firm details are scarce at this stage but expect the road-going model to be based on the racecar version of the Vantage GT3. That means you can start drooling over a 600hp V12 engine, a stripped out interior and a rather extreme body kit.
To help you with that drooling Aston has released a short video teaser (see below).
Counterfeit materials used by a “third tier” Chinese parts supplier have given Aston Martin cause to recall more than 17,500 of its cars. The only model to escape the callback is the Vanquish, while all other left-hand drive models built since November 2007 and right-hand drive models built since May 2012 are affected.
The part concerned is a pedal arm for the accelerator which does not meet specification and could break causing a stuck throttle, for example. Despite internal investigations discovering the only recorded example of the pedal arm breaking occurred while a US dealer was performing a retrofit for an existing recall campaign Aston Martin has taken decisive action to remedy the potential problem.
A letter to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (320kb PDF) details the problem and states:
Aston Martin’s engineering specification requires pedals arms to be made of PA6 material supplied by DuPont. Initial tests on the failed pedal arm have shown that the Tier Three Supplier (defined below) used counterfeit material, which was received in bags labelled as DuPont PA6 material.
Tests reveal that the failed pedal arm was made from material consistent with PA6.6 material, rather than DuPoint PA6 material as specified in our drawing specification…
All counterfeit material and all pedal arms made of this suspect material have been quarantined.
Representatives from Aston Martin and DuPont will travel to Shenzen Kexiang Mould Tool in China to supervise the production of the new pedal arms using materials supplied directly by DuPont.
Aston Martin says it will contact all owners about the recall and it plans to shift production of the pedal arms from China to the UK “as soon as possible in 2014”.
Swift, decisive and assertive. That, Volkswagen, is how you carry out a recall.
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Aston Martin V12 Vantage S revealed
Aston Martin continues to squeeze more blood from the Vantage stone, this time in the form of a V12 Vantage S. We can’t blame them really, the Vantage is still one of the nicest looking sportscars money can buy and if they want to give it more power we won’t find cause to object.
The key figures from the car’s 6.0 litre V12 are 573PS (421kW) and 620Nm. That represents increases of 41kW and 50Nm on the standard V12 Vantage.
While we may bemoan yet another car has lost its manual gearbox in favour of a self-shifter—in this case a Sportshift III AM—at least the new box is 25kg lighter. And it has been tested, Aston says, in a variety of motorsport categories, as seen in the Vantage GT4, GT3 and GTE.
The exhaust has been adapted from the One-77 and along with forged alloy wheels helps deliver further weight reductions.
It does look fantastic and it sounds great as well. We’re just not so sure about the yellow and black bumble bee colour scheme. What do you think?
As a rule we don’t care too much for convertibles here at AUSmotive. But, for the Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster, we think we could make an exception.
The Vantage has long been one of the motoring world’s finest looking two door sports cars and, thankfully, nothing has been lost in the looks department after chopping off the roof.
Being described as a limited edition, Aston Martin say they’ll only be offering the Roadster in selected markets. That’s a shame, because cashed up punters wanting to hear the glory of Aston Martin’s 6.0 litre V12 at full noise should not be denied their chance to indulge.
Those with a keen eye will note the Vantage soft-top sports a restyled bootlid, along with a more aggressive spoiler and rear diffuser, compared to the coupé. Similarly, the front spoiler has also been revised. The suspension has likewise been specially tuned to suit the Roadster chassis.
We applaud Aston for making do with a traditional 6-speed manual. Grunt from the V12 is plentiful and peaks at 517PS/570Nm; enough to get you to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds and on to a blustery top speed of 305km/h.
Naturally, Dr Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin CEO, thinks the Vantage Roadster is the best thing since sliced bread. “The addition to our range of this exceptional new Roadster allows the driver and passenger to experience full ‘sensory overload’ thanks to its outstanding performance,†he said.
“I believe no other car in this class offers the combination of the V12 Vantage Roadster’s prestige, six-speed manual gearbox and the unique enjoyment that driving a high performance convertible can deliver.â€
And who are we to argue with that!
Aston Martin is due to release official details on its V12 Vantage roadster later this week. As is the norm these days they’ll have to do it after details have already been leaked.
Based on the V12 Vantage hardtop, released back in 2009, the roadster will be limited to 101 models only. The same 380kW 6.0 litre V12 from the coupé will be found under the aggressively styled bonnet of the roadster and will be coupled to a 6-speed manual box.
Lashings of carbon fibre and a unique plaque will be added to help give the limited model extra presence. Production is due to commence later this year, with the 101 models to be built over a period of nine months.
There’s more pics after the break and we’ll bring you the official word when it comes to hand.
[Source: v12vantageroadster.com]
Aston Martin previewed their new V12 Vantage GT3 back in April and now they’ve showing us the finished article, including a list of specs. Doesn’t it look absolutely superb!
Designed to replace the DBRS9, the V12 Vantage GT3 is suitable for multiple motorsport categories including including the FIA GT3 Championship, ADAC Masters, Nürburgring VLN, Blancpain Endurance Series, British GT and more.
And the price for sir’s 600hp/700Nm 1250kg track weapon? A mere £300K (AU$470K). Deliveries will be starting early next year.
There’s more from Aston Martin after the break.
Wow!
Aston Martin promised a new collaboration with Zagato was coming and now that they’ve delivered we must simply say, “thank you.”
Aston has taken the already stunning V12 Vantage handed it over to Zagato and said, do your thing chaps. And the Italian masters have delivered an absoulte gem, this V12 Zagato is car porn it is purest form.
It has great proportions. It looks aggressive. It looks purposeful. It looks like it was made to race. And that’s exactly what it has been made for. In a little over a week from now the V12 Zagato will make its competition debut in a four-hour VLN race at the Nürburgring. Then, in late June, two of these beauties will be ripping it up on the North Loop during the 24 hour race.
The best part, well for those lucky enough to afford one, the V12 Zagato will be built in limited numbers for the road, as well. No specific details have been given just yet, but Dr Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin CEO has confirmed if you have the cash, they will have the car.
“The task for us has been to create a concept that is a natural successor to those iconic cars that have gone before. Matching the technology of the age with the traditional skills vital to deliver such a bespoke and exclusive sports car will lead to a strictly limited run of road going V12 Zagatos,” explained Dr Bez.
We can’t wait. More pics and material from Aston after the break.
Aston Martin has just released this teaser image of a new V12 Vantage GT3. It will replace the company’s race going DBRS9 and is set for a competition debut in 2012.
The Vantage GT3 will take a regular V12 Vantage and up the ante by adding a race-spec Xtrac semi-automatic transmission along with race-tuned ABS and traction control technology. Its target weight will be just 1250kg and it will have a peak power figure of 600bhp, all nudged into action by a very respectable 700Nm of torque.
Yes, we want one too!