Aston Martin unleashes hardcore GT8

Aston Martin has announced it will make a road-going version of its 2016 V8 Vantage GTE race car, and the local distributor is expecting to begin customer deliveries in Australia from the fourth quarter of this year.

Called the Vantage GT8, the small Aston gets a wider body that gains a new splitter, front and rear bumpers, front wings, sills, large rear diffuser and even the roof, all of which are made of lightweight carbon fibre.

Mimicking the racer, there’s also cutaway front wheelarches and an optional aero pack that adds a huge rear wing and font winglets.

The standard wheel option is a new five-spoke lightweight design with the further option of an ultra-lightweight seven-spoke set that features centre-lock magnesium rims.

The standard tyre for the new GT8 is the track-biased Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyre.

As well as the liberal use of carbon fibre the fast Vantage comes with a standard-fit lithium ion battery, polycarbonate rear screen and side windows and a new centrally-mounted all-titanium exhaust. Throw in a pair of race seats (naturally, again, made of carbon fibre) and Aston Martin claims the GT8 weighs in at a substantial 100kg lighter than the standard coupe.

Not bad, considering aircon and Aston’s standard infotainment and sound system all survive the extreme diet.

Under the bonnet, the GT8 shares its 4.7-litre engine with the V8 Vantage but has had power boosted by 7kW to 328kW.

The GT8 is offered with either the firm’s six-speed manual or seven-speed automated manual Sportshift gearbox.

Commenting on his new creation, Aston Martin’s head of special projects and motorsport, David King said: “We long held the desire to create a road car that truly reflects our racing activity at Le Mans. With the Vantage GT8, we’ve finally been able to achieve that. By focusing on weight savings and aerodynamics, we’ve taken the V8 Vantage to an entirely different level of agility and aggression. It’s a hugely exciting car honed to the keenest possible edge.”

On sale towards the end of this year, just 150 GT8s will be made with each one selling from around $300,000. Expect it to cost more here, however, when it goes on sale in very limited numbers late in the year.