Top Speed

Aston Martin Vantage GT4

Kirby@topspeed.com(Kirby) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Over the years, Aston Martin has built and released the Vantage GT4 for competition in European GT4 races. This year, the British automaker is releasing the newest version of the Vantage GT4, only this time, it’s bound to unleash its fury on American soil for the first time.

It’s an ideal time for the Aston to release the Vantage GT4 in the US, especially after its successful return year to the American LeMans series where it bagged wins with the Aston Martin DBR1-2 prototype in a number of races, including Long Beach, Mosport, Mid-Ohio, Road America, and Laguna Seca.

For the 2012 racing season, the Aston Martin Vantage GT4 will be built and raced by Toronto-based partner Multimatic Motorsports. The car itself will be re-dissected for racing purposes, which means that all of the luxury amenities of the road version will be removed in favor of race-spec equipment. Certain parts will also be added, including a new splitter that increases downforce at the front of the car, as well as a new carbon fiber diffuser, and a redesigned underfloor that creates an area of low pressure under the rear of the car, increasing the car’s overall downforce.

One thing that will remain with the car though is its 4.7-liter V8 engine, which Aston has used ever since it began building the Vantage GT4 back in 2008.

For the 2012 season, Multimatic Motorsports will be fielding two cars, which will be driven by some noted drivers, including Scott Maxwell, Joe Foster, Ston Martin, chief engineer Chris Porritt, and Hollywood actor-slash-racer Patrick Dempsey.

UPDATE 01/25/2012: Aston Martin has announced that the beginning of its Grand-Am campaign will be on Friday, January 27th during the first round of the 2012 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) at the Daytona International Speedway. The company will join forces with Toronto-based Multimatic Motorsports to enter a pair of Vantage GT4s in the Grand American Road Racing series. "The first round of the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge at Daytona will see Aston Martin realize a long-held desire to have the Vantage GT4 competing regularly in North America. Aston Martin Racing has built and sold nearly 100 Vantage GT4s since we raced the first one at the Nürburgring 24 Hour race in 2006, and it’s great to be present at last in such an important market with such a strong and experienced partner as Multimatic."

gallery: 2011 Aston Martin Vantage GT4

Aston Martin Vantage GT4 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 25 January 2012 13:00 EST.

Aston Martin Vantage

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Aston Martin is preparing to offer a facelift version for every model in the line-up thanks to that high interest loan they just secured from global investors. There’s already been talk of what will happen to the future DB9 debuting sometime next year, as well as a new DBS in late 2012. Now spy photographers have caught the future Vantage model testing near the Aston Martin technical center in Germany. The vehicle is still in the early stages of development, but it already hosts a number of changes that will significantly change the vehicle’s overall look.

The Aston Martin Vantage will not be a completely new vehicle as previously thought, but a facelift version including new and wider skirts and major changes in the body panels. That being said, these additions could have just been added to hide any changes made to the chassis of the vehicle. No other details have been offered, but it is believed that the exterior design will take its inspiration from the One-77 supercar with its borrowed bonnet, sides, and cooling vents, in an attempt to make the car look more aggressive and sporty. These changes may also supply a decrease in weight, by about 350 lbs.

The 2014 Vantage will more than likely be powered by the same 4.7-liter V-8 and 6.0-liter V-12 engines currently found in the sports car, possibly tweaked to deliver more power, better fuel economy, and lower emissions.

Expect to see the new Aston Martin Vantage in late 2013.

gallery: 2011 Aston Martin V8 Vantage S

gallery: 2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage

Aston Martin Vantage originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 13 October 2011 18:00 EST.

Aston Martin's future depends on Daimler partnership

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:00:00 GMT

Just when it seemed a brand new collaboration was on the verge of rising, talks between Aston Martin and Daimler have been slowed almost to a halt. The two brands had an interest in working with each other because it would be mutually beneficial: Aston Martin would have helped in developing Maybach models and they would, in turn, be able to take advantage of Mercedes’ latest technology. Now, German publications have reported that this agreement has collapsed and, as a result, Aston Martin’s future is in grave danger.

The first Aston Martin vehicle to feel the heat may be the DB9 supercar. This model is built on the VH platform that was developed when Aston was owned by Ford Motor Co, but since a redesign is expected for the 2014 model year, Aston Martin finds itself scrambling for a new platform; one they thought they would be able to get from Daimler. The redesigned Vantage scheduled to come out in 2015 is in the same precarious situation, leaving Aston working doubletime to re-engineer the current platform, powertrain, and sheet metal.

The highly anticipated Lagonda models aren’t any safer. This bump in the road leaves their production entirely uncertain because the SUV was going to be built on the Mercedes GL platform and the sedan was supposed to use the Mercedes S-Class platform.

Aston Martin is completely at a loss, though. They just secured a £304 million bond - about $440 million at the current rates - from global investors at a rather high 9.25% interest over the next seven years. This money will be going towards designing all new platforms for their full line of sports cars, including the DB9, Vantage, and Rapide.

gallery: 2011 Aston Martin DB9

gallery: 2011 Aston Martin V8 Vantage S

Aston Martin's future depends on Daimler partnership originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 13 October 2011 15:00 EST.

Aston Martin Pays the Price for All New Platform

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 17:00:00 GMT

Investors are getting more and more strict when it comes to allowing people to borrow their money and it seems as if Aston Martin is getting the short end of that stick. The British sports car maker has secured a £304 million bond - about $440 million at the current rates - from global investors at a rather high 9.25% interest over the next seven years. That’s a 3-4% increase over the typical interest rate. Desperate or not, Aston Martin now has the money to design an all new platform for their full line of sports cars, including the DB9, Vantage and Rapide. Expect the new line to debut in 2015 or 2016 with the first details of the new design and production engineering showing up in a concept car sometime in 2012.

Before the British automaker moves to the new platform, however, their current VH platform will have to be modified to obey the new Federal FMVSS pedestrian impact rules. This re-engineered platform will be used for facelift versions of all three models. The new models will also benefit from new skin panels, revised interiors, and tweaked chassis and engines.

gallery: 2011 Aston Martin DB9

gallery: 2011 Aston Martin V8 Vantage S

gallery: 2010 - 2012 Aston Martin Rapide

Aston Martin Pays the Price for All New Platform originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 30 June 2011 17:00 EST.

Aston Martin Vantage V8 by Wheelsandmore

Kirby@topspeed.com(Kirby) — Fri, 13 May 2011 10:00:00 GMT

German tuning specialists, Wheelsandmore, have taken an Aston Martin Vantage V8 as their next project, giving the British supercar a well-rounded set of upgrades that include a new set of wheels, a new suspension, and a slight increase in power.

As the name of their company suggests, Wheelsandmore is no stranger to having some of the best rims on the market. For the Vantage V8, they decided to dress it up with a new set of handcrafted 21" three-piece 6Sporz² forged rims wrapped in 55/30/21 tires at the front, and 295/25/21 tires at the back. To go with the new set of gorgeous rims, Wheelsandmore also gave the Vantage V8 a new suspension kit courtesy of KW that comes with a rebound and compression adjustable stainless steel coilover suspension variant 3. Lastly, Wheelsandmore gave the supercar a new 200 sport catalysts and flip-controlled exhaust system, giving the Vantage’s 4.7 Liter V8 engine an increased output of 460 horsepower and 369 lb/ft of torque, up from the standard model’s 420-horsepower output.

All told, it’s not the most extravagant tuning program done on the Aston Martin Vantage. But in terms of subtle improvements all the way around, this is about as beautiful as it gets without going overboard.

gallery: 2010 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Aston Martin Vantage V8 by Wheelsandmore originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 13 May 2011 10:00 EST.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage S

Matt McDonald@topspeed.com(Matt McDonald) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 09:00:00 GMT

As expected, Aston Martin brought its latest iteration of the Vantage to the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. Aston has been designing rolling works of art for a very long time and has recently retaken a stance as a racing power as well. The company’s GT4 racecar won its class in two of the most important races of the year, Nurburgring 24 and Spa 24 hours, and have begun fusing racecar technology into the road cars with more fervor than ever before. The top-of-the-line V12 Vantage has the motor from the larger DB9 shoehorned into its engine compartment, making it a true hot rod. That formula may work for some, but others were seeing a lapse between the V12 model and the base V8.

At the beginning of Summer 2011, Aston Martin will introduce the V8 Vantage S, hoping to squeeze some more profit out of its best selling model line and please enthusiasts at the same time. Increases in engine performance, transmission, chassis, and aerodynamics will all further the appeal of an iconic sports car.

According to Dr. Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin, “The Vantage S epitomizes every attribute of the V-8 Vantage and pushes the driver experience beyond what we have offered before.”

UPDATE 03/11/2011: Aston Martin has revealed an amazing video of the V8 Vantage S showing the car in action. Just listen to the music of that engine! Video after the jump.

Hit the jump for more details on the 2011 Aston Martin Vantage S.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage S originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 11 March 2011 09:00 EST.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage Blanc de Blancs by Graf Weckerle

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Drinking a glass of fine wine with dinner is something a lot of people do when they want to unwind from a long, hard day, but when these same people want to celebrate something momentous, they bring out the Blanc de Blancs champagne. The same can be said of a great automobile. Sure you can drive around in a Mercedes on a daily basis, but for those special evenings, an Aston Martin V8 Vantage is the way to go. Bringing together these two ideas is Graf Weckerle who has designed a package for the V8 Vantage that gets its one-of-a-kind design from the most refreshing champagne produced.

The car’s interior and exterior are styled based on the white, green, and gold details on the Blanc de Blancs champagne bottle and look sensational on the sports car. The 21" wheels, however, leave much to be desired. Made of 180 titanium and aluminum parts, these "unique" wheels take up to 20 days to build. If it were up to us, we’d let them stay a little longer. No offense to the Graf Weckerle logo, which is what the wheels are styled after, but we can think of hundreds of other options that would have looked much better on this beautiful vehicle. But hey, at least the interior sparkles with 24 karat components.

In addition to the beautiful - and not so beautiful - stylings of the Aston Martin, Graf Weckerle have also tuned the standard 426hp 4.7 Liter V8 engine to deliver an improved 470hp.

Not a fan of the V8 Vantage? Graf Weckerle can also mount this package on an Aston Martin DBS and a Ferrari 599 GTB. Plans for adding it to the Ferrari 458 Italia are also in the works.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage Blanc de Blancs by Graf Weckerle originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 27 December 2010 12:00 EST.

Aston Martin Vantage GT4

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona) — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 12:05:00 GMT

Aston Martin has unveiled today details on a new Vantage GT4 for 2011. The new model takes inspiration from the Aston Martin’s V12 Vantage road car and will compete in the future European GT4 Cup and all other series with a GT4 class.

The new Vantage GT4 features a new splitter that increases downforce at the front of the car, a V12’s larger boot ‘flip’ at the rear a new carbon fiber diffuser and rear underfloor and a new rear-mounted high capacity transmission oil cooler.

As with the current 4.7 liter Vantage GT4, which made its race debut in 2009, the 2011 car is closely based on the V8 Vantage road car with key attributes being carried over including the aluminum chassis, base engine and suspension design. In addition to the engine and aero upgrades, competitors can choose a race-developed Bosch ABS and traction control system.

Press release after the jump.

Aston Martin Vantage GT4 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 25 November 2010 12:05 EST.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage N420

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona) — Tue, 9 Nov 2010 16:30:00 GMT

Today, Aston Martin unveiled the special edition V8 Vantage N420, a successor for the special edition V8 Vantage N400 of 2007. This model pays tribute to Aston Martin’s success at the Nurburgring 24 Hours. Deliveries will begin in August with prices starting from £96,995 (around $146,000 at the current exchange rates). It will be offered in both Coupe and Roadster versions.

The new V8 Vantage N420 is powered by a 4.7-liter engine that delivers 420bhp, but, compared to a standard Vantage, it is 27 kilos lighter. On the exterior the car is distinguished by wider sills, a carbon fiber splitter, side strakes and diffuser, 10-spoke diamond turned alloy wheels in gloss black finish, black mesh vents, and ‘Graphitic’ tailpipe finishers. On the interior it gets an Iridium interior package with graphite instruments, leather or Alcantara steering wheel, special N420 sill plaques, and lightweight carbon fiber seats, complete with ‘Race Track’ stitching as in the V12 Vantage. Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control, and Park Distance Control are also standard.

Updated 07/14/2010: Aston Martin today announced US prices for the special edition V8 Vantage N420. The new model will make its official U.S. debut at next month’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and will go on sale at a price of $132,000 for the coupe and $145,000 for the roadster version.

Updated 11/09/2010: Aston Martin has revealed a new promotional video for the V8 Vantage N420. Check it out!

Press release after the jump.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage N420 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 9 November 2010 16:30 EST.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage N420 Roadster

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 07:09:00 GMT

After the V8 Vantage N420 coupe, Aston Martin has unveiled today a roadster version for this special edition. The roadster version will go on sale at a price of $145,000.

Like the coupe version, the roadster is powered by a 4.7-liter engine that delivers 420bhp and it mated to a a six-speed manual or optional Sportshift automated manual transmission. Also the car is 27 kilos lighter than a standard V8 Vantage.

The N420 edition is distinguished by a carbon fibre splitter, side strakes and diffuser, while bold 10-spoke diamond turned alloy wheels complete with gloss black finish, black mesh vents and ’Graphitic’ tailpipe finishers complete the coordinated look. The interior gets graphite instruments, leather or Alcantara® steering wheel, special N420 sill plaques and lightweight carbon fiber seats, complete with ’Race Track’ stitching as in the V12 Vantage. Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control, and Park Distance Control are also standard. It will be offered in ’Rose’ yellow, ’Kermit’ green and ’Elwood’ blue exterior color.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage N420 Roadster originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 22 September 2010 07:09 EST.

Aston Martin Vantage being sold at auto garage sale for $75,000

Kirby@topspeed.com(Kirby) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 13:00:00 GMT

A reminder to those people who own sports cars; please treat them with utmost care. And in the event that you decide to sell these cars, please give them more respect than leaving them out in the sun like they’re some kind of rusted-up lawnmower in a garage sale.

If you’re wondering why we’re a little, shall we say, perturbed, it’s because we found out that there’s a man somewhere in Utah that decided to have a little auto sale of his vehicles, which really isn’t a big deal except that one of those vehicles sitting idly on the lot as if it was getting a tan just so happened to be an Aston Martin V8 Vantage.

If this guy wants to sell his Vantage, by all means, he’s got every right to do so. We just don’t know if he understands just how special this car is. Sure, there’s a $75,000 price tag attached to it, but in this case, it’s not really about the money.

It’s about an Aston Martin Vantage being treated just like any other used-up car, which it definitely is not.

Aston Martin Vantage being sold at auto garage sale for $75,000 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 16 September 2010 13:00 EST.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage by D2Forged

Kirby@topspeed.com(Kirby) — Thu, 9 Sep 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Now this is how you tune an Aston Martin. By itself, an Aston Martin V8 Vantage is already one of the most beautiful cars in the world. But if you put one of the most noted supercar tuners in the country to work, they can turn an already eye-catching ride into a jaw-dropping piece of machinery.

D2Forged put in some work on this V8 Vantage and the results are nothing short of spectacular. From the carbon fiber front lip to the RSC Tuning-provided rear diffuser to the lowered suspensions and those 20-inch VS1 wheels, this V8 Vantage has all the makings of a car that’s not just loaded with power, but is sure to attract the attention of anybody lucky enough to see it. And yes, that custom black paint finish adds a pretty resounding exclamation point to an already stunning tuned-up supercar.

We’ll be honest; we haven’t seen a tuned-up Aston Martin as gorgeous as this in a long time. Quite a move for a tuning company that specializes in wheels, huh?

Aston Martin V8 Vantage by D2Forged originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 9 September 2010 12:00 EST.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona) — Thu, 1 Jul 2010 14:30:00 GMT

The 2010 Aston Martin V8 Vantage will appear in dealer’s showrooms starting in January of 2010 and the English super car maker has just released a few official images of the 2010 car in both coupe and convertible forms. The new Vantage will come complete with a few modifications inspired by the Nurburgring special N400 Vantage.

The 2010 model will get new optional 10 spoke forged 19 inch alloy wheels with a diamond turned and silver finish. The rear of the new Aston receives a set of cleared out tail lamps while up front the 2010 Vantage benefits from a Magnum silver bonnet. On the inside the hand built super car maker is offering a pair of lightweight carbon kevlar racing buckets that shed over 35 pounds from the sports car as well as the optional 1000 Watt Bang & Olufsen in car entertainment system.

Aston Martin will retain the same 420 HP 4.7 Liter V8 engine, with a few mechanical changes being confirmed for the electronically controlled transmission that will lower the hand built sports car’s CO2 emissions from 328 to 315 g/km, and all the way down to 300 g/km for the Speedshift version allowing Aston’s super car owners to sleep a little easier at night knowing that their new cars are a bit greener than before. Stay tuned to Top Speed for more information about the 2010 Aston Martin V8 Vantage.

Updated 07/01/2010: Aston Martin unveiled new images with the V8 Vantage sports car. Check the image gallery to see them.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 1 July 2010 14:30 EST.

Aston Martin Vantage gets Barracuda racing wheels

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:00:00 GMT

Barracuda Wheels is offering a set of Tzunamee wheels for the V8 powered Aston Martin Vantage. The set includes 9.0 x 20 inch light alloy rims on the front axle and 10.0 x 20 inch rims mounted on the rear drive axle.

The wheels feature a very aggressive design with a matte black, highly polished surface. The wheels are slapped on to the classic green V8 Vantage to add a dynamic edge to the already beautiful vehicle. In addition, the wheels are available in sizes ranging from 7.5 x 17 to 10 x 20 inches. They also come in three different color schemes: Higloss black, real chrome, and white polished.

The V8 Vantage features a 4.7 Liter V8 engine that delivers a total of 420 HP and 350 lb-ft of torque. This power is enough to sprint the car from 0 to 60 MPH in just 4.7 seconds and hit a top speed of 180 MPH.

Press release after the jump.

Aston Martin Vantage gets Barracuda racing wheels originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 24 June 2010 20:00 EST.

Aston Martin Vantage GT4 Challenge

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:52:00 GMT

Posted on 02.18.2010 14:52 by Simona
Filed under: Aston-Martin | Aston-Martin V8 | sports cars | Cars | Car News

Aston Martin Racing announced the new GT4 Challenge racing series. The series starts in April at Snetterton and finishes six races later in October after visiting Silverstone, Spa Francorchamps, Brands Hatch, Oulton Park and Donington.

The Vantage GT4 is built to FIA GT4 regulations and requires no modifications to compete in the British GT4 Challenge series. The Vantage GT4 is closely based on the Vantage V8 road car, but with modifications to make it suitable for racing. It retains the road car’s active safety systems, including dynamic stability control, traction control, ABS and electronic brake force distribution. There is also an option of a manual or sportshift gearbox.

Press release after the jump.

Aston Martin Vantage GT4 Challenge originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 18 February 2010 14:52 EST.