As promised, Aston Martin will put the V12 Zagato special edition into production this year for a limited run.

This is the car that will be delivered to customers, after it made its debut at the Kuwait Concourse d’Elegance later this month. The very first production version of the car will be revealed in the Middle East, where most of the 150 units will probably end up.

The Zagato V12 has a base price of £330,000 GBP, which will probably be bumped further on the showroom floors, or when the allocation runs out. That is a big price for a Vantage in a fancy dress, but then this is a very special car, a future classic, a collectible item. So it’s kinda worth it.

Technical specs are the same as the normal V12 Vantage:

ENGINE

• ALL ALLOY, QUAD OVERHEAD CAMSHAFT, 48-VALVE, 5935CC 6.0-LITRE V12
• FRONT MID-MOUNTED ENGINE, REAR-WHEEL DRIVE
• FULLY CATALYSED STAINLESS STEEL EXHAUST SYSTEM WITH ACTIVE BYPASS VALVES
• SELECTABLE ‘SPORT’ MODE

TRANSMISSION

• REAR MID-MOUNTED, SIX-SPEED MANUAL GEARBOX
• ALLOY TORQUE TUBE WITH CARBON-FIBRE PROPELLER SHAFT
• FINAL-DRIVE RATIO 3.71:1
• LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL

PERFORMANCE

• MAXIMUM POWER: 380 KW (510 BHP/517 PS) AT 6500 RPM
• MAXIMUM TORQUE: 570 NM (420 LB FT) AT 5750 RPM
• ACCELERATION: 0-100 KM/H (0-62 MPH) IN 4.2 SECONDS
• MAXIMUM SPEED: 305 KM/H (190 MPH)

Aston Martin Racing is expanding the Vantage GT4′s career by sending it over the pond to race in the 2012 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

They’ve appointed Multimatic Motorsports as their American partner to campaign two GT4s in the CTSCC series. The Canadian firm is also the maker of the carbon fibre chassis for the exclusive One-77 supercar, as well as carbon fibre components for the V12 Vantage Zagato.

The lead car will be driven by Multimatic regulars and proven race-winners Scott Maxwell and Joe Foster. They also have a movie star onboard. Grey’s Anatomy’ Patrick Dempsey, a talented racer in his own right, will drive the second car, partnered in the opening round of the series by Aston Martin Chief Engineer and vastly experienced Vantage GT4 racer Chris Porritt.

The Vantage GT4 has years of successful European campaigns in its portfolio, including numerous 24 Hour class victories, the 2010 European GT4 Cup title, back-to-back championship victories in the Nürburgring-based VLN series in 2010 and 2011. Aston hopes the Vantage makes a good career in America as well.

Based on the V8 Vantage production car, it’s powered by the same 4.7 liter V8 and has the same manual transmission and suspension design. It is in fact the road-going car if you strip away the racing body and roll bars, and put some leather on the dashboard.

About CTSCC:

The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge is run by the Grand American Road Racing Organization. The 2012 calendar takes in some of North America’s most iconic circuits over ten races, which run for two and a half hours with a mandatory driver change. The series kicked off with an official test session at the Daytona International Speedway on January 6-8, ahead of the prestigious opening round at the same circuit on January 27, which will be held as a support race to the legendary Rolex 24 at Daytona. Aston Martin will compete in the headlining Grand Sport category, which is contested by six- and eight-cylinder production-derived sports cars.

Sources close to Aston Martin say the British company will unveil a V12-powered version of the Vantage Roadster at the next Geneva Motor Show.

The long-awaited V12 roadster was first spotted over two years at the Nurburgring. But all those special editions of the V8 Vantage, and of course the launch of the Rapide and then the Virage, didn’t leave Aston with enough time to work on it.

Now though, it is apparently ready for 2012 launch. Just like the Coupe, that V12 Vantage Roadster is based on the V8 version of the car but instead of the V8 it gets the 6.0 liter V12 out of the DBS with 520 hp. Visually, the car comes with different bumpers and wheels over the V8, and unfortunately a vented bonnet which kinda ruins the styling at front. Hopefully Aston won’t use it for the Roadster.

This car will be brilliant, but to be honest with the Aston Martin Vantage all you want is that glorious body which is bite the back of your hand beautiful. Cruising with the top down you don’t really need all that power. We’d still pick the V8 and save tens of thousands!

via: GTspirit

Aston Martin will unveil a new special edition of the Vantage 4.7 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Technically, the car is pretty much the same as normal Vantages, powered by a 4.7 liter V8 developing 430 hp and 470 Nm, which does o to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and comes with a six-speed sequential gearbox with paddle shifters.

This car’s party piece is the unique Onyx Metallic Black paint job, with silver grille-surround like Aston’s GT4 race car. Inside the cabin you get Obsidian Black leather and Alcantara, again with silver stitching.

This special Vantage is priced from €83,950. Aston will only take orders for it between 13 to 30 September.

Aston Martin confirmed technical specifications of 2012 V12 Vantage GT3, the car that replaces the successful DBRS9.

In terms of power there will be little difference between the two, as the Vantage gets the same modified 6.0 liter V12 based on the production engine, with 600 bhp with 700 Nm of torque. It comes with a Xtrac 6 speed sequential transmission with semi-automatic paddle shift gear change.

The engine in the Vantage however has a better position to improve weight balance. It also features a carbon fibre propshaft that delivers the power efficiently.

What’s more, the Vantage has a shorter wheelbase and better aerodynamics than the DBRS9, which means enhanced handling and performance. The new car will also provide enhanced driveability with the latest race-developed ABS and Traction Control systems which are fitted to the V12 Vantage GT3 as standard.

With this specs, Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 is qualified for the FIA GT3 Championship, ADAC Masters, Nürburgring VLN, Blancpain Endurance Series, British GT, Belcar and Open GT among others.The car’s main rivals include Mercedes SLS GT3, Ferrari 458 GT3, and the McLaren MP4.

Private teams can now place their orders for one. Pricing start at £298,000. Deliveries of the first cars will commence in early 2012.

V12 Vantage GT3 Specification

Engine

-           Lightweight V12

-           Dry sump oil system

-           Engine repositioned to optimise weight distribution

-           Target power 600 bhp

-           Target torque 700 Nm

Transmission

-           Xtrac 6 speed sequential transmission

-           Racing clutch

-           Limited slip ramp/plate differential

-           Easily accessible drop gears

-           Semi-automatic paddle shift gear change

-           Carbon fibre propshaft

Chassis

-           Lightweight aluminium chassis

-           Steel roll cage to FIA safety standards

High speed pneumatic jack system

Steering

-           Hydraulic power assisted steering

-           Quick release steering wheel

Suspension

-           Double wishbone suspension arms front

and rear with uniball bearings

-           2-way adjustable dampers front and rear

-           Optimsed geometry for lower race ride height

Fuel system

-           110 litre fuel cell to FIA safety standards

-           Twin quick release couplings

-           Fuel cell location optimised for performance and safety

(behind the driver’s seat, inside the safety roll cage)

Brakes

-           6 pot front calipers

-           Ventilated front brake disc

-           4 pot rear caliper

-           Ventilated rear brake disc

-           Floor mounted pedal box

-           Manually adjustable front/rear brake bias

-           Adjustable motorsport ABS

Wheels

-           12.5″ x 18″ front

-           13″ x 18″ rear

Tyres

-           Front 30/68-18

-           Rear 31/71-18

Cockpit

-           Steering wheel mounted controls

-           Driver display / data logger / shift lights / beacon

-           6-point safety harness

-           Adjustable steering position

-           Adjustable seat position

-           Adjustable pedal box position

-           Light weight battery

-           Carbon fibre dash

-           Fire extinguisher system

Aerodynamics

-           Front splitter

-           Adjustable full width carbon fibre rear wing

-           Aerodynamically optimised bumpers, fenders and sills

Weight

-           Target dry weight 1250kg

This is the outcome of Aston Martin and Zagato renewed partnership. As it turns out the car is based on the Aston V12 Vantage.

As a concept, the V12 Zagato has two purposes. First, to be premiered at the Villa D’Este Concours on 21^st May to gauge customer interest for a production version, and second to compete at the Nürburgring 24 hour race on 25/26 June; following tradition of recent new Aston Martins. If all goes well, the V12 Zagato could see production in limited numbers sometime in late 2012.

Unique Zagato touches really revamp the looks of the Vantage, but can’t say for the better. The end result is not just as pretty as the base car, but it is certainly more exquisite and artistic. The car features a new handcrafted aluminium body. Each front wing alone comprises seven separate pieces of aluminium, combined and then hand finished to give one flowing form.

It also features the infamous Zagato double-bubble roof seen on previous Aston Zagatos.

Dr Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin said: “The Zagato design language is a perfect complement to our design and engineering expertise. After 50 years of the two companies being associated with each other the partnership has produced some of the world’s most iconic cars.

“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.”

Engine-wise, the Zagato V12 is identical to the Vantage V12. It gets the same 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 bhp (380 kW / 517 PS), and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque, which has already proven itself in the furious ‘Ring Race. We just hope the Zagato’s aerodynamics are up to the job for the tough job at hand. The car will be driven by an experienced driver team, led for the sixth year by Chief Executive Dr. Ulrich Bez.

Aston Martin V12 Zagato Endurance Race Car Specification

Body:

Two door, two seat coupe body
Bonded aluminium structure
Bespoke steel roll cage.
Hand crafted Aluminium body

Engine:

All alloy quad overhead cam 48 valve 5935cc V12
Compression ratio 10.9:1
Front mid-mounted engine, rear wheel drive

Transmission:

Rear mid-mounted, six-speed automated manual gearbox with auto shift manual/select shift manual (ASM/SSM) electric hydraulic control system
Magnesium alloy torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft
Twin Plate competition clutch.
Limited slip differential.

Suspension:

All round independent double wishbone with fully adjustable Multimatic DSSV dampers.

Brakes:

Front: Ventilated floating grooved discs with 6 piston callipers
Rear: Ventilated floating grooved discs with 4 piston callipers

Fuel System:

120 litre endurance racing fuel tank

If you don’t dig the Audi R8 Spyder Wheelsandmore has tuned, don’t despair because they have another drop-top that might satisfy you.

It is the gorgeous Aston Martin V8 Vantage which is lightly tweaked by the German tuner. Here too you get the three-piece 6SPorz lacked-out wheels but this time in size 21-inch. You do slso get suspension upgrade from KW which has provided a pro coilover kit for some lowering and enhanced handling.

Besides the wheels and suspension, WAM also installs a new set of sport exhausts system with 200 cells sports catalysts and valve controlled flaps whic might not sound just as awesoem as the standard set, but it raise the power up to 460 hp.

The black on black effect on this particular Vantage has really suited it and created a very beautiful and sporty roadster.

Aston Martin adds the V12 Vantage to the lineup of available cars at their American Performance Driving Course which provides prospective and new customers with a chance to have some real fun with some of the world’s best machines.

That said, you have to pay them $2500 in advance for the privilege of driving the cars at the Michigan Proving Ground during the one day instruction based course, but it is money well spent because you get access to the V12 Vantage, DBS, the Rapide and the V8 Vantage.The new addition V12, is a hard-core version of the Vantage, powered by the V12 engine out of the DBS.

Julian Jenkins “We are very much looking forward to offering customers and sports car enthusiasts the opportunity to drive the V12 Vantage, alongside our other award winning
models. The V12 Vantage is a thoroughbred sports car and the miles of track covered at the course will give participants the opportunity to experience its capabilities during a  thrilling day of performance driving.”

Aston Martin announced a new version of the Vantage GT3 race car based on the V12 Vantage road car for the 2012 season. This car will replace the current DBRS9 racer.

The DBRS9 is not only a great race car, it’s also one of the prettiest on the grid. The new car seems to be even better, at least in terms of the looks! The new Vantage GT3 joins Aston’s lineup of race cars including Vantage GT2, GT4, DBR9 GT1 and the AMR-One LMP1.

As mentioned above, the car is based on the production V12 Vantage and features an aluminium VH architecture with a lightweight dry-sumped 6.0 litre V12 engine. The car is still under development so it’s too early to talk about facts and figures but Aston Martin Racing has set a target weight of 1250kg and target engine performance figures of more than 600bhp and 700Nm. Other features include a race semi-automatic paddle shift Xtrac gearbox and the latest race-developed ABS and traction control systems, optimised for the Vantage GT3.

The first examples will be ready as soon as July 2011 and will undertake an extensive test and development programme during the rest of the year. For the start of 2012 season Aston will provide ten Vantage GT3 customer cars.

John Gaw, Aston Martin Racing Managing Director added: “The DBRS9 has been a very successful GT3 racing car and, despite being more than six years old, is still competitive today.“However, the competition has moved on and we needed to create a new car that combines our six years’ experience in this category with the latest race technology to continue Aston Martin’s success in GT3 for many years to come.”

Check out this awesome footage of the new Aston Martin V8 Vantage S going around the Ascari Resort track in a nice and smooth manner in a beautiful morning. Honestly, life doesn’t get much better than this! Sunshine, V8 singing, gorgeous supercar and the Ascari circuit which features some of the world’s most famous corners copied from different race tracks. The hardest decision is which one to choose, coupe or convertible? The latter is more fun, but the coupe is better to drive. Damn, it’s a hard knock life! [props to Motorauthority.com]

Following the first presentation, Aston Martin has released a new set of images from the menacingly beautiful V8 Vantage S. It’s incredible, the changes over regular models in the S are not that significant, yet they seem to have made the Vantage more aggressive and more brilliant.

That is relevant actually, since the S is inspired by the GT4 racing version of the AMV8. It only has like 10 more horsepower than the normal model, but it’s harder and stiffer and tweaked to become faster. The colors of those press pics are also very awesome! Or favorite is the green Cabrio.

We’ve also included the full specification of the car in the gallery below:

Body:

• Two-seat, two-door coupe or soft-cover convertible top body style
• Extruded bonded aluminium VH body structure
• Aluminium, magnesium alloy, composite and steel body
• Extruded aluminium door side-impact beams
• Halogen projector headlamps (main beam)
• High Intensity Discharge headlamps (dipped beam)
• LED rear lamps
• Clear rear lamps
• Carbon fibre front splitter and rear diffuser

Engine:

• All-alloy quad overhead camshaft, 32-valve 4735 cc V8
• Front mid-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive
• Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves
• Compression ratio 11.3:1
• Maximum Power 321 kW (430 bhp / 436 PS) at 7300 rpm
• Maximum Torque 490 Nm (361 lb.ft) at 5000 rpm
• Acceleration 0-60 mph tbc; 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) tbc
• Maximum Speed 189 mph (305 km/h)

Transmission:

• Rear mid-mounted ‘Sportshift II’ 7-speed single clutch automated manual transmission
• Alloy torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft
• Limited slip differential
• Final Drive Ratio 4.182:1

Steering:

• Rack and pinion, Servotronic speed-sensitive power-assisted steering, 2.6 turns lock-to-lock
• Column tilt and reach adjustment.

Wheels & tyres

• 19” V-Sspoke cast alloy silver painted wheels with diamond turned finish
• Front8.5J x 19” Bridgestone Potenza RE050 245/40 R19
• Rear 10.0J x 19” Bridgestone Potenza RE050 285/35 R19

Suspension:

• Front Independent double wishbones incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube dampers
• Rear Independent double wishbones with anti- squat and anti-lift geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube dampers

Brakes:

• Front Ventilated and grooved two-piece floating discs, 380mm diameter with six piston calipers
• Rear Ventilated and grooved steel discs, 330mm diameter with four piston calipers
• Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
• Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
• Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
• Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
• Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA)
• Positive Torque Control (PTC)
• Hill Start Assist (HSA)
• Traction Control

Interior:

• Full grain leather interior
• Weave Alloy facia trim
• Iridium Silver centre console outer finish and Graphite inner finish
• Leather-trimmed sports steering wheel
• Embroidered ‘Vantage S’ seat logo
• Embroidered ‘Vantage S’ carpet logo
• Electrically operated Sports seats with side airbags
• Dual-stage driver and passenger front airbags
• Heated rear screen
• Automatic temperature control
• Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays
• Trip computer
• Cruise control
• Bluetooth telephone preparation¹
• Glass ECU
• LED map lamps
• Rear parking sensors
• Powerfold exterior heated mirrors
• Tyre-pressure monitoring
• Alarm and immobiliser
• Remote-controlled central door locking and boot release
• Tracking device (UK only)³
• Anodised black ‘S’ theme tread plates

In Car Entertainment:

• 160 W Aston Martin audio system with six-CD autochanger
• Integrated Apple iPod^® connector⁴
• USB connector with Waveform Audio Format (WAF), Windows Media Player (WMA) and MPEG (MP3) audio file compatibility

Exterior Options:

• V-Spoke cast alloy graphite painted wheels with diamond turned finish
• 10-Spoke forged alloy silver painted wheels with diamond turned finish
• 10-Spoke forged alloy graphite painted wheels with diamond turned finish
• Bright finish grille
• Carbon fibre side strakes
• Magnum Silver bonnet and side stake meshes
• Alternative brake caliper finish – black, red, silver
• Front parking sensors
• Delete ‘Vantage S’ model badging
• Delete protective tape

Interior Options:

• Lightweight seats with six-way electrical adjustment (does not include side airbags; not available in USA or Canada)¹
• Memory front seats and exterior mirrors (three positions)
• Heated seats (included as standard with Lightweight seats)
• ISOFIX and fixed height passenger seat (Sports seats only)
• Alternative facia trim finishes – Prism Alloy, Piano Black, Piano Black Interior Pack
• Alcantara trimmed steering wheel
• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror
• Auto dimming interior rear view mirror with garage door opener¹
• Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system^1,2
• 700 W Aston Martin Premium Audio system with Dolby® Pro Logic II®
• 1000 W Bang & Olufsen BeoSound audio system with ICEpower^®technology
• Satellite radio system (USA and Canada only)
• Alarm upgrade (volumetric and tilt sensor)
• Tracking device^1,3
• Second glass ECU
• Delete embroidered ‘Vantage S’ seat logo
• Delete embroidered ‘Vantage S’ carpet logo
• Personalised sill plaques
• Wind deflector (Roadster only)
• First aid kit
• Ashtray and cigar lighter
• Boot mounted umbrella

Dimensions:

• Length 4385 mm (172.6”)
• Width (excluding mirrors) 1865 mm (73.5”)
• Width (including mirrors) 2025 mm (80.0”)
• Height (Coupe) 1260 mm (49.6”)
• Height (Roadster) 1270 mm (50.0”)
• Wheelbase 2600 mm (102.5”)
• Front Track 1570 mm (62.0”)
• Rear Track 1590 mm (62.6”)
• Turning Circle 11.38 m (37.3 ft) (kerb to kerb)
• Boot Capacity (Coupe) 300 litres (10.6 cu ft)
• Boot Capacity (Roadster) 144 litres (5.0 cu ft)
• Fuel Capacity 80 litres (17.6 UK gal/21.1 US gal)
• Kerb Weight (Coupe) 1610 kg (3549 lb)
• Kerb Weight (Roadster) 1690 kg (3726 lb)

Fuel Consumption⁵ litres/100 km (mpg):

• Urban 19.2 (14.7)
• Extra-urban 9.3 (30.4)
• Combined 12.9 (21.9)

Gas Mileage (North America only)

• City 14 mpg
• Highway 21 mpg

CO₂ Emissions⁵

• 299 g/km

Aston Martin V8 Vantage S is the latest edition of the gorgeous British sportscar which fills the gap, well sort of, between the high performance V12 Vantage and the regular V8. The design of the Vantage S is inspired by the GT4 Racing version but it only has 10 more horsepower than the current V8 model.

Of course in comparison to the first edition of the V8 Vantage which had 380 hp and was famous for not being fast, the new model is improved remarkably! The Vantage S has 430 bhp (436 PS / 321 kW) at 7300 rpm and torque of 490 Nm (361 lb.ft) at 5000 rpm. It comes with an all new gearbox.

The Sportshift™ II transmission specifically designed for the Vantage S from the ground up with seven short ratio gears to deliver the most engaging and intense driver involvement. The car is also 30 kg lighter than the standard version, 24 of which is due to the new gearbox. With these tweaks the Vantage must have become the car it should have been three years ago, a beautiful, agile and fast Aston.

Dynamic revisions are central to the Vantage S, with a quickened steering rack ratio of 15:1 compared to 17:1 on the standard car and a larger diameter front brake disc with new six-piston front brake calipers. New springs and dampers, and wider rear wheels also contribute to chassis revisions. A new dynamic stability control (DSC) system specifically tuned to the Vantage S along with a new brake module providing features such as Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA) which provides assistance in emergency braking situations, and Hill Start Assist (HSA). Bespoke tyres have been developed with Bridgestone to optimise road holding enhancing dynamic feel.

The car is available as both coupe and cabrio variants, and has a few noticeable styling differences over the V8 model. It has a revised lower front bumper finished in perfectly-aligned carbon fibre houses a larger air intake feeding the engine and front brakes. The splitter combined with the extended deck lid ‘flip’ work in harmony to provide increased down force at speed. New 19 inch ‘V’ spoke wheel styles are available as standard, while an optional 10-spoke lightweight forged wheel option, reduces unsprung mass further. A new rear bumper and side sills optically widen the car.

Specification

Body:

• Two-seat, two-door coupe or soft-cover convertible top body style
• Extruded bonded aluminium VH body structure
• Aluminium, magnesium alloy, composite and steel body
• Extruded aluminium door side-impact beams
• Halogen projector headlamps (main beam)
• High Intensity Discharge headlamps (dipped beam)
• LED rear lamps
• Clear rear lamps
• Carbon fibre front splitter and rear diffuser

Engine:

• All-alloy quad overhead camshaft, 32-valve 4735 cc V8
• Front mid-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive
• Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves
• Compression ratio 11.3:1
• Maximum Power 321 kW (430 bhp / 436 PS) at 7300 rpm
• Maximum Torque 490 Nm (361 lb.ft) at 5000 rpm
• Acceleration 0-60 mph tbc; 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) tbc
• Maximum Speed 189 mph (305 km/h)

Transmission:

• Rear mid-mounted ‘Sportshift II’ 7-speed single clutch automated manual transmission
• Alloy torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft
• Limited slip differential
• Final Drive Ratio 4.182:1

Steering:

• Rack and pinion, Servotronic speed-sensitive power-assisted steering, 2.6 turns lock-to-lock
• Column tilt and reach adjustment.

Wheels & tyres

• 19” V-Sspoke cast alloy silver painted wheels with diamond turned finish
• Front8.5J x 19” Bridgestone Potenza RE050 245/40 R19
• Rear 10.0J x 19” Bridgestone Potenza RE050 285/35 R19

Suspension:

• Front Independent double wishbones incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube dampers
• Rear Independent double wishbones with anti- squat and anti-lift geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube dampers

Brakes:

• Front Ventilated and grooved two-piece floating discs, 380mm diameter with six piston calipers
• Rear Ventilated and grooved steel discs, 330mm diameter with four piston calipers
• Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
• Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
• Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
• Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
• Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA)
• Positive Torque Control (PTC)
• Hill Start Assist (HSA)
• Traction Control

Interior:

• Full grain leather interior
• Weave Alloy facia trim
• Iridium Silver centre console outer finish and Graphite inner finish
• Leather-trimmed sports steering wheel
• Embroidered ‘Vantage S’ seat logo
• Embroidered ‘Vantage S’ carpet logo
• Electrically operated Sports seats with side airbags
• Dual-stage driver and passenger front airbags
• Heated rear screen
• Automatic temperature control
• Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays
• Trip computer
• Cruise control
• Bluetooth telephone preparation¹
• Glass ECU
• LED map lamps
• Rear parking sensors
• Powerfold exterior heated mirrors
• Tyre-pressure monitoring
• Alarm and immobiliser
• Remote-controlled central door locking and boot release
• Tracking device (UK only)³
• Anodised black ‘S’ theme tread plates

In Car Entertainment:

• 160 W Aston Martin audio system with six-CD autochanger
• Integrated Apple iPod^® connector⁴
• USB connector with Waveform Audio Format (WAF), Windows Media Player (WMA) and MPEG (MP3) audio file compatibility

Exterior Options:

• V-Spoke cast alloy graphite painted wheels with diamond turned finish
• 10-Spoke forged alloy silver painted wheels with diamond turned finish
• 10-Spoke forged alloy graphite painted wheels with diamond turned finish
• Bright finish grille
• Carbon fibre side strakes
• Magnum Silver bonnet and side stake meshes
• Alternative brake caliper finish – black, red, silver
• Front parking sensors
• Delete ‘Vantage S’ model badging
• Delete protective tape

Interior Options:

• Lightweight seats with six-way electrical adjustment (does not include side airbags; not available in USA or Canada)¹
• Memory front seats and exterior mirrors (three positions)
• Heated seats (included as standard with Lightweight seats)
• ISOFIX and fixed height passenger seat (Sports seats only)
• Alternative facia trim finishes – Prism Alloy, Piano Black, Piano Black Interior Pack
• Alcantara trimmed steering wheel
• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror
• Auto dimming interior rear view mirror with garage door opener¹
• Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system^1,2
• 700 W Aston Martin Premium Audio system with Dolby® Pro Logic II®
• 1000 W Bang & Olufsen BeoSound audio system with ICEpower^®technology
• Satellite radio system (USA and Canada only)
• Alarm upgrade (volumetric and tilt sensor)
• Tracking device^1,3
• Second glass ECU
• Delete embroidered ‘Vantage S’ seat logo
• Delete embroidered ‘Vantage S’ carpet logo
• Personalised sill plaques
• Wind deflector (Roadster only)
• First aid kit
• Ashtray and cigar lighter
• Boot mounted umbrella

Dimensions:

• Length 4385 mm (172.6”)
• Width (excluding mirrors) 1865 mm (73.5”)
• Width (including mirrors) 2025 mm (80.0”)
• Height (Coupe) 1260 mm (49.6”)
• Height (Roadster) 1270 mm (50.0”)
• Wheelbase 2600 mm (102.5”)
• Front Track 1570 mm (62.0”)
• Rear Track 1590 mm (62.6”)
• Turning Circle 11.38 m (37.3 ft) (kerb to kerb)
• Boot Capacity (Coupe) 300 litres (10.6 cu ft)
• Boot Capacity (Roadster) 144 litres (5.0 cu ft)
• Fuel Capacity 80 litres (17.6 UK gal/21.1 US gal)
• Kerb Weight (Coupe) 1610 kg (3549 lb)
• Kerb Weight (Roadster) 1690 kg (3726 lb)

Fuel Consumption⁵ litres/100 km (mpg):

• Urban 19.2 (14.7)
• Extra-urban 9.3 (30.4)
• Combined 12.9 (21.9)

Gas Mileage (North America only)

• City 14 mpg
• Highway 21 mpg

CO₂ Emissions⁵

• 299 g/km

¹Not available in all markets

²Includes Traffic Messaging Channel (TMC) in Continental Europe

³Complies with UK Thatcham Category 5 requirements. Excludes subscription. Standard in UK

⁴iPod^® is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the US and other countries

⁵Data not applicable to North American market

This one of a kind Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster is a work of Graf Weckerle Imperialwagen and it’s the first car inspired by champagne! And not any champagne, it’s Blanc de Blancs champagne! The white body of the Aston is garnished with exquisite green and gold lines reminiscent of the champagne bottle, and so is the interior.

It also gets spectacularly vulgar wheels which are actually modeled on Graf Weckerle logo. These 21-inch wheels are made of 180 titanium and aluminum parts and each takes up to 20 days to be built. Did we mention the golden parts insdie the cabin are actually made of 24 karat gold? Well they are!

This car is all about style and personality, but to for that little extra something they have also tuned the engine up to 470 hp.

Graf Weckerle is a company made by young businessmen and specializes in modifying high-end cars, in a very special way! Their previous works include Aston Martin DBS and  Ferrari 599 GTB. They are also working on a Ferrari 458 Italia.

via: ev0-cars.de

The world’s best-looking race car ever has just got a little bit better as Aston Martin released a slightly revised version of its Vantage GT4. The 2011 car is closely based on the V8 Vantage road car with the same basic engine, aluminium chassis and suspension design. But it has enhanced aerodynamics and increased downforce.

The 4.7 liter V8 too has been enhanced and gets a remapped ECU to offer increased levels of power and torque. The car comes with new Bosch-developed brakes. The performance of this system is guaranteed in both wet and dry conditions.

The aerodynamic enhances are partly due to the new front splitter that increases downforce at the front of the car, as well as channelling cooling air to the brakes and radiator. The car also gets new carbon fibre diffuser and rear underfloor as well as the V12’s larger boot ‘flip’. The redesigned underfloor also channels more air through a new rear-mounted high capacity transmission oil cooler. All these changes result in more downforce at high speed.

Aston Martin Racing has built and sold more than 80 Vantage GT4s to customers around the world in the last two years and it has become the most successful car in its class.  In 2010, it won the European GT4 Cup as well as the GT4 class at the Dubai 24 Hours, the Nürburgring 24 Hours and the Spa 24 hours.  The car also has its own one-make series, the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of Great Britain, which was won in its inaugural year by Chris and Ant Scragg.  The new Vantage GT4 will be eligible for this Challenge, as well as the European GT4 Cup and all other series with a GT4 class.

2011 Vantage GT4 specification

Engine:

• 4.7 litre V8 GT4 race specification engine with new engine mapping for 2011
• Transmission:
• Sportshift^TM or 6-speed manual gearbox
• Twin plate competition clutch
• Limited slip differential

Chassis:

• Aluminium chassis with Aston Martin Racing-designed steel roll cage to FIA regulations
• V8 Vantage road car bodywork with new:
• -       V12 Vantage front bumper and splitter
• -       V12 Vantage rear bumper and diffuser
• -       V12 Vantage increased rear boot ‘flip’
• -       V12 Vantage clear rear lights

Suspension:

• Front and rear double wishbone suspension with adjustable toe and camber
• Bilstein dampers (adjustable for ride-height only)
• Koni 2-way adjustable damper (optional)
• Rose-jointed suspension upgrade (optional)

Brakes:

• Four piston monobloc front callipers with race pistons (reduced thermal conductivity)
• Four piston monobloc rear callipers
• Two-piece floating front brake discs with the latest Brembo drive system
• Twin outlet front brake cooling ducts
• Pagid RS29 brake pads front and rear (standard)
• Endurance brake upgrade (optional)
• Bosch race-developed ABS and traction control system (optional)

Fuel system:

• 100l single-fill fuel tank (standard)
• 120l endurance single or duel-fill tanks (optional)

Wheels:

Cast magnesium 5-stud OZ racing wheels

Front: 10″ x 18″

Rear: 11″ x 18″

Further options:

• GT4 electrical diagnostic system
• Cosworth D2/D3 datalogging systems
• Air-conditioning
• Air jacks

My day was made as I woke up this morning, opened up my mail and came across this! This is the new Aston Martin V8 Vantage N420 Roadster, the convertible version of the recently revealed motorsport-inspired N420 Vantage. And my God it’s beautiful. It is of course not that different than regular Vantage Roadster, there’s just new set of wheels and a few subtle tweaks, but in this color it looks absolutely stunning.

Being a race-derived model, the N420 Roadster is 27 kg lighter than the standard car thanks to extensive use of carbon fiber. It comes with wider sills and carbon fiber splitter, side strakes and diffuser, and 10-spoke diamond turned alloy wheels complete with gloss black finish, black mesh vents and ‘Graphitic’ tailpipe finishers.

For the interior Aston Martin offers an Iridium package, with graphite instruments, leather or Alcantara steering wheel, special N420 sill plaques and lightweight carbon fibre seats, complete with ‘Race Track’ stitching as in the V12 Vantage. Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control and Park Distance Control are also standard.

The car is also fitted with the normally optional Sports Pack as standard. It includess revised springs, dampers and anti-roll bars for even more responsive and dynamic handling, and a new sports exhaust system for an even louder bark from that awesome V8, which by the way remains unchanged at 420bhp giving the car a top speed of 180 mph.

To further customize your N420, you are presented with the optional Aston Martin ‘Race Collection’ paint schemes, all inspired by Aston’s racing heritage, including ‘Rose’ yellow, ‘Kermit’ green and ‘Elwood’ blue, as well as ‘Asia Cup’ livery shown here.

Pricing for the Aston Martin V8 Vantage N420 Roadster starts from £96,995. Dunno about you, but I’m saving!

This year Aston Martin is introducing a new one-make racing series for the Vantage GT4 Challenge and Vantage N24 owners in Britain. The cars that compete in this series are all made under FIA GT4 regulations and have a glorious history including class wins in the Dubai, Nürburgring and Spa 24 Hours, numerous class wins in the Nürburgring VLN endurance series and four wins out of six in the FIA GT4 European Cup.

Now Aston is treating their Design Director, Marek Reichman by entering him in Oulton Park race of GT4 Challenge!

It is actually a very cool tradition at Aston Martin that executives and even top branch managers are involved in company’s motorsport activities. If you remember at this year’s Nurburgring 24 hour race, Aston’s boss Dr. Ulrich Bez himself was one of the main drivers for the entire event.

Speaking ahead of the race, Marek said: “The design team has been closely involved in the design of all our race cars, from the works LMP1 prototype to the Vantage GT4, but I’ve always longed to get even more closely involved and the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge provides the perfect introduction to GT4 racing for me.”

Marek’s co-driver, Chris Porritt, added: “Most of my GT4 experience with Aston Martin has been at the Nürburgring, but Oulton Park is my home track and while I’ve raced my own cars there many times, I’ve never had the opportunity in an Aston Martin. The standard of racing in the series so far has been extremely high so Marek and I will have our work cut out to keep up with the front runners.”

Aston Martin’s Head of Motorsport, David King commented: “The Aston Martin Vantage N24/GT4 has been the outstanding performer in GT4 and other classes around the world since 2006. Whether in 24 hour races or short sprints, its performance, reliability and ease of handling deliver class wins and podiums time after time.

“The Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of Great Britain, in its first year, is providing a focal point for our customers to make a first step into GT4 racing with high quality events on challenging circuits with comprehensive organisation and technical support from Aston Martin Racing.”

Inspired by the racing version of the V8 Vantage, Aston Martin presents the new V8 Vantage N420 Special Edition. This is a tarted up version of the standard car which has most of the features of the racing model, but it also retains its luxury stuff, so it’s easier to live it! This Vantage can be had as both coupe and roadster, and it’s 27 kg lighter than normal models.

For the sake of a distinctive look, the N420 comes with some new carbon fiber parts including the front splitter, wider sills, side strakes, rear diffuser, black mesh vents and ‘Graphitic’ tailpipe finishers, as well as newly designed 10-spoke alloy wheels. There’s also a new range of optional Aston Martin ‘Race Collection’ paint schemes, paying homage the marque’s racing heritage.

There are different racing schemes for you to choose from including ‘Rose’ yellow, ‘Kermit’ green and ‘Elwood’ blue, but this particular black and white in these images is the ‘Asia Cup’ livery. And it must be the best of the lot, because they’ve featured it in press pictures!

The cabin of the N420 special edition is exclusive as well. You get an Iridium interior package, with graphite instruments, leather or Alcantara steering wheel, special N420 sill plaques and lightweight carbon fibre seats, complete with ‘Race Track’ stitching as in the V12 Vantage. Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control and Park Distance Control are also standard.

The power comes from the same 4.7-litre, 420bhp V8 as in the standard car which can be mated to either a a six-speed manual or optional Sportshift automated manual transmission to be as fast as 180mph. But because it’s a motorsport-inspired model, it comes as standard with Sports Pack including revised springs, dampers and anti-roll bars for even more responsive and dynamic handling, and a new sports exhaust system with a deeper roar.

That to be honest means the V8 N420 is a bit less comfortable than the normal Vantage, but it’s a price worth paying in order to get sharper, sportier handling and an exclusive look. Pricing for this special model starts from £96,995.

It’s not possible, but if you are somehow bored with the way your Aston Martin V8 Vantage looks you can spice it up a bit with this custom Barracuda Tzunamee wheels specially developed for the car. These lightweight five double-spoke rims on this car are of size 9×20-inch at front and 10×20-inch for the rear, but you can also choose smaller size as they’re available from 17 to 20 inch.

Apart from the wheels, you have to say Aston Martin V8 Vantage in classic British green looks breathtakingly pretty!

To mark the launch of the V12 Vantage in America, Aston Martin has released a new and awesome promotional video of the car. The Vantage is a kind of car that you can never get enough of! So you can enjoy this footage even if you cannot afford this 175 grand supercar (195 with carbon package!).  But it’s worth every single Cent, mostly because of that DBS-derived V12 under the bonnet which develops 520 hp and gives you a top speed of 190 mph.

The new Aston Martin V12 Vantage is now available to order in the United States starting from $179,995 for the normal models, and $194,995 for the ones with Carbon Black package, which includes special black paintjob and wheels as well as carbon fiber interior accents. That’s before tax of course, so realistically when you are done with the options a base model can cost over 200 grand.

The V12 Vantage is a tarted and stiffened up version of the gorgeous V8 Vantage which has been fitted with 6.0 liter V12 engine of the DBS. This powerplant develops 510 hp and 420 lb/ft of torque, which means the car does 0 to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and has a top speed of 190 mph. It gives the Vantage the extra umpf it always needed.

That’s all good, but you should beware that this changes has turned the Vantage from a GT into a hard and sharp sportscar, more suited for tack days. So I’d rather save a couple of thousands and get a V8 Vantage Roadster. Oh, and that V8 sounds much cooler than the V12!