Road-legal Aston Martin Vantage N24 for sale
The 'race car for the road' cliché rarely rings true. This is one of the few exceptions...
There are plenty of cars out there that can be considered, in the loosest possible sense, a ‘race car for the road’. It’s an age-old cliché often attached to things like the Ferrari 488 Pista and Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series because they share some design similarities with their racing counterparts, and are a right pain to run as a daily driver. But really, they’re still road cars at heart, albeit with power and weight-saving measures dialled up to eleven.
For most people, that’s about as hardcore as a road car should be, which is why manufacturers seldom convert their actual racing machines for public use. And when they do, the results are usually mixed. Most GT1 homologation specials of the era, such as the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR and Porsche 911 GT1, were essentially Le Mans prototypes with indicators. Incredible motorsport mementos to have in one’s collection, but reserved for the bravest – and most tolerant - of affluent car collectors. So if a 911 GT3 RS sounds a bit soft and you lack the many millions needed for an old road-going GT1 car, this Aston Martin Vantage N24 ought to be right up your street.
Unlike the aforementioned GT1 machines, which were at least treated to some creature comforts, the Vantage N24 is quite literally a racing car adapted for road use. This particular example started life as one of the 14 initial examples produced by Aston Martin Special Vehicle Operations. While ten of those cars would go on to race all manner of endurance races across the globe, like the Nürburgring 24 Hours (hence the name), four of the initial batch were said to have been converted to road use.
Admittedly, it doesn’t look like much work was done to earn those number plates. To gain Individual Vehicle Approval (i.e. make it road-legal), N24s were fitted with a handbrake, indicators, a horn, a fuel flow restrictor and number plate lights. The catalytic converters were also tweaked to stop windows from shattering when you pottered through a sleepy village. And that’s about it. You still get the same 4.3-litre naturally aspirated race engine developing 416hp – 30hp more than the road car. It also comes with adjustable dampers, racing brakes, heftier anti-roll bars and a reworked subframe to unlock the crazy camber angles needed for motorsport use. Despite all the racing mods, it still comes with a proper six-speed manual gearbox – not a fancy sequential ‘box you normally find on endurance racers.
While it was built as a road-going version, this N24 has seen some motorsport action with appearances at Aston Martin Owner’s Club and GT4 Challenge races, including an entry at the Aston Martin Festival one-hour race at Le Mans in 2012. With this N24 being nearly identical the full race-spec cars, it’s also eligible for a host of championships across the UK and Europe. Best of all, you could drive to the racetrack, compete, and drive back home again all in the same car (although probably not the same tyres).
If you do feel like scratching the motorsport itch (we all get it at some point), then rest assured that the car comes with a “comprehensive spares package” including wheels, exhaust and suspension components plus a bunch of other running essentials. All included in the £89,950 asking price. All that’s left for you to do is invest in some Nomex overalls and lid, and find the time to book an ARDS test...
This is one of those cars where I'd happily fall in love with the idea of it only to realise that I wasn't personally up to the reality of living with it and all of the compromises that would entail.
Aston Martin built and road registered, this accomplished example of Aston Martin’s first Gaydon built ‘off the shelf’ race car, conceived by former Aston Martin CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez and built within the newly formed Special Vehicle Operations based at the Gaydon factory. Boasting 410 bhp and weighing in at 1330kgs, some 250kgs lighter than the standard Vantage road car.
I once went down the route of looking to buy a similar thing with a Maserati badge on the front (ghibli open cup) but found it too hardcore for road use… bought a road car instead in the end.
Buy it as a track toy or an investment. Not as a road car as it will without a doubt be horrible on the road.
I thought the N24 was a more standard road version, but I guess those were the N400 (on 4.3 base) and the N420 and the N430 (on 4.7 base)
ah
Aston Martin tested the car at the Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit where it was able to complete a lap in under eight minutes.[24] The N400 package was available as either a coupé or Roadster with a total of 480 examples (240 coupes, 240 Roadsters) being built, in note of the fact that there are 480 seconds in 8 minutes.
Plus you'd need to reverse round, being wrong hand drive
Made me chuckle.
Hope it's received as a benign poke rather than offensive.
Have a sunny Sunday all round.
They are not road cars converted then put back to the road, this car is one that when I was looking after it , I've taken for MOT ( a few garages couldn't do it because of the ride height) There are however some items that are usually fitted for the test then removed..
They are harsh, crashy and uncomfortable and unless you are 6ft + its a pain to see over the wheel.
Sure a Radical will kick its ass on trackdays, but thats not comparing apples now is it? It's an Aston and pretty exclusive seeing as there are only 15 AML cars in existence.
The engines were built and modified by Ricardo and have a similar bhp to the later 4.7, but less torque. The later more powerful 4.7 engines initially being closer to road spec than the Ricardo 4.3, but a number of failures meant they were improved upon over several seasons. The majority now have the later motor as they became uncompetitive overnight with the CC increase.
As a race car there are indeed faster gentleman-driver based cars, but as a track day car you can pound around in, fill with fuel and drive home, its pretty damn good.
They are not road cars converted then put back to the road, this car is one that when I was looking after it , I've taken for MOT ( a few garages couldn't do it because of the ride height) There are however some items that are usually fitted for the test then removed..
They are harsh, crashy and uncomfortable and unless you are 6ft + its a pain to see over the wheel.
Sure a Radical will kick its ass on trackdays, but thats not comparing apples now is it? It's an Aston and pretty exclusive seeing as there are only 15 AML cars in existence.
The engines were built and modified by Ricardo and have a similar bhp to the later 4.7, but less torque. The later more powerful 4.7 engines initially being closer to road spec than the Ricardo 4.3, but a number of failures meant they were improved upon over several seasons. The majority now have the later motor as they became uncompetitive overnight with the CC increase.
As a race car there are indeed faster gentleman-driver based cars, but as a track day car you can pound around in, fill with fuel and drive home, its pretty damn good.
This the engine that'd energise the ECU via the coils?
"You should. The N24 is fabulous. We recently drove the actual car that we crewed on during 2006 Nurburgring 24-hour race and it’s simply a dream.
It’s agile, forgiving, balanced and – despite this particular car’s 23,488 miles (most of them flat-chat) – there’s ample performance from the tweaked 4280cc V8.
Getting 250kgs out should not have been too difficult, acres of interior trim, aircon, seats, windows...etc.
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