Track focussed V12V on the way?
Discussion
Zod said:
That reads like a load of balls.
They could be onto something.If you look closely, the wheelbase does indeed look stretched (a little) over a standard V12V. Look at where the side strakes finishes in relation to the front wheels. Hence the gaffer tape.
Plus who's to say the new DB9 won't get shortened a little bit?
I'm with Bamford Mike
All those articles are conjecture based on a couple of photos of a car testing
Having seen the prototype graveyard at Gaydon
I was amazed at what they will do to set a "mule" up
Any one ever seen the Enzo prototype?
You just wouldn't have a clue!
It's quite common for manufacturers to us an old or what looks like slightly modified current model with something completely unrelated underneath to hide an all new prototype
All those articles are conjecture based on a couple of photos of a car testing
Having seen the prototype graveyard at Gaydon
I was amazed at what they will do to set a "mule" up
Any one ever seen the Enzo prototype?
You just wouldn't have a clue!
It's quite common for manufacturers to us an old or what looks like slightly modified current model with something completely unrelated underneath to hide an all new prototype
Edited by mikey k on Thursday 23 October 18:00
BamfordMike said:
I would gamble on the car being a simple mule externally for whatever is being tested internally, and that something more special than V12VS in V12VS outer clothes pre new model is unlikely because dynamically it would reduce the improvement the new model has over out going model.
having 'some' experience of this, i would have made this mule look totally identical to current production, then no media attention would have been drawn. Quickest way to effect V12VS sales, make buyers aware of hotter mid cycle face lift on horizon, even worse how to destroy sales make the models successor appear 'looming'.
the change from db7 to DB9 was a tricky one, i know many new buyers of last db7 who were promised amazing trade in deals when db9 came out just to keep db7 sales going. Then 4.3l V8 to 4.7 saw old stock extremely difficult to shift, and then there was dbs to virage to vanquish transition. But more difficult is to come imo. If the world is eagerly awaiting next gen astons with merc engines, which might hit shops say, '16 - how are sales going to be kept alive until then and if that does involve a hot edition, keeping that end of outgoing legislation car from treading toes of incoming model which passes stricter next generation legislation will be tough.
I agree with you if it's a 'volume' model they are testing but if it's going to be a short run of something much more specialist, i.e. a genuinely track focussed car, which I appreciate is something Aston have never done before, then it could make sense ?having 'some' experience of this, i would have made this mule look totally identical to current production, then no media attention would have been drawn. Quickest way to effect V12VS sales, make buyers aware of hotter mid cycle face lift on horizon, even worse how to destroy sales make the models successor appear 'looming'.
the change from db7 to DB9 was a tricky one, i know many new buyers of last db7 who were promised amazing trade in deals when db9 came out just to keep db7 sales going. Then 4.3l V8 to 4.7 saw old stock extremely difficult to shift, and then there was dbs to virage to vanquish transition. But more difficult is to come imo. If the world is eagerly awaiting next gen astons with merc engines, which might hit shops say, '16 - how are sales going to be kept alive until then and if that does involve a hot edition, keeping that end of outgoing legislation car from treading toes of incoming model which passes stricter next generation legislation will be tough.
Especially if the production car ends up with some GT4esque aero, which they aren't yet testing with. I'm essentially thinking of the white car spotted at the ring a while back, which looked like a cross between a V8 GT4 and a road going V12V
jonby said:
I agree with you if it's a 'volume' model they are testing
but if it's going to be a short run of something much more
specialist, i.e. a genuinely track focussed car, which I
appreciate is something Aston have never done before,
then it could make sense ?
Especially if the production car ends up with some GT4esque aero,
which they aren't yet testing with. I'm essentially thinking
of the white car spotted at the ring a while back, which looked
like a cross between a V8 GT4 and a road going V12V
but if it's going to be a short run of something much more
specialist, i.e. a genuinely track focussed car, which I
appreciate is something Aston have never done before,
then it could make sense ?
Especially if the production car ends up with some GT4esque aero,
which they aren't yet testing with. I'm essentially thinking
of the white car spotted at the ring a while back, which looked
like a cross between a V8 GT4 and a road going V12V
The plans for DB9 and Vantage replacement have received
fairly widespread publicity, so end of run sales of the current
models are bound to be adversely affected. The present Vantage
was announced well ahead of going on sale, but that did not have
any bearing on sales, because it did not replace an existing model.
There was a similar situation with the DBS, which I think was on
cinema screens before going on sale.
Perhaps an exciting end of era model, would help to produce
additional sales during the final couple of years.
The Middle East market, 'by invitation only'?
[ You are being silly now ]
Oh what irony if it is an extreme track/road run-out model.
RobGT wrote chapters on here, asking for a lightweight,
more extreme Vantage, but too late now. He has decided to buy a
lightweight, more extreme rear engined car.
Edited by Jon39 on Thursday 23 October 20:48
jonby said:
I agree with you if it's a 'volume' model they are testing but if it's going to be a short run of something much more specialist, i.e. a genuinely track focussed car, which I appreciate is something Aston have never done before, then it could make sense ?
Especially if the production car ends up with some GT4esque aero, which they aren't yet testing with. I'm essentially thinking of the white car spotted at the ring a while back, which looked like a cross between a V8 GT4 and a road going V12V
An end of era swansong especially track focussed lightweight is fab idea, will be a stunning car, especially if it has 3 pedals. Its just that car will inevitably (pushed to the limit outgoing legislation Vs stricter newer legislation compliant) kick in the knackers dynamically the next gen car during a cross over sales period. To the point where no doubt 5 mins before production the swansong will get its wings clipped (following form N420 should have been N440 ish, but Vantage S wasn't 450BHP so i guess N440 had to be N420. This could have been the marketing learning after DBS punched 510BHP but Vanquish S years prior hit 520 - odd!).Especially if the production car ends up with some GT4esque aero, which they aren't yet testing with. I'm essentially thinking of the white car spotted at the ring a while back, which looked like a cross between a V8 GT4 and a road going V12V
To label anything a low volume special would be a bit optimistic nowadays IMO, because is there such a thing as a volume aston post the amazing '05 -'08 heyday sales numbers? UK V12V sales were always around 100 units a year from launch. V12VS sales don't appear to be on track to significantly better that in UK for 2014. Vanquish UK sales '14 seems to be between 1-200, DB9.2 also appears to be between 1-200 and V8 the biggest seller approx. 200 units (if where i'm looking is correct). Meaning if they did announce, say a 100 special GT3 V12VS track focussed car, is it in reality any more special in volume terms than any other? If it were a 50 off special, then surely the revenue return would be less than spend to put it into shops unless the price tag was V12V Zagato. So..... a 50 off Zagato bodied Swansong V12Vs would be the only sensible thing because it would not matter if that special car did dynamically exceed next gen model.
Considering the Vantage and DB9 coupes can no longer be sold in the USA (and roadster/volantes next year) it would seem pretty foolish financially to invest Aston's limited funds on any car that is illegal in the brand's largest market. This is certainly a rebodied early test mule for the new 17MY and 18MY cars.
This is quite interesting, supposedly it could be fitted with a Mercedes biturbo V8, if so, as Karl has pointed out is it not most likely to be a test mule for a future model.
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/turbo-aston-mart...
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/turbo-aston-mart...
Edited by davidexige on Friday 24th October 08:03
davidexige said:
This is quite interesting, supposedly it could be fitted with a Mercedes
biturbo V8, if so, as Karl has pointed out is it not most likely to
be a test mule for a future model.
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/turbo-aston-mart...
biturbo V8, if so, as Karl has pointed out is it not most likely to
be a test mule for a future model.
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/turbo-aston-mart...
The article does comment on the engine sound, and if their interpretation
is correct, this car is probably a test 'mule' for one of the future AMG powered
Aston Martins.
DB9 replacement MY 2017
Vantage replacement MY 2018
Why is the press now commenting that the VH platform has been around since the Vanquish1? Just a little "sensationalism" to make VH seem that much older? Yes, what led to VH began with the Vanquish, but it's not the same, not least because a fair amount of the Vanquish's structure is carbon fiber where VH is alloy (and different from where the Vanquish2 uses carbon).
Speedraser said:
BTW, I don't see the intercoolers in the pics.
I do not know what an intercooler looks like, but you can see two silver coloured circular objects, with inlet holes.
Go to the article gallery of photographs and select the first picture (front view of car, on dry road surface).
Click the four arrow button to enlarge, then zoom further in on the front grille area. Either side, within the grille aperture, is where the objects can be seen.
Does anyone recognise them as Mercedes-Benz parts?
You may find it is actually a V12 putting out around 600 bhp in a lightweight more track focused chassis. They used an original N24 for inspiration and this will be the ultimate swansong for the Vantage. They have been having some trouble munching gearboxes but seem to be getting that under control. Expect a lightweight interior not as extreme as the N24. Bodywork will be a mixture of GT3 and N24 with wider front wings to cover the wider track.
jonby said:
I'm essentially thinking of the white car spotted at the ring a while back, which looked like a cross between a V8 GT4 and a road going V12V
Didn't that belong to someone who posted on here a while back. Description is the same and he posted a couple of pictures. Looked fantastic!v8vantage said:
You may find it is actually a V12 putting out around 600 bhp in a lightweight more track focused chassis. They used an original N24 for inspiration and this will be the ultimate swansong for the Vantage. They have been having some trouble munching gearboxes but seem to be getting that under control. Expect a lightweight interior not as extreme as the N24. Bodywork will be a mixture of GT3 and N24 with wider front wings to cover the wider track.
I hope so. Every time I've spoken to anyone at Aston I've been told this is absolutely not going to happen. A V12V GT3 is probably the only car that would get me back into the Aston brand.I have found a video of the car. Crank up your hi-fi.
So now we can hear it, what do you think - a V12, or a bi-turbo V8?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUQw0RUXjtM
..............................
My own guess is V12.
Edited by Jon39 on Saturday 25th October 22:33
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