Aston
Martin launched a new line of racing-inspired performance derivatives of its
road-going models. Now, it's putting the first of them into production, and
giving us some more details on what's entailed.
The first of these new models is the Vantage AMR,
borrowing its handle from Aston Martin Racing. The team won both the drivers'
and manufacturers' titles in the GTE Pro class of the FIA World Endurance
Championship last season, leaving them as the defending champions this season.
More aggressive than the standard Vantage, the AMR
version will be offered with either V8 or V12 engines – rated at 430 hp and 595
hp, the latter borrowed from the Vantage GT12 and representing a
30-horse increase over the standard V12 Vantage S. Buyers will also be able to
choose between sequential or manual transmissions (with six speeds in the V8
model and seven in the V12).
There's also an array of racing-inspired appearance
packages, including four liveries: white with orange, black with blue, blue
with red, and silver with grey. The optional Halo Pack bears the grey-green and
lime green colors of the models we've seen so far, with enamel Union Jack
emblems from last year's championship-winning GTE racer as a no-cost option.
The interior's all done in leather (and Alcantara on
the coupe) with colors chosen to match the exterior treatment. There's an array
of carbon-fiber options inside and out, three finishes available for the wheels
(five spokes for the V8 and ten for the 12), an available titanium exhaust
system, and a whole mess of other options.
Pricing starts at £ 97,995 in the UK and € 126,995 in
Germany, with deliveries slated to commence later this year in select markets.
Unfortunately the list doesn't currently include North America. Expect an even
more hardcore AMR Pro version to follow, and further models to receive similar
treatments in the near future.
