On the back of the Aston Martin GT12 debuting at the Geneva Motor Show 2015 back in March, a dark blue and orange example has been spied testing hard at the Nurburgring Nordschleife. While the car will be unable to set a true flying lap at the German racetrack due to the new speed limits, the following video shows that Aston Martin engineers certainly aren’t holding back in its development.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYMbtUblkWY#t=13[/youtube]
Due to the exclusive nature of the Vantage GT12, pricing details haven’t been made public. Nevertheless, it is inevitable that each of the 100 units sold would have fetched high premiums over the already hardcore V12 Vantage S. Interestingly, when the car was first unveiled it was dubbed the Aston Martin Vantage GT3. Due to opposition from Porsche however, the British marque was forced to change the car’s name to GT12.
All 100 units of the Aston Martin Vantage GT12 feature the firm’s customary 5.9-litre V12 engine tuned to deliver 592 hp as well as 461 lb-ft of torque. By comparison, the already potent Aston Martin V12 Vantage S produces 565 hp and 457 lb-ft. Helping to achieve the power and torque gains are new inlet manifolds, a titanium exhaust system as well as tweaked geometry. Finally, the torque tube is now made of lightweight magnesium and the titanium exhaust alone saves 19 kg from the car.
Thanks to this engine, the Vantage GT12 will accelerate to 96 km/h from a standstill in a mere 3.5 seconds down from the 3.7 seconds needed by the V12 Vantage S. Due to the added downforce generating elements of the Vantage GT12 however and the higher drag, the top speed has dropped from 329 km/h (205 mph) to 297 km/h (185 mph). Tweaks to the seven-speed transmission have also been made.
