Vantage GT12 Special Edition
Vantage GT12 Special Edition

Vantage GT12 Special Edition

Briefly  known as the GT3 Special Edition

(2015)

When AML first gave us the V12 RS concept in late 2007, there was more than a hint that an extream, lightweight and stripped out would eventually be offered for sale. We had to wait over seven years before the company eventually previewed such a car in a video on YouTube released during January 2015. More details followed a month later before a pre-production prototype was presented at Geneva Motor Show during March (still carrying the GT3 moniker). The most extreme road going Aston Martin of all time, the GT12 version of the V12 Vantage is billed to be the most focused and hedonistic road going car ever offered by the factory.

Vantage GT12 Special Edition

Based on the current V12 Vantage S yet strongly influenced by the race spec V12 Vantage GT3, the GT12 Special Edition boasts a weight saving of at least 100kg over the regular V12 ‘S’ version, and a power boost from 565 bhp to a whisker below the magic 600.

 Almost all the bodywork of the GT12 is unique to the car, only the aluminium doors are common to the regular Vantage, the remainder is mostly made of lightweight carbon fibre. The aerodynamic additions to the car include a unique ‘horseshoe’ bonnet air intake, designed to send air along the side of the car and angled slats both behind the front and ahead of the rear wheels. The rear wing, largest fitted to a road going Aston Martin is actually optional but does provide so much downforce that the road going GT12 has more than the race spec Vantage GT4.

The inside has been well stripped out yet retains some creature comforts such as a fixed sat-nav screen. The seats are lightweight carbon fibre, manually adjusted, the interior has a covering of Alcantara, the door cards are single piece carbon items and the centre console also in carbon fibre has been taken from the Vanquish. This was the first indication that the new centre console would be standard equipment in the entire Vantage range for the 2017 model year.

In standard form, the GT12 weighs 1565 kg, although opting for the lightweight options such as polycarbonate  rear and rear quarter windows and carbon fibre roof can shed another 50kg. During the spring, the GT12 will undertake further testing and calibration, often in the hands of AMR regular, Darren Turner. The AM57 engine is currently producing 592 bhp but perhaps a little more is anticipated. Zero to 60 comes up in 3.5 seconds, 0.2 quicker than the V12 ‘S’ although due to greater downforce and a larger frontal area, top speed drops from 205 to 185 mph.

With production strictly limited to just 100 examples, even with a price around £250,000, virtually all the cars had sold even before the Geneva Show opened. Especially created by ‘Aston Martin Special Projects;’ the GT12’s were delivered to their new owners from the autumn of 2015. As it AML was committed to only building 100 customer cars, a similar lightweight V8 Vantage known as the GT8 was offered from the spring of 2016.

Six examples of the GT12 were built with a colour scheme inspired by the AMR Gulf liveried GTE car, such cars and are unofficially known as the GT12 Gulf Edition.

Why the change of name? Well shortly after the Geneva Motor Show, Porsche threatened a law suit as they believed that they owned the right to the ‘GT3’ name. What is rather odd is that GT3 was the name of an FIA race class and  it was Lotus that first used the term with the Esprit GT3 from 1996 to 1999. Even so, Aston Martin have climbed down and Andy Palmer has given the following statement;-

“Matters have now been resolved and Aston Martin has decided not to waste valuable cash on litigation and instead opted to rename the car the Aston Martin Vantage GT12. To reinforce the message, the Aston Martin Vantage race car will also be known as the GT12 from now on too”

  • Body/Coachwork:
    • Two-seat, two-door coupe body style
    • Extruded bonded aluminium VH body structure aluminium, magnesium alloy, composite and steel body
    • Extruded aluminium door side-impact beams
    • Carbon Fibre wide body with flared sills, wheel arches, front and rear bumpers
    • Carbon Fibre composite bonnet and louvre
    • Track Aero Pack – Carbon Fibre extended front splitter and rear wing (delete option)
    • Halogen projector headlamps (main beam), High intensity discharge headlamps (dipped beam)
    • Black headlamp bezels
    • LED rear lamps
    • Clear rear lamps with a black border
    • Carbon rear diffuser
    • Centre mounted black textured tailpipes
  • Interior:
    • Vantage GT3 Special Edition ‘race-inspired’ paint liveries
    • Black, silver, grey, yellow brake callipers
    • Lightweight black mesh grille
    • Gloss black window surround
    • Rear Vantage GT12 Special Edition badge
    • Black enamel infill wings badge, forged carbon option
    • Rain sensing wipers
    • Electric heated powerfold mirrors
    • Heated rear screen
    • Beam blade front wiper system
  • Engine:
    • All-alloy, quad overhead camshaft 48-valve, 5935 cc
    • V12 Magnesium inlet manifolds with revised geometry
    • Front mid-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive
    • Lightweight titanium exhaust system
    • Compression ratio 11.0:1
    • Max power Target 593 BHP / 601PS
    • Max torque Target – 625Nm @ 5500rpm
  • Transmission:
    • Rear mid-mounted, Sportshift III seven-speed automated manual transmission with electronic shift-by-wire control system
    • Magnesium torque tube with Carbon Fibre propeller shaft
    • Limited-slip differential
    • Final-drive ratio – 3.7:1
  • Steering:
    • Rack and pinion, power-assisted steering
    • Column tilt and reach adjustment
  • Wheels and tyres:
    • 19” 7-spoke forged alloy satin black wheels
    • Front: 9.5J x 19” Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres 265 FR
    • Rear: 11.5J x 19” Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres 325 RR
    • Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
  • Suspension:
    • Track focussed suspension geometry with uprated springs and revised damper system
    • Front: Independent double wishbones incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube dampers
    • Rear: Independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry, dual-rate coil springs and monotube dampers
    • Revised 3-stage Adaptive Damping System (ADS) with Normal, Sport and Track modes
  • Brakes:
    • Front: Ventilated Carbon ceramic discs, 398 mm diameter with six-piston monobloc Brembo Vantage GT3 Special Edition bespoke calipers
    • Rear: Ventilated Carbon ceramic discs, 360 mm diameter with four-piston monobloc Brembo Vantage GT3 Special Edition bespoke calipers
    • Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with ‘Track’ mode
    • Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with ‘Track’ mode
    • Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) Traction Control (TC)
    • MK25e Brake Control Module