Aston Martin returns to Formula 1 with a special Vantage
After the past year, the 2021 Formula 1 is going to be exciting and exhilarating. The best part, though, is the return of the Aston Martin after about six decades. The British automaker has decided to make it even remarkable with its new special Vantage F1® Edition.
Photo Credit: Aston Martin
A new breed of Aston Martin, the Vantage, also the first core model to benefit from direct input from Aston Martin’s recently appointed Chief Executive Officer, Tobias Moers. The sports car makes its debut at the Formula 1® Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2021 this month; the Vantage F1® Edition is the ultimate expression of Performance and dynamism; it is the fastest and most focused of the already sporting Vantage.
Photo Credit: Aston Martin
The car not only marks the brand’s return to the racing ground but also bears the responsibility of being the Official Safety Car. Thus, alongside other brands, Aston Martin has released a sports car that, in essence, a faster replica of the safety car. Not only is it the most powerful, but the Vantage F1® Edition benefits from unique and significant chassis and aerodynamic improvements developed by Aston Martin’s hugely experienced engineering team.
Photo Credit: Aston Martin
The Vantage F1® Edition expresses its intensified Performance with limited yet distinctive colour palettes. It trims options, including one that celebrates Aston Martin’s return to Formula 1® with an Aston Martin Racing Green colour scheme. The exterior paint colours are available in both: a Satin or Gloss finish. Other colour options include Jet Black and Lunar White, complemented by a Solid Matte Dark Grey racing graphic. Inside, the Vantage F1® Edition features the new Obsidian Black Leather and Phantom Grey Alcantara upholstery and trim, with a choice of Lime Green, Obsidian Black, Wolf Grey, or Spicy Red contrast stripe and stitching. The Vantage F1® Edition – available as Coupe and Roadster – is further distinguished by its vaned grille as standard, 2×2 Twill Carbon Fibre exterior detailing, unique graphics, quad exhausts and a new design of Satin Black Diamond Turned 21” alloy wheel.
Photo Credit: Aston Martin
Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer Tobias Moers said: “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”.
Photo Credit: Aston Martin
Starting with the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, power is up by 25PS to a new maximum of 535PS. Peak torque remains unchanged at 685Nm, but that peak is sustained for longer to further increase tractability and in-gear urgency. This relentless, muscular Performance has been further enhanced by work to the 8-speed automatic transmission, with an optimised torque cut during upshifts that reduces shift times and increases the feeling of directness and precision.
Photo Credit: Aston Martin Vantage
Completing the Vantage F1® Edition’s performance enhancements is a comprehensive aero kit, bringing improvements that can be felt from the driver’s seat and measured against the clock. The aerodynamic changes comprise a full-width front splitter, front dive planes, underbody turning vanes, and the new rear wing, totalling 440 pounds of downforce to the vehicle.
Photo Credit: Aston Martin
The new Vantage F1® Edition is on sale now with a recommended retail price of £142,000 in the UK and €162,000 in Germany, with deliveries scheduled to begin in May 2021. View other details here.
