I mentioned that Aston should offer a stripped-down version of the V12VS and it now looks like they are. From Autoblog:

"It's the formula adopted by Ferrari to turn the 360 Modena into the 360 Challenge and then back into the 360 Challenge Stradale – a formula which it has followed with the 430 Scuderia and 458 Speciale, and which Lamborghini and Maserati followed with Stradale versions of their production-based racecars as well. And now it looks like Aston Martin could be following the same.

Speaking with longtime Aston Martin chief Dr. Ulrich Bez, Autocar reports that the British automaker is considering a roadgoing version of the Vantage GT3 to slot in above the V12 Vantage S. The most extreme version of the sportscar yet could benefit from competition-derived aerodynamics, a 6.0-liter V12 engine upgraded to around 600 horsepower and a good 200 pounds trimmed off the curb weight.

Considering that the current V12 Vantage S can already hit 60 in 3.7 seconds and tops out at 205 miles per hour, the GT3-derived road car could prove one of the fastest cars Aston has ever built."

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/11/10/a...-gt3-supercar/

 

I just read that post, too. It'll be interesting to see if it happens and if they use a MT.

 

Sounds like astons version of the Black Series at AMG (ironically enough given their new engine partnership).

Perhaps AMG is a much better partnership than many of the skeptics first realized.

 

Sounds like great news. Don't ruin the transmission Aston!

 

they could easily lose more then 200lbs, every time i look at my aston i see something heavy thats totally unnecessary...

car could easily be in the same weight category at 911 with just some easy jenny craig'ness... taking apart doors and interior it's crazy how much little things weigh.

 

The skeptic in me says prepare for Sportshift IV...

 

I'd be fine if they make it like Ferrari's F1 Superfast or even their base F1 from 2008....

 

...for a pure performance car that isn't also meant to appeal to the "gentleman's" part of the equation.

 

And then we would be hearing the complaints that Astons are becoming too much like 911s - too mass produced, too plasticky, whatever.

 

The Vantage GT3 is a completely different animal than a V12VS. Plus, it's $560k. That's a far cry beyond the pricetag of a "sportier" $200k car. I think a road-going GT3 isn't terribly likely given the extent to which the GT3 differs from the V12VS. Here's a bunch of info on it:

http://www.speedhunters.com/2013/08/...ins-gt3-racer/

What I could see AM doing is taking the Porsche/Ferrari route and stripping down a V12VS:
Replace all leather with alcantara or bare carbon.
One-piece carbon-shell seats on manual sliders, delete all seat controls.
Eliminate the nav.
Eliminate the sound system, but leave it as an option because I need my tunes damnit.
Take out the carpet, cargo divider, sound deadening, etc.
Eliminate cruise control and everything else that is on the steering wheel, and replace the steering wheel with a lightweight one.
Lightweight wheels and flywheel, thinner glass, titanium exhaust.
Retune for more power and quicker throttle response, remap the TCU for quicker shifts.

None of this requires a fundamental change to the car's structure like that of the GT3. Hell, I've done most of these things on cars myself. But all together, AM would be producing a lighter, sportier, and more raw version of an already ferocious car.

EDIT: Quick note... Saying "eliminate the steering wheel controls" doesn't seem like it'd make a difference in weight, but think of all the components associated with those controls. That all adds up quickly.

 

^^^Yes, like the article said, they'd make the car like the Vantage version of the CS/Scud/Speciale. All of these changes are changes made in those cars, although there's no way they'll offer a titanium exhaust as standard.

 

Hey, a titanium exhaust would definitely get the marketing guys worked up and I'm sure it could spur on some more sales

All of what I said in my previous post was in regard to "a roadgoing version of the Vantage GT3." The Vantage GT3 is far too modified to make roadgoing at a cost-effective level. Rather, they'd be using the standard weight-loss formula on a V12VS instead of a cushioning of the GT3.

 

Again, it's just like road/track Fcars. For example, the Challenge Stradale was based on the Challenge racing car, which was also far too modified to be a road car. The formula is drop weight, add a little power, and charge a huge premium over the road car upon which the racing car was based.

 

I don't think weight category and production category are related. If anything, I think AM fans would welcome a lightweight variant to help show off the sporting aspect of the brand we love.

 

I guess I was under the impression that the 360MC was just a lightened, track-prepped version of the 360, and the 360CS added back the road-legal requirements (glass windows vs lexan, etc).

The Vantage GT3 is a very different car with little in common with the V12VS. It has all-carbon bodywork (except the roof), the engine is mounted in a different position (lower, and I think maybe further back), and the suspension components are all bespoke. Not including what would obviously be removed for a roadgoing car, like the fire suppression system, there are still some marked differences that add to the price.

The only price I can find for the 360MC was an estimated $175k. The Vantage GT3 is $560k. So although Ferrari was able to take the 360MC and make a roadgoing version of it for a marketable price, the Vantage GT3 is too much a racecar that is fundamentally different than the production car to warrant it being used as the basis of a roadgoing variant like the 360MC.