Aston Martin recently introduced a more track focussed iteration of the Vantage which is aptly named the F1 Edition. We attended the local introduction to find out more about the newcomer.
Aston Martin first competed in Formula One in 1959 and, after a short stint in the racing series, departed after the 1960 season. In 2021, the British automaker, now under the ownership of Lawrence Stroll, made its return to the F1 grid with drivers Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll.
The return to the popular racing series, after a 61-year hiatus, and the development that was already undertaken by the engineers for the official Aston Martin Vantage safety car that made its appearance at the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix, prompted Aston Martin CEO, Tobias Moers to commission a special edition vehicle.
The Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition made its first local appearance recently and we attended the reveal to find out exactly what owners can expect from the track-focused derivative.
Styling
The particular example that was on display at Aston Martin Johannesburg quickly set itself apart from the standard V8 coupe derivatives with its F1 liveries. However, upon closer inspection, one finds a brand new front bumper and grille design that is finished with a host of aerodynamic fins or rather dive planes and a full-width front splitter.
Another distinct feature on the exterior is the colour palettes and the solid matt grey racing graphic that extends the length of the vehicle. The British marque even offers an Aston Martin Racing Green colour scheme to resemble that of the F1 vehicles or else customers can specify satin or gloss Jet Black or Lunar White finishes.
The bonnet incorporates carbon fibre louvres that allow hot air to escape the engine bay more easily. The vents in the front fenders also see a design update and are finished in carbon fibre with F1 Edition monikers. Further bolstering the side view of the Vantage F1 Edition are new 21-inch wheels that are shod with tyres that are specifically developed by Pirelli for the F1 Edition derivative.
While for the most part, the rear resembles that of the standard edition models, atop the boot lid features a prominent fixed-wing, while lower down customers will find a quad exhaust pipe configuration instead of the twin pipes on the standard models. The combination of the visible aerodynamic enhancements and the underbody turning vanes results in an additional 200 kg of downforce at top speed when compared to the standard Vantage models.
On the interior, customers can specify Lime Green, Obsidian Black, Wolf Grey or Spicy Red contrast stripe and stitching to the Obsidian Black Leather and Phantom Grey Alcantara upholstery and trim.
Handling dynamics
One of the key areas in which Aston Martin improved on the standard Vantage with the F1 Edition is with the suspension. The brief to the engineers requested that the F1 Edition needs to offer a comfortable and compliant drive in normal conditions, however, provide a stiffer and more predictable drive once at speed on the racetrack.
To achieve this, the engineers added structural stiffness to the front of the chassis and redesigned the damper internals to provide additional force range. Furthermore, the rear was set up with a higher spring rate to bolster the turn-in of the vehicle. Along with the above changes, the engineers also made improvements to the steering rack to provide more feedback.
Engine and performance
The changes to the engine and setup are minimal, however, do provide a more aggressive response in the corners. Under the bonnet feature the same 4.0-litre, turbocharged, V8 petrol engine coupled to an 8-speed automatic transmission. While the torque figure remains unchanged from the standard Vantage at 685 Nm, the power sees a small improvement as it increases from 375 kW to 388 kW.
The 0-100 km/h acceleration time remains the same at 3.6 seconds and the top speed is still 314 km/h, however, the performance improvements will probably mostly be felt during cornering.
Verdict
While, at this time, we cannot comment on the dynamic improvements of the vehicle as we haven’t driven the vehicle yet. We can, however, provide feedback on the design. Although for a special edition model, the Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition is quite understated, it befits the marque which creates very elegant models.
The Aston Martin F1 Edition gives the impression that the engineers took a similar approach as commonly seen in Formula One, where the changes are minuscule in terms of design but the performance or dynamic result is great. Whether the changes are enough to justify an increase in price is the decision of the buyer, but for us, a special edition model that is associated with Formula One deserves some consideration from collectors.
Keyword: Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition (2022) - Local launch