RE: Aston Martin Vantage V600 Le Mans | Spotted
Discussion
was just listening to Andrew Frankel on his podcast, talking about how the Virage was
Agent57 said:
"...when the Virage became the Vantage in 1993, none of that seemed to matter anymore. A skilfully executed redesign by Marek Reichman..."
I think this was before he joined AM. Happy to be corrected if I am wrong. He would have been at Rover in the early 90s.
yeah, joined Ford in '99 so that would have been the earliest he might have had any contact with AstonI think this was before he joined AM. Happy to be corrected if I am wrong. He would have been at Rover in the early 90s.
Aston Martin said:
After beginning his design career with Rover Cars in 1991, Marek moved to BMW Designworks, California in 1995 ... Marek joined Ford in 1999 as Chief Designer for the company’s Ford and Lincoln Mercury brands ... He joined Aston Martin in 2005 as Director of Design
https://media.astonmartin.com/marek-reichman-execu...
will_ said:
Didn't the Virage become the V8 coupe before it became the Vantage?
Have always loved these, proper brute of a thing.
The Virage was launched in 88 and the last built in 94. The Vantage was launched in 92.Have always loved these, proper brute of a thing.
In 96, the V8 Coupe was launched, which is essentially a Vantage without the supercharged engine, and the V8 Volante in 97. At this time the Vantage was renamed V8 Vantage.
waynecyclist said:
Just no, a lot of other and better choices for that much money.
The interior is awful
Disagree on the interior, at the time this was about as leathery and chesterfieldy as anything. The regular V8 in green yes please, a complete event of a car start to finish, used to spend ages looking at one in a local garage. The interior is awful
Tragic that they put those nostrils on it later on, this was a car that never needed special editions.
Largechris said:
Disagree on the interior, at the time this was about as leathery and chesterfieldy as anything. The regular V8 in green yes please, a complete event of a car start to finish, used to spend ages looking at one in a local garage.
Tragic that they put those nostrils on it later on, this was a car that never needed special editions.
Nostrils were on the original model.Tragic that they put those nostrils on it later on, this was a car that never needed special editions.
V8LM said:
Largechris said:
Disagree on the interior, at the time this was about as leathery and chesterfieldy as anything. The regular V8 in green yes please, a complete event of a car start to finish, used to spend ages looking at one in a local garage.
Tragic that they put those nostrils on it later on, this was a car that never needed special editions.
Nostrils were on the original model.Tragic that they put those nostrils on it later on, this was a car that never needed special editions.
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/YN7WDkvR[/url]Turbobanana said:
For half a million quid I think I'd want the rear indicator lenses to be the same colour. Also...
The McLaren F1 might have stopped production by then. I think the Diablo was the most powerful production car as well for a short time. IIRC on this car they blanked off the sixth speed, and fitted a ‘short shift’ linkage to the box. Probably means it you only needed a lump hammer to change gear instead of the previous sledge hammer. PH said:
The 5.3-litre V8 produced 550hp in standard Vantage form, which already made it the most powerful production car at the time
Does the McLaren F1 not count as a production car?
V8LM said:
Largechris said:
Disagree on the interior, at the time this was about as leathery and chesterfieldy as anything. The regular V8 in green yes please, a complete event of a car start to finish, used to spend ages looking at one in a local garage.
Tragic that they put those nostrils on it later on, this was a car that never needed special editions.
Nostrils were on the original model.Tragic that they put those nostrils on it later on, this was a car that never needed special editions.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.driving.co.uk/new...
The nostrils were a feature of the run out Le Mans models in 1999 along with other detail changes including the dinner plate sized rev counter. These were the last 40 cars of the V8 Vantage run (ignoring the handful of short wheel base Volantes) celebrating the 40 year anniversry of Aston's Le Mans win.
The regular production run before the Le Mans had a black slatted grille. 'Production run' is probably not the right term for a model that barely reached the low 200s over a seven year run.
I had a 1999 V550 ten years or so ago. It was an exciting brute of a car (and rather too exciting for me in the wet).
The regular production run before the Le Mans had a black slatted grille. 'Production run' is probably not the right term for a model that barely reached the low 200s over a seven year run.
I had a 1999 V550 ten years or so ago. It was an exciting brute of a car (and rather too exciting for me in the wet).
Pommy said:
V8LM said:
Largechris said:
Disagree on the interior, at the time this was about as leathery and chesterfieldy as anything. The regular V8 in green yes please, a complete event of a car start to finish, used to spend ages looking at one in a local garage.
Tragic that they put those nostrils on it later on, this was a car that never needed special editions.
Nostrils were on the original model.Tragic that they put those nostrils on it later on, this was a car that never needed special editions.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.driving.co.uk/new...
markcoznottz said:
Take it those wheels never made production ? Using the standard cars wheels was a bit cheeky, made it easier to see it as a parts bin special
Wheels on the Le Mans? These were hollow magnesium Dymags, slightly modified to those available on the V600 Driving Dynamics Pack with a centre cap rather than exposed wheel nuts.markcoznottz said:
Turbobanana said:
For half a million quid I think I'd want the rear indicator lenses to be the same colour. Also...
The McLaren F1 might have stopped production by then. I think the Diablo was the most powerful production car as well for a short time. IIRC on this car they blanked off the sixth speed, and fitted a ‘short shift’ linkage to the box. Probably means it you only needed a lump hammer to change gear instead of the previous sledge hammer. PH said:
The 5.3-litre V8 produced 550hp in standard Vantage form, which already made it the most powerful production car at the time
Does the McLaren F1 not count as a production car?thegreenhell said:
No, the F1 hadn't even started production when the Vantage was launched. The Aston was available from 1992, and the F1 from late 1993, so the Aston was the most powerful until the F1 arrived.
Not quite. Vantage was launched in October 92 but first cars not delivered until 94 (might have been one in 93).The 'most powerful production car - In The World' was from Clarkson when he filmed the sequence for Top Gear in the summer of 92. At the time, it wasn't in production. It did have 550 lb ft of torque, which is more than the F1.
Edited by V8LM on Thursday 25th November 10:07
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