Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE.
The year 2012 will mark Aston Martin ’s return to the FIA World Endurance Championship with the Vantage GTE entering in the GTE Pro category. A second car will join in the third round at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The cars will be driven by Darren Turner (GBR), Stefan Mücke (D), and Adrian Fernandez (MX).
The new Vantage GTE is based on the Vantage GT2 , but improved upon with significant additions to all areas including the engine, drivetrain, and suspension. The new GTE will be powered by the same 4.7 V8 engine found in the production version , but with significant changes made to the cylinder heads, connecting rods, valves, and camshafts. The engine is coupled to a racing system and a six-speed semi-automatic sequential transmission with competition clutch.
The Aston Martin Vantage GTE’s body is made from lightweight carbon fiber and features an advanced aerodynamic package with a carbon fiber splitter, flat floor and diffuser, and a carbon fiber rear wing designed using the latest computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques. Aston Martin has also added a bespoke wishbone suspension and six-piston Brembo racing calipers.
Engine output flows through a new single-clutch seven-speed Graziano automated manual to a limited-slip rear differential; the carbon fiber driveshaft spins in an aluminum torque tube. From there, power is applied to the pavement via a set of fat (285/35) Bridgestone Potenzas on 19-inch cast aluminum wheels. (The front tires measure 245/40-19.)
There are no chassis rigidity distinctions between Vantage and Vantage S, and none was needed. The bonded aluminum tub is as stiff as a railroad trestle. But the elements attached to the tub dampers, springs, and bushings are a bit more stern than those in the, uh, everyday Vantage. Allied with a quicker steering rack, the sum of the upgrades is an exceptional level of response.
Brakes are always a key element in the process of elevating sporty to sportier still, and that’s true here. The front rotors grow slightly to 15 inches, and the rears carry over at 13. All corners are vented and grooved, with six-piston calipers grabbing the fronts and four-pot pincers in the rear. It’s worth noting that much of the foregoing is pretty conventional hardware nonadjustable dampers, single-rate springs, cast-iron rotors but it works. Very well. Stylistically, the S models its rockers, decklid, and front and rear fascias after the V-12 Vantage’s, but they are difficult to identify at a glance, even for a seasoned Aston aficionado.
Compared with other cars that have this much curb appeal, even the S model Vantage looks like something of a bargain. The standard V-8 Vantage with Sportshift starts at $126,365, and another $13,250 puts you at the threshold of the S coupe. A Vantage S roadster also is available, its $152,615 price representing the same premium over a non-S cabrio. Whether or not the S is worth its premium is a question of priorities. If all you want is performance, V-8 Vantage S money will get you into a speed-freak Porsche 911 Turbo. But if exclusivity is high on your list of priorities, the S does trump the base Vantage, and no 911 except maybe the limited-production GT2 RS enters into Aston Martin’s realm.
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