The rumors were true. Two weeks or so after the rumor mill started talking about the Vantage GT8, the lightest and most powerful road-going V8 Vantage in the history of Aston Martin has gone official. Production is limited to 150 examples.
Look beyond the lime-painted mirror caps, splitter and side skirts and focus on the Aston Martin badges affixed to the hood and trunk lid. Notice anything unusual? Yes, they’re not painted, all in the name of saving weight. Curiously enough, the AM badge on the steering wheel is. Furthermore, standard equipment includes sat nav, a 160-watt audio system, Apple CarPlay connectivity, and so forth - things that sort of defeat the purpose of a hardcore racer for the road.
Nevertheless, the Vantage GT8 is 220 pounds (100 kg) lighter than the 4.7-liter engined V8 Vantage S.
According to the company and from a stylistic point of view, the Vantage GT8 has been inspired by the V8 Vantage GTE racecar. Carbon fiber is the name of the game here, a material used for the wide body, flared fills, wheel arches, front and rear bumpers, transmission propeller shaft, dashboard fascia, door panels, and for the gear shift surround of the six-speed manual transmission. For those who don’t understand how a Vantage GT8 should be enjoyed, Aston Martin offers a seven-speed automated manual as an option.
On the oily front, the 4.7-liter naturally aspirated V8 has been revised to produce 440 horsepower (446 PS) and 361 lb-ft (490 Nm). Regardless of transmission, Aston Martin estimates that 60 mph (96 km/h) is hit in 4.4 seconds and the top end is 190 mph (305 km/h). Unfortunately for North America, Aston Martin won’t sell the track-focused Vantage GT8 there.
In terms of pricing, the Vantage GT8 starts at £165,000 and deliveries will commence in the fourth quarter of 2016. According to current exchange rates, that converts to $233,965 or almost the manufacturer's suggested retail price for a Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 Coupe.
“Beautifully engineered and set-up to be equally at home on a fabulous road or a demanding race track, the Vantage GT8 is a driver’s car in the truest sense of the word,” said Dr. Andy Palmer, the CEO of Aston Martin.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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