Aston Martin Racing has officially unveiled the Vantage GT2. Its 4.3-litre V8 produces 500bhp and the Vantage GT2 weighs a mere 1200kg. That means it'll be quick, and it needs to be. The Vantage will have the unenviable task of taking on Porsche and Ferrari in the most competitive endurance racing class, GT2. The price? A mere £275,000, plus VAT.

Based on the V8 Vantage road car, the Vantage GT2 racing car runs on either standard race fuel or E85 bio-ethanol.

No other details have been released as of yet but more should come available when it debuts in the Le Mans Series at Barcelona on April 5th.

Alongside the GT2 we’ve also seen the new LMP1 prototype, GT1 and GT3 class cars in action, and driven the GT4 N24 Vantage.

Read More...

Aston Martin has announced that they will collaborate with its Austria based partner, Magna Steyr, to build the new 4-door Aston Martin Rapide sports car.

The Rapide will be built at Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria. The new Aston Martin Rapide is expected to go into production late 2009 with 2,000 units to be sold annually.

The reason why Aston Martin has to outsource the production of the Rapide is due to the plant in Gaydon has exceeded its production capacity with the production of other Aston Martin cars such as the DB9, DBS and V8 Vantage. Apart from that, Magna Steyr has the capability and experience in producing luxury cars such as models from Mercedes-Benz and also BMW. There are no details yet about the Aston Martin Rapide but the concept car was first unveiled at the 2006 Detroit Motor Show which was powered by a 6.0-liter V12 engine producing 480 hp (358 kW).

Read More...

The MANSORY front spoiler displace the series front totally and will give the car a striking snappy optical characteristic.

An elegant design symbiosis from an integrated daytime running light, also available as fog lights, with below air intakes so on the adaptive 5-line grille element, similar to the new 6-line lightweight main radiator grille:

Likewise the side skirts amend the aerodynamic and let the car looks much more deeper.

Yet another typical detail are the integrated carbon flanks with air intakes behind of them. The complex design of the rear shows the apron with an spectacular carbon diffuser, it is really a complete new imagination and to make it once again a step more sportier add on the rear trunk and solid spoiler which supporting the dynamic contact pressure. The chromed details are the integrated exhaust tips in the rear apron so on the trunk aluminum trim stripe and at least the carbonfibre light covers.

Totally new the anodized aluminum air outtakes on engine bonnet and the fully forged lightweight wheels, together they are toping the exterior off.
Also new the suspension lowering with sport performance springs, the complete vehicle comes down 25mm ( approx.: 1 inch).

Look into the interior and you will find a singular unique mixture from maple wood, carbonfibre structure and Alcantara. If you want it more individual MANSORY will leave nothing to the imagination you can choose from the finest materials ever. As a matter of course beside steering wheel, carbon fibre trim equipment, the smallest details.

Informations about performance enhancement components are coming next and Mansory hasn't reviled them yet.

Read More...

Two famous names will unite for the 2008 Le Mans 24hrs. Aston Martin will return to Le Sarthe to defend its GT1 crown and this time the cars – numbered 007 and 009 – will be in Gulf Oil colours.

The evocative orange and eggshell blue DBRS9s will compete 40 years after a Gulf-liveried car first won Le Mans. It was a Ford GT40. David Richard, chairman of Aston Martin said: ‘Endurance racing is engrained in the heritage of both Gulf and Aston Martin and we have also both been intrinsically linked through Le Mans for many decades. It was perhaps destined that, in the year we defend our GT1 title and Gulf celebrates the 40th anniversary of its win, we would finally race together at La Sarthe.’

But apparently the partnership isn’t a one-off either with Alain Dujean, Gulf Oil vice president claiming he hopes for ‘a long and fruitful partnership.’

The 2008 Le Mans 24hrs takes place on 14-15 June, thankfully a few weeks after the Nurburgring 24hrs. Last year the two events clashed meaning race fans had to choose between the two. This year that won’t be the case, and Aston Martin should have a presence at both races.

There's no word yet on whether the DBRS9s due to race at Le Mans will be running on pure ethanol. After all, Aston Martin Racing has also just unveiled a Vantage GT2 racer than is compatible with E100 fuel.

Read More...

Hot on the heels of the V12 Vantage RS comes Aston Martin’s new race car. Based on the V8 Vantage road car, the aptly named Vantage GT2 will compete in the GT2 race category.

Aston Martin is thus (rightly) very proud to offer a race car in every GT category. The DBR9 fills the GT1 category, the slightly less hardcore DBRS9 competes in GT3, and the Vantage N24 competes in GT4.

The big news though is that the Vantage GT2 can run on standard race fuel or E85 bioethanol. After experience converting a DBRS9 to run on biofuel in 2007, Aston Martin Racing has made all Vantage GT2s compatible with the semi-renewable fuel.

There’s no word yet on power figures, or whether the Vantage GT2 produces any more power when its runs on biofuel compared to standard race fuel. Aston Martin hasn't announced a price either, but Prodrive chairman David Richards will unveil the Vantage GT2 the Autosport International show on 10 January.

Read More...

Aston Martin has squeezed its biggest engine into its smallest coupe to create the V12 Vantage RS. As the RS badge indicates, it's a lighter, faster, less compromising version of the Vantage. Aston Martin unveiled the stripped out coupe as a concept last night (11 December), but it's almost certain to make production.

Aston’s engineers deserve massive credit for managing to shoehorn this 600bhp block in there. The engine is a development of the DBRS9’s – Aston’s ‘gentleman racer’, one rung down from the Le Mans winning DBR9 – but boosted to give a nice round 600 horses. The engine is dry-sumped and features forged pistons and conrods. Peak power arrives at 6250rpm, while 509lb ft is available at 5000rpm.

To shave a few kilos, the boot lid and louvred bonnet are carbonfibre, although this is offset by a heavier engine than the regular V8. Aston says the RS weighs ‘under 1600kg’, but officials wouldn’t be drawn on specifics. A regular V8 Vantage is 1630kg. Either way, this special Vantage is some way off the weight of its nemesis, the 1375kg 911 GT3 RS.

Aston’s boss, Dr Ulrich Bez, was in charge of Porsche R&D when a certain 993 RS was rolling out of Stuttgart. The ‘RS’ script on the brake callipers looks suspiciously Porsche-esque, and a Harm Lagaay was there last night: he’s the man who penned the 993-generation 911.

But for Aston RS is not ‘rennsport’ (which is German for motorsport). Instead it stands for ‘road sport’, signifying that the Vantage RS is a road car that can be used on the track, rather than being an all-out track day racer.

Read More...

The next generation of Astons will be styled at the company's new design studio, due to open on 11 December 2007. A product announcement is expected on the same day; the company is likely to confirm new partnerships for merchandising and it's expected to announce tweaks to an existing model range, too.

Dr Bez canceled the original blueprint for the new design center at Gaydon, which he described as too derivative. He then met an architect with an interest in sustainable eco-design, and commissioned him to draw up fresh plans for the new site.

It will use natural materials imported from Austria, and is understood to be made largely from glass and wood for a light, airy atmosphere for Aston Martin's design team led by director Marek Reichman.

The whole design center project took just six months.

This would not have been possible under Ford,

he said.

We are now able to move much more quickly. It's like the speed at which we said yes to the Rapide.

Bez went on to talk about a 'careful design evolution of the current shape' for the next 20 years - in the vein of the incremental development of the 911. Aston designers know they have carved out a successful style for themselves - even if the V8 Vantage, DB9 and recently departed Vanquish look incredibly similar.

So expect more of the same from the newly independent Aston. If fast-track decision-making and all-new product like the Rapide are hallmarks of the new management, the sports car maker looks in rude health. But it remains to be seen how Aston Martin will afford to develop all-new products to replace its current line-up without the financial clout of a global car maker behind it.

Read More...

Here are pictures of Aston Martin's soft-top version of the V8 Vantage. The two-seater, was unveiled at the Los Angeles auto show in November 2006 and is set to be called Roadster, rather than adopt the Volante name typical of soft-top Aston Martins. Power comes from the 380bhp 4.2-litre V8 used in the coupe. Expect a price around £90,000.

There's more to the Roadster than a simple tin opener-job on the coupe. While convertibles are typically spun off saloon bodies, the V8 Vantage is a hatchback, so Aston's designers have had to create a new rear end. It's a handsome rump, flowing into a lip spoiler just like the coupe's. The powered, fabric roof stows to reveal those twin buttresses, and a wind deflector folds up to soothe turbulence.

The rest of the Roadster from the wheels up is nigh on identical to the coupe. Both cars are based on Aston's aluminum VH platform. Insiders claim it is so stiff that minimal bracing was needed, to offset the reduced rigidity of going topless. Don't expect too much of a weight gain over the 1630kg coupe.
With the Roadster running the same 380bhp 4.2-litre V8, performance should be similar. Expect 0-62mph in around 5.0sec and a top speed not too far off the coupe's 175mph. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual 'box, or the new paddle shift 'box unveiled last year on Paris motor show.

Read More...

It’s a DB9 with a body kit isn’t it? Steady on. The DBS is certainly based on the DB9 but then so is the DBR9 racer that won the GT1 class at Le Mans in 2007. And you wouldn’t find anyone kicking sand in its face.

Aston says the DBS is a very different car in character to both the DB9 and also the older Vanquish whose place the DBS effectively takes in the range – even if Aston reckons we shouldn’t see them as like-for-like.

But there’s more to it than war paint, right? Right. But lets look at that war paint first: flared arches, aggressive front splitter, bonnet scoops, side skirts and a serious piece of carbon acting as a rear diffuser. You may prefer the more demure lines of the DB9 original, but you can’t deny that the DBS is a seriously handsome car with real road presence.

And so to the stuff underneath that make-up. The bonnet, boot lid, wings and doors are made from carbonfibre, shaving 30kg of the total kerbweight and standard carbon brakes, the first on an Aston road car, shed another 12.5kg. In total, the 1695kg DBS weighs 65kg less than a DB9.

• But it’s the same V12 engine

Yes, but reworked with bigger inlet ports and a higher 10.9:1 compression ratio to lift power from 450bhp to 510bhp. Torque remains the same at 420lb ft and is directed through the same six-speed Graziano manual ’box and out to the rear wheels via a shorter 3.71:1 final drive.
It pulls hard from as low as 1500rpm in sixth gear and sings lustily through an exhaust system incorporating Aston’s usual trick bypass valves. But even with the valves open as the revs pass 3500rpm, the music is never obtrusive.

• So with all that power and without all that weight it’s got to be a 200mph super car...

Er, not quite. Will you settle for 191mph? That’s 5mph more than you’d be able to coax from a regular DB9 and the 0-62mph sprint falls from 4.7sec to 4.3sec. Not slow, but Ferrari’s 599 (similar layout and price) offers over 600bhp and hits 62mph in just 3.7sec.

The DBS feels quick, clearly, but not shatteringly so. What strikes more is the amount of torque on offer, the kick in the back at mid-range speeds being far beyond what the spec-sheet suggests.

• So how does it drive?

Like an Aston should. It’s refined, focused and fun with accurate, well weighted steering and the balance to let you play hero with the DSC switched out – although Dr Bez would rather you didn’t. But it’s maybe not the track special you were expecting. No bad thing, we say. Lambo’s Superleggera looks sensational and is sensational on a circuit, but suffers seriously compromised road manners as a consequence.

Aston wants the DBS to feel at home on any road so has fitted adaptable dampers which can be switched between two positions via a console button. As with most cars so equipped, the harder sport setting is just too stiff for anything but the smoothest roads, so you’ll tend to stick with the standard setting. Which works fine until you really start to pile on the pressure. There’s just slightly too much float at higher speed. Aston knows this and is currently discussing whether to tighten the standard setting fractionally.
The brakes certainly need no such fettling. The 398mm/360mm carbon stoppers are as big on feel as they are on reverse thrust. They're possibly the DBS’s stand-out feature.

• Will I feel like Bond inside?

Emotionally? I couldn’t say. But you’ll certainly know that you’re not slumming it in a basic DB9 if that’s what you mean. There’s the ludicrously named but funky-looking Emotion Control Unit (it’s a posh key), the option of piano black for the center console which feature some new knobs and, outside of North America, the option to save an extra 20kg by ditching the standard seats for some carbon-backed buckets.

Don’t worry though North Americans – you’ll not notice the 20kg difference and the standard chairs look and feel almost as supportive.

• Verdict

Those expecting some kind of Scuderia/RS/Superleggera DB9 might be disappointed, but we can’t see many customers feeling the same even after forking out £160,000 to get behind the wheel. They know they’re buying Bond’s car and the most exclusive car Aston makes and that will be enough.

Aston’s new range-topper is an accomplished GT that – with a little tweaking – will be suited for any tarmac ribbon from B-road to race circuit. There are faster rivals, more overtly sporting rivals, but the DBS is the most usable.

However for those who find the butch styling a little gauche, take heart in the knowledge that the brilliant and beautiful DB9 Sport Pack looks like a genuine bargain at £40k less.

Read More...

Yes, it kind of leaves you lost for words doesn’t it? Aston pulled the wraps of its new DBS super coupe today on the opening day of this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California – the perfect setting for a show devoted to beautiful cars.

The DBS delivers the complete driving experience and bridges the gap between our road and track cars – the DB9 and DBR9,

Aston Martin boss Ulrich Bez told CAR.

It’s the ultimate expression of Aston Martin’s engineering and technical ability. It offers pure performance without compromise.

The DBS arrives next spring. There’s no word yet on official prices, but we reckon you’ll need at least £160,000 to be in with a shout.

The coupe – first seen in latest Bond film Casino Royale – is powered by Aston’s hand made 6.0-litre V12 – a heavily revised version of the all-alloy powerplant that powers the DBR9 racing car that’s been tuned to deliver 510 bhp at 6500rpm and 420 lb ft of torque at 5750rpm – enough to rocket the alloy-intensive DBS to 62mph in 4.3seconds and onto a 191mph top speed. The race-bred powerplant features a new by-pass air intake port that opens above 5500rpm to boost engine breathing as well as re-profiled air inlet ports that further improve airflow into the combustion chamber.
For such a technically advanced and track-oriented car, we’re surprised that there’s no paddle-shift transmission – the DBS sticks to a conventional three-pedal layout with a six-speed manual gearbox, albeit with cogs stacked closer together and a shorted final drive to get the best out of the quad-cam engine. There’s no trick steering either – the rack and pinion steering features Servotronic speed-sensitive assistance and a relatively slow three turns between locks.

Aston Martin’s engineers have complemented the DBS’s bonded aluminium chassis made of lightweight magnesium alloy, carbonfibre composite and aluminium. It’s the first production Aston Martin to make extensive use of carbon-fibre body panels and it shows in a 1695kg kerb weight – still surprisingly heavy but a still useful 65kg lighter than the DB9 coupe. Carbonfibre panels are used for the boot enclosure, boot lid, door opening surrounds, front wings and bonnet, saving 30kg over it’s alloy equivalent.

The carbonfibre material allowed us to wrap bodywork around the twenty inch wheels and maintain the precise relationship between the wheel and the bodywork,

says Marek Reichman, Aston Martin’s design director. The carbonfibre is finished in an patented Surface Veil process that applies a 200micron layer of epoxy and glass over the carbonfibre weave.
Sure does. The DBS’s drop-dead gorgeous lines and aerodynamic enhancements have been honed using Aston Martin’s race experience – that carbonfibre splitter and a new front bumper design help channel, while the widened front and rear wings, deeper, reprofiled side sills, lowered ride height and widened front and rear track improve high-speed stability and boost the car’s muscular stance. Even the iconic side stake has been redesigned for the DBS, incorporating a bank of LED lights that act as turning indicators. That integrated rear spoiler is now bigger and the DBS is fitted with a flat undertray and a new carbonfibre rear diffuser to boost rear downforce.

The DBS is also fitted with new vented carbon ceramic brakes discs – a first for any road-going Aston Martin – which reduces unsprung weight by 12.5kg. Up front are 398mm diameter with six-piston calipers, with 360mm diameter with four-piston calipers at the rear. The lightweight 20inch alloy wheels are shod with bespoke Pirelli P-Zero tires. The double wishbone alloy suspension features an adaptive damper controlled suspension which uses two separate valves to set the dampers to five different positions, allowing instant adjustment of the car’s ride and handling characteristics.
The driver has a choice of two ride settings – standard and a firmer track-oriented setting. The system works hand in glove with the track-oriented DSC Dynamic Stability Control: in default operation, the DSC is automatically on. Press the button for two seconds and Track mode is engaged for a lower interventional levels. Pressing the DSC button for four seconds disengages the safety system entirely.

The beautifully inviting leather and carbonfibre cabin (the two vestigial rear seats have been ditched, making the DBS a strict two-seater) shows that weight-saving and wow-factor are not mutually exclusive. The door pulls are made from carbon-fiber, for example and even the carpets are woven from a lighter fiber to save weight. Glossy black lacquer, brushed alloy, semi-aniline leather and Alcantara are the order of the day. The new center console feature turned aluminum ventilation dials alongside the controls for the 700W sound system and hard-disc satnav system.
Starting the DBS is pure theater. The ignition ‘key’ is a sculpted stainless steel fob that’s inserted into the center console-mounted sapphire start/stop button. This then glows red to show the engine is ready to be fired up. Press the fob and you’re away. Press it again to kill the engine and the fob motors out ready for pocketing. As expected, there are plenty of upgrade options to help personalize your DBS, including lightweight carbonfibre and Kevlar sports seats some 20kg lighter then the standard units.

By Ben Whitworth

Read More...

Bit bright for an Aston Martin? Yes, this orange hue is somewhat retina-searing. But don’t worry because this limited edition V8 Vantage N400 is available in other colours. However, it is this Karussell Orange that gives a clue to what this V8 Vantage is all about.

It’s built to commemorate Aston’s achievements at the Nurburgring, where the V8 Vantage N24 has competed for the past two years. The Karussell is one of the most famous, and challenging, corners at the ‘Ring. But the N400 is no stripped out racer because it comes as standard with sat-nav, cruise control and heated electrical seats.

Don’t fret, because there’s also a 400bhp 4.3-litre V8 under the bonnet, plus a Sport Pack that should filter down to the rest of the range soon. The Sports Pack comes with uprated springs and dampers, a new rear anti-roll bar, plus lightweight alloy wheels.

Just 480 will be made, half as coupes and half as roadsters. Why 480? Because that’s how many seconds there are in eight minutes. And it’s the eight minute barrier that the N400 has just dipped below while lapping the ‘Ring. The car is available with an auto or manual gearbox and prices should start from £92,000.
That’s more restrained. This is the DB9 LM and it is a lot more reserved than the tangerine-coloured V8 N400. This car is built to celebrate Aston’s victory in the GT1 class earlier this year at Le Mans. It comes as standard with the DB9’s Sports Pack. The rest of the changes are purely cosmetic, including a smoked-chrome mesh grille, red brake calipers, unique interior trimmings and the aptly named Sarthe Silver paint.

Aston will build 124 DB9 LMs because it finished first at a 24-hour race. Hence 1-24, 124… and yours for £124,000…

Both cars will be unveiled next week at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but if this DB9 isn't your thing then remember Aston Martin will also be showing the stunning DBS on its Frankfurt stand, and that’s the sort of DB9 we want.

Ben Pulman

Read More...