The limited-edition 328kW Aston Martin Vantage GT8 has been revealed overnight in the UK taking styling cues from the Aston Martin Vantage GTE race car.

AFTER ASTON MARTIN boss, Andy Palmer ‘inadvertantly’ broke Aston Martin’s embargo on the reveal of the Aston Martin GT8, Twitter went into meltdown. The new GT8 will be limited to just 150 cars and is intended to reflect Aston Martin’s racing-going heritage.

And the brand has a long history in racing. From outright victory at Le Mans 24 Hours in 1959, to countless race wins in GT3 and GT4 categories and a continued race and title-winning form in the production-based GTE category of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), “Aston Martin is proud to be at the forefront of GT racing”.

Director of Special Projects and Motorsport, David King said: “We long held the desire to create a road car that truly reflects our racing activity at Le Mans. With the Vantage GT8, we’ve finally been able to achieve that. By focusing on weight savings and aerodynamics, we’ve taken the V8 Vantage to an entirely different level of agility and aggression. It’s a hugely exciting car honed to the keenest possible edge”.

The lightest and most powerful V8 Vantage ever, the Vantage GT8 arrives with a carbon-fibre body and a tweaked 4.7-litre V8 that thumps out 328kW which is mated to a seven-speed automatic with paddle shifts. The front splitter, front and rear bumpers, fenders, side sills and rear diffuser all fashioned from carbon-fibre.

The cutaway front wheel arch mimics that of the GTE racer. The cost optional Aero Pack adds a large rear wing and additional corner elements to the front splitter. The Vantage GT8 is further distinguished by a new five-spoke alloy wheel, with ultra-lightweight seven-spoke centre-lock magnesium rims available as an option.  Both standard and optional wheels are shod with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres for exceptional performance on-road and track. Three optional ‘Halo‘ paint schemes are available; striking combinations of China Grey and Blue, Stratus White and Green or Stirling Green and Lime that perfectly capture the Vantage GT8’s dynamic character and performance.

Weight has been saved by using a new lithium ion battery, a carbon fibre roof, polycarbonate rear screen and rear side windows and a titanium centre mounted exhaust. Together with the standard-fit lightweight carbon fibre sports seats (with manual adjustment, again to save weight) and carbon fibre door panels, an impressive 100kg is saved, making the Vantage GT8 the lightest Vantage ever.

Announcing the introduction of the new Vantage GT8, Aston Martin CEO Dr Andy Palmer said: “Road cars are our business, but racing is the beating heart of Aston Martin. The Vantage GT8 expresses that combination perfectly: an authentic and unashamedly extreme road car that draws directly from our Le Mans racing programme to amplify the inherent dynamism that has long made the Vantage such a fine sports car. Beautifully engineered and set-up to be equally at home on a fabulous road or a demanding race track, the Vantage GT8 is a driver’s car in the truest sense of the word.”  

Recommended retail price starts from £165,000 and deliveries will commence in the UK in Q4 2016.