The trackside location will give the development team instant access to some world-class testing facilities.
Ferrari has Fiorano. The Germans have the Nürburgring. And soon, Aston will have Silverstone.
Dubbed ‘Aston Martin Silverstone’ and located right alongside its namesake track, the new facility will become the base of operations for Aston’s Vehicle Dynamics department. The trackside location will give the development team instant access to some world-class testing facilities.
With Aston Martin planning to launch a completely new car every twelve months for the next seven years, plus multiple special editions, the Vehicle Dynamics team have their plates full with vehicle testing. Silverstone’s selection of track layouts and handling areas are just the ticket for working on chassis dynamics and fiddling with high-speed handling.
“The new base at Silverstone will provide us with a reference circuit upon which to develop the next generation of Aston Martins,” said Matt Becker, Aston Martin’s Chief Engineer for Vehicle Engineering. “Silverstone is a fantastic place for us to practice the dark art of vehicle dynamics, the fine tuning that takes place to turn a good car into a great car.”
Further refitting of track buildings are in the works, with plans to construct a state-of-the-art workshop with dedicated on-site technicians.
Modern-day Astons have never been what one would call pokey, so the ability for the development team to make small individual tweaks and immediately test them at Silverstone should serve to up the ante even more. In particular, Silverstone’s Stowe circuit will be tapped to develop the Rapide E, Aston’s first SUV (wait, what?), and future mid-engine sports cars.
Rewinding the tape a bit, Aston is indeed planning an SUV, one that will likely resemble a tall Rapide sedan and be called the Varekai. A three-door concept, called the DBX, was shown at Geneva in 2015; production versions will have a conventional five-door configuration. With the development team calling Silverstone home, at least the thing should handle well.
The mention of a future mid-engined car has your author very excited, as rumours of such a beast have been floating around all year. Likely to be called the Vanquish, there stands an excellent chance it will bank on Red Bull’s F1 expertise and be powered by an electrified V8.
Currently, the team carries out ride tuning work in the UK and then travels to circuits across Europe to evaluate high speed ride, handling, and steering. The new UK base will not only cut down on travel costs, money that will hopefully get shovelled into car development instead, but also give the company a baseline track which it can use as a permanent yardstick.
Keyword: New Silverstone Base for Vehicle Dynamics Team at Aston Martin