Aston Martin are back in F1 for the first time in more than 60 years and, having already revealed their AMR21 contender to the world, they’ve now shown off the Vantage Safety Car and DBX Medical Car, with the pair set to make their debut at the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix. The racing green Vantage Safety Car is powered by a 4.0l twin-turbo V8 engine, managing 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds and has undergone suspension and aero modifcations to make sure it can lead a pack of 20 F1 cars at sufficient speed to keep tyre temperatures adequate. The DBX Medical Car will reach 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds with 550PS and 700NM of torque from the same engine as the Vantage, with defibrillator, fire extinguishers and a burn kit to respond to medical emergencies.
The safety car is a tuned version of Aston’s Vantage coupe sports cars finished in the same green as their AMR21 F1 car and featuring more power and torque than the road going model.The 4.0L twin turbocharged V8 engine will now launch the Vantage from 0-62 mph in 3.5 seconds and be fitted with the same cooling systems as the Vantage GT4 race car. In order to satisfy the need for faster lap times, attention has been paid to the aerodynamic performance of the Vantage. The front grille, front splitter and rear wing have gained some much needed downforce, and the suspension, steering and dampers have all been upgraded for better handling and control.
Mirroring the safety car, the F1 Edition gets essentially an identical package of engine, chassis and aerodynamic upgrades. Underneath are mods to make the structure stiffer and the steering more communicative, along with upgraded dampers, increased rate springs and, for the first time on a Vantage, 21-inch wheels. Like the safety car, they are shod with Pirelli P Zeros. The body is unchanged apart from an aero kit of full-width front splitter, front dive planes, underbody turning vanes, and – most noticeably – the new rear wing. Together they amount to 200kg more downforce at top speed.
You can get the Vantage F1 Edition as either coupe or convertible and with a range of colour palettes and trim options, including a green one with lime green flashes inside as a nod to the racing cars. Other colours are black and white in either matte or gloss finishes, both with grey racing graphics. Black leather and grey Alcantara is the order of the day in the cabin, along with contrasting stripes and stitching. Aston says it all adds up to significant performance enhancements and improved lap times “without compromising its on-road capabilities”. The F1 Edition isn’t a limited edition and prices start from £142,000. It’s available to order now with first deliveries in May. That will surely have to be a DBX F1 Medical Car special edition won’t it?
