Aston Martin is on a roll with its new cars. The Vanquish set a new style direction for the company, and since then they have been steadily refreshing every car they make with improvements to performance, refinement and style. The company has also found time to create entirely new models as well, like the exotic DB10 for the new James Bond Movie, and now there is this; the Aston Martin Vantage GT3.
At least, that is what Aston Martin wanted to call it. After it was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, Porsche got into a bit of tizzy over Aston’s use of the GT3 name, so the company has changed it to the Vantage GT12. The “12” is derived from the fact that the car is built on the bones of the V12 Vantage, and it uses the same 6.0-liter V12 engine.
The car is built to compete with machines like the Porsche 911 GT3, Bentley Continental GT3, the Camaro Z/28 and any other aggressive, track ready car that has ben stripped bare in the name of performance. The V12 engine has been cranked up to nearly 600 horsepower, the weight has been cut by over 200 pounds compared to V12 Vantage S on which it’s based, and it is the widest and lowest Vantage ever created.
To help make the most of any track day, the car is also covered from nose to tailpipe in carbon fiber and aggressive aerowork. A gigantic front splitter is on the nose, aerodynamic sideskirts run the length, and tucked under the rear bumper is a big carbon diffuser. There is also a wing large enough to land a small helicopter hanging of the back.
The cabin has seen the custom touch as well with slabs of carbon fiber on every surface. Where a softer touch is required, Aston has gone for a black leather with a sharp contrast stitching in the same bright orange color that covers the outside of the car. If someone accuses you of not being very fashion conscious, feel free to remind them that your seats match your Brembo brake calipers. Those calipers of course clamp down on carbon ceramic disks, and the whole package is covered by black light-weight wheels with a center lock nut, all wrapped in sticky Michelin rubber.
If you want one of these things, you will need to act fast. Aston Martin will only be building 100 of them, and they are sure to go quite quickly.
If want to get even more detail on this car, we have included the full press release from Aston Martin. You can find it under this big gallery of photos.
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INSPIRED BY RACING – THE ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE GT3 SPECIAL EDITION
18 February 2015, Gaydon: Aston Martin is today revealing the first details of its most potent and uncompromising Vantage to date: the track-inspired Vantage GT3 special edition.
With production strictly limited to just 100 examples, the new model combines all of Aston Martin’s learning from its years of sports car competition around the globe to produce its most performance focused road-going Vantage.
Equipped with a new iteration of the brand’s 6.0-litre V12 engine which is capable of generating up to 600 PS1, the car weighs in at 100kg less than a standard V12 Vantage S.
Comprehensively re-engineered, as well as significantly restyled, the GT3-inspired special edition is lower and wider than any of its siblings in the Vantage family. A broader track – front and rear – brings even more composed cornering thanks to a reduction in lateral load transfer, while the use of Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres provides even more assured handling.
Thoroughly equipped with cutting edge motorsport-inspired features, from the extensive use of carbon fibre inside and out to the track-focused aerodynamics pack – which includes a prominent rear wing and pronounced front splitter – the race-derived new Vantage brings more focused and uncompromising capability and styling to a road-going Aston Martin.
The aerodynamics package in particular has a profound effect, producing significant downforce to provide even greater levels of grip and stability at higher speeds.
Inspired by Aston Martin Racing’s successful campaigns, this new GT3-derived Vantage has been designed and engineered exclusively at Aston Martin’s Gaydon Headquarters in Warwickshire, England, to be the most overt expression of everything that defines Vantage: an inspirational sports model offering supreme driveability on the road, and uncompromising dynamic performance on track.
New flared carbon fibre front wings, carbon fibre bonnet, a lithium ion race-derived battery, carbon-fibre door casings, optional carbon fibre roof, optional weight-saving polycarbonate rear window and rear quarter windows are just a few of the measures which illustrate the engineers’ determination to eliminate mass wherever possible. That determination has paid off, too, as the new car weighs in at only 1,565 kg2.
Under the skin lie a number of bespoke engineering upgrades, aside from the new 600 PS1 V12 engine. Magnesium inlet manifolds with revised geometry, a lightweight magnesium torque tube and a full titanium exhaust system with centre outlets are just a few of the features that underline the rigorous re-engineering of this exclusive new Vantage.
The car’s interior is comprehensively reworked, too, with a full carbon fibre centre stack and touch-sensitive control array; race-derived carbon fibre sports seats; Alcantara trim and the option of numerous bespoke features courtesy of the brand’s popular personalisation service: Q by Aston Martin.
Announcing the arrival of the Vantage GT3 special edition, Aston Martin CEO Dr Andy Palmer said: “Motorsport is in our blood at Aston Martin. The Vantage is the car we campaign in top level sports car racing around the world and so it seems only fitting that we offer an exclusive, limited edition Vantage that expertly fuses our motorsport know-how with our road car prowess.”
He added: “The Vantage GT3 special edition is an uncompromising example of our design and engineering expertise and I’m sure the 100 owners who secure one of these cars will savour every second behind the wheel; whether on the road or on the track.”
The Vantage GT3 special edition will make its public debut on 3 March at the 85th Geneva International Motor Show (Hall 5, Stand 5253), with first customer deliveries beginning in the third quarter of 2015.
1 Predicted power output
2 Predicted kerb weight
