Vantage Issue 29

WHERE TO BEGIN. In a plot fit for one of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, Aston Martin has been saved from the spectre of bankruptcy by a consortium of ultra-wealthy businessmen led by billionaire Canadian fashion mogul and F1 team owner Lawrence Stroll. Beating a rival bid by Chinese automotive giant Geely, Stroll’s £182m investment will secure a 16.7 per cent stake in cash-strapped AML and position him as executive chairman; a role that is expected to see him a regular visitor to AML’s Gaydon HQ. It will be fascinating to see what effect he has on the future direction – and success – of the company. Stroll is the latest in a long line of larger-than-life characters who have found themselves unable to resist the allure of Aston Martin. Arguably the…

OPEN-TOP ASTONS HAVE always held particular appeal, so it’s great to finally see the launch of the long-awaited Vantage Roadster. Like its predecessor, the new Roadster is a terrific looking machine whether it’s taut turret top is up or folded tidily into the tail. Kerbweight is up by 60kg compared with the coupé, but this additional mass has had a minimal impact on performance, with Aston claiming a 0-60mph time of 3.7sec and a top speed of 190mph with the roof raised. The new, lightweight ‘Z-fold’ roof mechanism has been designed to preserve as much of the luggage space as possible, with the resulting 200-litre capacity sufficiently large to stow a full-sized golf bag and an assortment of Pringle jumpers. Compact enough to allow the design team to give the Roadster a…

ASTON MARTIN HAS looked to its racing roots for its latest limited-edition special-series model. Called the V12 Speedster, it has clear echoes of the DB3S and DBR1 sports cars of the 1950s, with more recent inspiration taken from the CC100 Speedster Concept built to celebrate the company’s centenary in 2013. Conceived a little over a year ago, the V12 Speedster – of which just 88 examples will be built – uses elements of the bonded aluminium structures featured in the DBS Superleggera and Vantage to create its own unique platform. Its engine is the same formidable 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 found in the DBS. Developing 700bhp and 516lb ft, it is mated to a ZF eight-speed automatic paddle-shift transmission and limited-slip differential. A claimed top speed of 186mph is some way shy…

DEVELOPMENT OF Aston Martin’s Valkyrie hypercar has taken a big step forward with the commissioning of a further two verification prototypes, VP2 and VP3 joining VP1 at Silverstone for a landmark test. Not only was it the first time that more than one functional Valkyrie had been seen on track, but the test provided an opportunity for Red Bull F1 drivers Max Verstappen and Alex Albon to have their first taste of the Adrian Newey-designed hypercar. While they shared VP1, VPs 2 and 3 (right) were driven by Aston Martin high-performance test driver Chris Goodwin and Aston Martin Racing WEC drivers Darren Turner and Alex Lynn. Some eight VP Valkyries will be built in total, each car being used to develop and validate different systems and attributes of this phenomenally complex machine.…

WE’VE ONLY JUST driven a late development prototype (see page 30), but Q by Aston Martin has wasted no time in applying its bespoke personalisation skills to the new DBX, a comprehensively customised example of which was heading for the Geneva motor show as this issue of Vantage went to press. We’re sure it would be a nightmare to keep clean, but there’s no denying the silky Satin Xenon Grey paintwork suits the DBX’s imposing curves, while shiny gloss-black 22in wheels and forged carbonfibre Aston Martin ‘wings’ badges complete the stealthy exterior scheme. Inside, there are acres of inky Obsidian Black leather upholstery and extensive use of carbonfibre in a variety of finishes. Machined-from-solid carbonfibre elements adorn the centre console and door inserts, while the storage area is decked with a single…

IT’S NO SECRET that Aston Martin has been through the mill since its historic flotation on the London Stock Market, but the last few months have been particularly dicey, even for a marque that has now teetered on the brink of bankruptcy eight times in its 107-year history. With cash woes from investment in the development of the DBX and the brand new production facility at St Athan compounded by poor sales in 2019, the company needed a substantial and immediate injection of capital. Thankfully, Aston Martin remains desirable to investors. Chinese automotive giant Geely and a consortium led by billionaire fashion industry magnate (and F1 team owner) Lawrence Stroll each approached AML with offers. Stroll’s £182m investment for a 16.7 per cent stake won favour with Aston’s board members, who will…