Aston Martin launches Vantage GT8

Carbon panels and a wider track for this GTE-inspired limited edition, plus a suitably bracing price... [Updated]

You wait years for an Aston Martin product announcement, and then six come along at once. That's certainly how it felt during the global financial crash and its aftermath, when the company was starved of much investment. But since funding for the new generation of models was secured, and particularly since former Nissan product supremo Andy Palmer took over as boss, Aston has been marching to a far quicker drumbeat. Sometimes it's hard to keep up.

Race to road link fairly clear here!

Only a week after confirming the option of a seven-speed manual gearbox for the V12 Vantage S, Aston has now revealed another variant of its smallest sports car, one that's been sent on the sort of diet that is used to get skinny celebrities making videos. The Vantage GT8 has been inspired by the Vantage GTE racer that competes in the World Endurance Championship and features part-carbon bodywork, a fractional power boost and - in the official images - a colour scheme featuring the same radioactive green stripes as its track-going sister.

The GT8 was unveiled at Silverstone this morning, with Aston saying that production will be limited to 150 units worldwide, deliveries will start from the last quarter of 2016, and if you want one then you'll have to be prepared to stump up £165,000 before options. That's a serious supplement over the V8 S, which lists at £94,995, but in Aston's defence it does have a good record of finding buyers for its limited runs in recent years.

The GT8 is far more than badges and a bodykit, although there's an asterisk next to the headline claim of it being 100kg lighter than a standard Vantage - that's the prediction for a car equipped with all "lightweight options", a phrase beloved by Italian supercar makers. As standard the GT8 is widened, gets a broader track and uses carbon fibre for bumpers, front splitter, rear diffuser wings and sills. Note too the cutaway front wheelarch which mimics that of the GTE racer, improving aerodynamic performance and cooling.

Other colours are available, don't worry

The dramatic wingwork you see in these images comes with the Aero Pack, another option, which adds the tea tray at the back and corner elements to the front splitter. Those 19-inch, seven-spoke centre-lock magnesium rims are another extra - five spoke alloys are standard - with both carrying Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. Brakes are steel and steel only, with no ceramic option.

Inside the cabin weight saving measures include carbon fibre skins on the inside of the doors and lightweight carbon sports seats. A race-like lithium-ion battery is also standard, but it's not a stripped-out special: standard equipment includes air-con and an audio system, along with Aston's revised AMI III infotainment system that we're looking forward to actually having a go with.

Engine output has increased modestly, with Aston claiming 446hp, a small bump over the 436hp of the V8 S. The savings on the other side of the power-to-weight ratio have cut the claimed 0-62mph time from the Vantage S's 4.8 seconds to 4.4 seconds, with a top speed of 190mph. Suspension tweaks include "track focused" geometry plus uprated springs and dampers; we're told to expect the car to be the sharpest handling roadgoing Vantage so far.

If the combination of Stirling Green and lime details is a bit OTT, then Aston is also offering grey and blue or white and green. Or, if you want something a bit easier to look at with a hangover, you can get one of the standard Vantage colours. Both a manual gearbox and the automated single-clutch 'Sportshift' transmission will be available.

There's a manual available too if you wish - hurrah!

And those lightweight options? According to the official release they include a carbon roof, polycarbonate side windows and rear screen as well as a titanium centre-mount exhaust. Taken together the GT8's weight is expected to be 1,510kg, 100kg less than the regular Vantage S.

We've still got some questions that we'll try to clear up while we're at Silverstone, the biggest being what the GT8 weighs in "standard" form without the extra-cost lightening, and what it costs if you choose to tick every box. Stay tuned...

UPDATE 11:30 14/04/2016:
We've got answers to those blanks above, plus a few more details. Without lightweight options the GT8 is 80kg lighter than the standard Vantage, and selecting all the mass-saving tweaks - including the polycarbonate windows, titanium exhaust and forged wheels - will push the price north of £200,000. Which sounds insane, but Andy Palmer has just announced that, based on deposits taken, the whole production run of 150 cars has already sold out.

We've also had a chat with David King, Aston's Special Projects director and the man in charge of the project, who says that the suspension tweaks include springs that are around 25 per cent stiffer at the front but are almost unchanged at the rear, plus the arrival of bespoke Bilstein dampers, without any fancy pants switchable modes. Stability control has also been tweaked and, as you'd expect, the spectacular wing of the Aero Pack isn't for show, but generates positive downforce at "everyday speeds". The steering rack has also been revalved. Interesting, King also told us that, based on early expressions of interest, around 50 per cent of GT8s will be sold with the six-speed manual gearbox, so it seems that the resurgence of interest in senior sports cars with clutch pedals is an actual, and welcome, trend...

Watch the video here.