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Aston Martin reveals hardcore Vantage GT3 special edition

If there are two things of which we've seen a lot in recent years, they're versions of the Aston Martin Vantage, and road-going sports cars wearing the name GT3. And you know what? We're not tired of either just yet. So we're pleased to report that the two have come together with the release of the new Aston Martin Vantage GT3. The ultimate evolution of Gaydon's nimble little sports car, the Vantage GT3 is lighter and more extreme than any version to date. Envisioned as a street-legal mid-point between Aston's successful racing cars and its coveted luxury GTs, the Vantage GT3 packs a number of key upgrades to make it lighter, more powerful and more hard-core than its stablemates. For starters, the company's ubiquitous 6.0-liter V12 has been upgraded with a new intake manifold and torque tube made from magnesium and a full titanium center-exit exhaust system. Although final figures are yet to be announced, Aston Martin figures it'll crank out around 600 metric horsepower – 592 by our standards, more than any iteration of the engine to date (including the flagship Vanquish) or any road-going Aston this side of the One-77. The other side of the power-to-weight ratio is optimized through the extensive use of carbon fiber. Aston has replaced the front fenders, hood and doors with the lightweight weave, as well as the center stack and Alcantara-trimmed racing buckets. Customers can even opt for a carbon-fiber roof and the rear glass to be replaced by plexi. The result is a projected curb weight of around 3,450 pounds, or a good 220 pounds lighter than the V12 Vantage S. A more extreme aero kit (also made of carbon, naturally) includes a splitter jutting out from under the nose and a big rear wing, and Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires sit at the edges of a wider track. Only 100 examples of the Vantage GT3 will be offered after its debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month, with deliveries slated to begin later this year as Aston prepares its next generation of Mercedes-powered sports cars. INSPIRED BY RACING: THE ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE GT3 SPECIAL EDITION - Lightweight and extreme Vantage special edition limited to 100 cars - Motorsport-derived chassis, aerodynamics and handling - Bridges the gap between road and race track driving 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.

Aston Martin DB11 V8 loses four cylinders but none of its grace

We love the Aston Martin DB11. Few vehicles combine speed, luxury, and comfort as well as that beautiful British coupe. That said, it's not the most efficient or affordable GT in the world, but Aston Martin is planning to change that. Starting this year, the company will offer the DB11 a twin-turbocharged V8 sourced from the mad Germans at Mercedes-AMG. We've known about the engine partnership for a while now, though we assumed the first Aston Martin to use a Mercedes-AMG V8 would be the next-generation V8 Vantage. At first, sticking a V8 under the hood might seem like an odd choice, but the DB series only recently started using V12s. Historically, the car has packed powerful inline-six engines. Offering two engines will allow the company to sell a lower-cost model and presumably boost sales. That means changes are strictly mechanical in nature. The engine is the now-common 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged Mercedes-AMG V8. Output is 503 horsepower and 498 pound-feet of torque. That's down 97 horsepower and 18 pound-feet of torque from the 5.2-liter V12. In the Mercedes-AMG C63 S, the 4.0-liter V8 makes equal horsepower and 18 more pound-feet of torque. Aston Martin says that the partnership with Mercedes-AMG allows the company to tailor the engine for Aston Martins. This means a new ECU with new engine and throttle mapping. Losing four cylinders changes the character of the car a bit. The DB11 V8 is a not-insubstantial 254 pounds lighter than the V12. Since most of the weight savings comes from behind the front wheels, Aston Martin says the V8 model is more agile than the V12 model. Engineers have adjusted the suspension bushing, geometry, anti-roll bars, springs, dampers, and stability control to account for the weight savings. The DB11 V8's diet helps offset the lower power output. As such, the 4.0-second 0-62 sprint is just 0.1 seconds off the V12. Top speed is down 13 mph to a still extralegal speed of 187 mph. We don't have fuel economy ratings for the US, but expect an improvement from the V12's current rating. The V8 will be available with all of the same equipment and trims as the V12, with just a few visual changes to distinguish the two models. The V8 gets unique wheels, darker headlight surroundings, and just two vents on the hood, available in either black or titanium. The DB11 V8 goes on sale in the US later this year. At $198,995, it undercuts the V12 model by $17,500.

2019 Aston Martin Vantage ridealong: Going to the extremes

"My job is to make them drive like they look," Matt Becker, Aston Martin's vehicle attributes engineer, tells me. The engine is idling, and we're harnessed inside of the 2019 Vantage test mule's racing bucket seats, somewhere on a frozen lake near the Arctic Circle in Sweden. Since the Vantage is Aston's best seller, and it's representative of the things the brand stands for, it's safe to say this chilly prototype is the most important Aston Martin on the planet right now. "Shall we have a go?" Becker rhetorically asks, looking out at the ice track. "First, with all the systems on. We test and develop this car with systems on and off, at every stage." Becker shifts the Vantage into Drive, and immediately it sounds happier. Under the hood is an Aston-ized, AMG-sourced twin-turbo V8, packing 503 horsepower and 505 lb-ft of torque. It was given the full work-over, and the controller algorithms were developed to make it behave like a proper Aston. Power is channeled through an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox. How and when the power comes on depends on driving conditions and mode, of which the 2019 Vantage has three: Sport, Sport Plus and Track. Absent is the DB11's GT mode, which fits perfectly on the grand tourer but not on a pure sports car such as the Vantage. Throughout testing, the Vantage stays under heavy camouflage and even sports some DB11 bits at first to deter speculation. But despite the partial DB11 drag, the Vantage will embody CEO Andy Palmer's directive: "[W]e need greater differentiation between the lines." While the DB11 is a striking and elegant grand tourer, the Vantage dials up the aggression over its predecessor. A massive, oxygen-gulping grille dominates the frontend. The car is about the same width as the DB11, but in person, it seems twice as wide as more pedestrian sports cars. Fender vents serve both functional and aesthetic purposes. The lip of the trunk swoops up, a naturally integrated spoiler that will help deliver downforce. But there's a lot more at play than is even immediately evident to the eyes, most important of which is the electronic rear differential. This the first Aston to ever be fitted with an e-diff. As Becker explains: "What that allows us to do is vary the amount of torque across the rear axle that we have, which allows you to make the car very short, very agile. Add in tricks like Dynamic Torque Vectoring, and because we can open up the diff, it's like putting a pole in the ground when you're skiing.