Each limited run or tweak that the Aston Martin performs on its popular Vantage line is always worthy news. This time they have given us the Vantage GT8. What makes this one so intriguing is that Aston Martin has put some thought into the GT8’s power to weight ratio and came up with a car that is noticeably agile.
Reducing weight isn’t as easy as it sounds. Fortunately for car manufacturers, we have carbon fibre, which can help shave 100kg from the Vantage GT8’s kerbweight – as long as you specify the full gamut of weight saving options.
If this is your dedicated path, then you might also want to take a look at the lightweight 19 inch magnesium wheels (clad in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres), lightweight brakes and polycarbonate rear and side windows, all of this adds fuel to the extra bite and agility of course. Meanwhile, the standard GT8 will save around 80kg.
The 4.7 litre V8 engine now produces 361lb torque and 440bhp – a 10bhp increase – and 0-62mph is achieved in 4.4 seconds, with a top speed of around 190mph. The lower weight, thanks to the plethora of carbon fibre, helps make the car feel very agile and responsive and react instantly to driver input. The Vantage GT8 offers a choice of either 7-speed paddle shift auto transmission or a 6-speed manual.
The interior isn’t quite as stripped back as you might have expected. Air conditioning and Aston’s Infotainment II with sat-nav add some commonplace luxury to the interior along with carbon fibre bucket seats and more carbon fibre trim – even the door handles are carbon fibre. Add this to the well thought out suspension tuning and the GT8 shows itself to be a car not just for the track but also capable of handling our notorious British roads.
After the staggering price tag attached to the Vantage GT12, the £165,000 tag (pre Aston Martin online configurator) attached to the Vantage GT8 almost feels like a reasonable amount for all the car that you get. You can also feel content in the knowledge that, should you be lucky enough to secure one, you will be one of only 150 lucky souls worldwide.
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