Aston Martin Legacy Collection is a celebration of Vantage victories
Aston Martin has unveiled a trio of race cars destined never to see action on a circuit. The Vantage Legacy Collection has been built to celebrate the success of the Vantage in racing, yet it will most likely end up in a private museum.
Between 2009 and 2018, the Vantage won Le Mans twice, took seven F.I.A. World Endurance Championship titles and numerous victories in the British GT, GT World Challenge, and European Le Mans Series. Racing in GT4, GT3 and GTE classes this period was one of the most successful in the company’s history.
This new collection features brand new versions of each car, identically turned out in Sterling Green with yellow trim around the radiator and cant rail.
The GT4 is powered by a 4.7-liter V-8, driving the rear wheels through a twin-plate clutch and six-speed Sportshift transmission. Suspension is by fully adjustable double wishbones with Koni dampers. Braking comes from four-piston monoblock calipers and there’s an adjustable rear wing, and large front splitter. It features polycarbonate side and rear windows, a quick release hood and tailgate, integrated air jacks, and a steel roll cage. Inside there are Recaro race seats with six-point Sabelt harnesses, plus a fire extinguisher, and the bare-bones cabin uses carbon fiber where possible to save weight. The GT4 first hit the race track in 2009 and 107 examples were built.
The GT3 gets V-12 power. Its dry-sumped 6.0-liter motor delivers 608 hp and is wedded to an Xtrac sequential transmission with shift paddles. Like the GT4 it uses double wishbones all round, but with Bilstein dampers. Six-piston calipers provide the braking. All body panels, barring the aluminum roof, are carbon and are removable for quick damage repair. Making its debut in 2012 the GT3 won the British GT Championship in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2018. In total 46 were made before this future museum piece.
The last in the trio is the GTE with its 506-hp dry-sumped V-8, six-speed sequential transmission, ZF Sachs Racing clutch, and six-piston Brembo brakes. The bodywork is carbon and the aluminum roof has a driver escape hatch built in. Only six GTEs were originally made from 2012, but they earned their place in history by taking seven F.I.A. World Endurance Championships and two wins at Le Mans.
Aston Martin Racing President David King said, “For a collector, this trio of Aston Martin Racing Vantages represents the ultimate tribute to a halcyon period for the brand in international sports car racing. While Aston Martin has since gone on to record world championship titles with the current generation turbocharged V-8 Vantage, the foundations laid by the huge success of the original car won it admirers the around the globe and led to it becoming a firm favorite with racing fans. The Legacy collection is a beautiful sign-off for this wonderful car.”
