Aston Martin is creating a run of 14 V12 Vantage V600s that are influenced by the original 1999 V600 Le Mans, which was the world’s most powerful car in production at the time. The brand has showcased the car in action at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Produced in seven coupé and seven convertible examples by Aston's Q commission department, the new cars are based on the previous-generation, VH-based Vantage and use a 592bhp version of Aston Martin’s naturally aspirated 5.9-litre V12. The first car was commissioned by a single buyer, who then agreed to let Aston build a small run for the model.
Aston Martin chief creative officer Marek Reichman said: “This is precisely why we created our Q by Aston Martin commission service. Our customers can create truly bespoke sports cars by personally collaborating with myself and Aston Martin’s design team.”
The new Vantage V600’s body has been made using carbonfibre and features new side strakes and a bulging bonnet — all are nods to the original V600. There’s also a darkened front grille to mimic a feature from the 1999 model, while the trend continues inside with lightweight seats and a carbonfibre centre console.
Each vehicle from the 2018 run comes with a seven-speed manual gearbox to make the car, according to Aston Martin, “the ultimate analogue Vantage”. No performance figures have been provided, but the discontinued Aston Martin V12 version of the last Vantage was good for a 0-62mph time of 3.9sec and a top speed of 205mph.
An Aston spokesman told Autocar that prices will vary due to the customisation on offer, so the price is only being discussed on application. Expect a very hefty increase on the old V12 Vantage's £138,000 starting price, though.
