It’s not that often we see Aston Martin->ke13 dominate the headlines as it has in the past few weeks, but with so many developments coming out of Gaydon, it’s only right that we kick off a new week with another new model that Aston Martin has in the works.

The new model, at least according to AutoCar, will be a race-focused version of the V8 Vantage and will carry the name GT8. It’s expected to follow the footsteps of its V-12 counterpart, the GT12, a similarly prepared version of the V12 Vantage that Aston Martin unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.->ke228

Much like the GT12, the GT8 will be developed with performance as one of its top priorities. It’s being tipped to be the lightest Vantage->ke4410 ever made, which Aston plans to achieve by using carbon fiber, titanium, and aluminum in the car’s construction. Details on power and performance have yet to be announced, but given the goal to establish its feathery weight relative to other V8 Vantage models, the GT8 is being looked at as being faster than the V8 Vantage S to 60 mph by as much as three-tenths of a second. That should make it a worthy rival to a car like the Porsche 911 GT3 RS.

There’s also no word on when the GT8 will be made available, but Aston Martin has already capped production to just 150 units, 50 units more than the 100-piece G12. Pricing has reportedly been set at £170,000, which would be around $243,000 based on current exchange rates. It’s a bargain compared to the £250,000 ($357,000) price tag of the G12, but like its big brother, there are options available to increase the performance capabilities of the GT8. With those in place, the pricing for the newest Aston performance car could tip closer to £200,000, or about $285,000.

More details about the Aston Martin Vantage GT8 are expected to be announced when it makes its debut this week.

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Why it matters

As a fan of Aston Martin, this is as good as it has ever been for the British automaker. In less than a month, it has made the headlines a number of reasons, including its partnership with Red Bull that will bear fruit in the form of the AM-RB 001 hypercar. Then came word that it was planning an all-new seven-car lineup that will begin with the next-generation Vantage. From there, news of the massive interest in the DB11 started to come out. Now this? Evidently, the firm’s Gaydon headquarters have been off-the-wall busy and I couldn’t be more excited about what lies ahead for the British automaker.

The Vantage GT8 is another reason to get all hyped up, not because it’s “just” another model, but because it represents another significant step for Aston Martin in embracing its sporting and performance roots. That’s probably the biggest takeaway from this new-found approach and if anything, Aston picked the perfect time to do this.

Like everybody else, I’m looking forward to seeing what comes out of the Vantage GT8. If it follows the same template as the GT12 and puts some work to give the car its own identity, then it should be received just as well as the GT12 back when it made its debut in Geneva back in 2015. The accompanying teaser photo that Aston released looks very promising too, leading me and presumably countless others to have very high expectations for the car as Aston prepares for its debut. Let’s hope that our expectations are at least met because right now, the hype surrounding the GT8 is growing as we speak.

2016 Aston Martin Vantage GT12 Special Edition

Read our full review on the 2016 Aston Martin Vantage GT12 Special Edition here.