Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 Race Car Goes Testing, Still Looks Ferocious

November 22, 2011 at 4:49pm by Alexander Stoklosa

This past summer Aston Martin revealed the V-12 Vantage GT3 race car—and its $490,000 price tag—and now the company has begun testing the gorgeous racer in England. For those who don’t regularly follow smokin’ hot GT3 race car news, the Vantage GT3’s 6.0-liter V-12 engine is related to the roadgoing V-12 Vantage’s and produces more than 600 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. To slow things back down, the GT3 gets six-piston front and four-piston rear brakes.

The V-12 Vantage GT3 is eligible to compete in a variety of European series, the FIA GT3 championships and the Nürburgring 24-Hour most prominent among them. It still has plenty of durability testing left, but we’re already anxious to see what this gnarly machine looks like in racing livery and covered in the filth of battle.

Tags: Aston Martin, Aston Martin Vantage, Aston Martin Vantage GT3 |

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HBH Aston Martin Bulldog GT

The Bulldog GT by Danish company HBH is a project of a one-off mid-engined sportscar based on the Aston Martin V12 Vantage.

The Bulldog GT project is being developed by HBH, a Danish company which takes its name from the last names of its founders: Jesper Hermann, Christian Brandt and Torben Hartvig, with the first two being responsible for the design of the Zenvo ST1.

The car is equipped with the Aston Matin 6.0 liter V12 unit, which has been tuned with two superchargers which increase the output up to 666 hp and 756 Nm of torque, enabling a 0-100 km/h time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 300 km/h.

The engine’s central position has redefined the proportions of the all-aluminum body, which features a relatively short and lower hood and an elongated rear end, while maintaining a design language very faithful to the Aston Martin’s style.

From the side, the large side air intakes act as a distinctive graphic element which helps to disguise the length of the rear quarter panel, which has been significantly extended by pushing the cabin and the doors forward to leave space for the engine.

While the windows graphics have been maintained practically unchanged, the rear end was interestingly reinterpreted with tighter lines, and shows some graphic similarities with the Audi R8.

At the front, the trademark Aston Martin’s grille was lowered from its upright position, which provides some visual hints at the mid-engined Ferraris.

HBH is planning to sell the one-off car together with 50% of the production and design rights, so the client will be able to decide whether to keep the Bulldog GT as a one-off or to allow a limited production.

The first model is expected to be developed during 2012 and to be presented in early 2013.

(Source: HBH via Classic Driver )

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Fashionably Late: Aston Martin One-77 Appears at the L.A. Auto Show

Three years after we first saw photos of the spectacular One-77 and 2.5 years after a production-intent version appeared at the 2009 Geneva auto show, Aston Martin’s supercar is hitting the stage at this year’s L.A.  show. Official production of the One-77 commenced only one year ago, with the actual production car making its debut just last August during Pebble Beach weekend. Aston also took its time revealing the car’s official details, including the naturally aspirated V-12’s prodigious output of 750 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque, and the top speed of 220 mph. For what it’s worth, the car going to L.A. is not one of the salable 77, but a late prototype with 14,000 ridden-hard-and-put-away-wet development miles on its clock.

Want one? Aston says that between 6 and 10 remain available, and since none have been delivered to the U.S. yet, the actual price in dollars isn’t set. The U.K. price, however, is: £1.15 million, or roughly $1.83 mil.

Tags: 2011 L.A. auto show, Aston Martin, Aston Martin One-77, auto shows, British, coupe, luxury, supercar, ultra luxury |

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