Based on the Formula one safety car, Aston Martin’s Vantage F1 is engineered to be the range’s fastest, most focused model.
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Based on Aston Martin’s official safety car of Formula 1, the Vantage F1 Edition is an intelligent, incremental improvement to create a faster, more honed model.
Featuring a unique chassis with vivid aerodynamic improvements – a feat accomplished by the manufacturer’s engineering team who envisioned an improvement to lap time performance, without compromising its on-road capabilities or requiring track-optimised tyres.
Starting with the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, power is up by 25hp to a new maximum of 535hp. The peak torque remains unchanged at 685Nm, but can be sustained for longer to increase tractability and in-gear urgency. 8-speed automatic transmission, with an optimised torque that cuts during upshifts, reduces shift times and increases the feeling of directness and precision.
The chassis was adapted to complement this speed by being focussed on suspension and steering. The further detailed underbody modification provides this by increasing front structural stiffness, ultimately leading to an improved steering. The reworked internals also increase the damper effective force range as well as bringing a noticeable improvement to the vertical body control.
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Designed to deliver positive front and rear downforce, totalling 200 kilograms more downforce than Vantage at top speed – as well as optimising the overall balance of the car – the aerodynamic changes comprise a full-width front splitter, front dive planes, underbody turning vanes, and, perhaps most obviously, the new rear wing.
The rear diffuser remains unchanged but is still a core feature in the delivery of the aerodynamic performance working in tandem with the new aerodynamic features
Aston Martin’s Chief Executive Officer, Tobias Moers said on the new model: “Performance is at the heart of every Aston Martin, but when it wears an F1 badge it has to be a truly exceptional car.
“Vantage was already the most focused sports car in our range but in the development of our Official Safety Car of Formula 1, it had to be a true athlete: more powerful; more agile; more immediate and more exciting to drive. And of course, quicker and more capable in a race-track environment.
“I set the engineering team a tough target, as I was insistent that gains in performance came via genuine improvements in the car’s dynamics, and not by fitting track-optimised tyres. The results speak for themselves. A Vantage to appeal to the most discerning drivers and a new model that marks an exciting moment in Aston Martin’s history”.
The new Vantage F1 Edition is now on sale with a recommended retail price from £142,000 ($256,608 AUD) in the UK with deliveries scheduled to begin in May.
The model is currently available in Australia and New Zealand, with local pricing to be publicly announced shortly. First local deliveries will commence during the fourth quarter of this year.
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