What's the news?
Aston Martin is using the occasion of this weekend's Le Mans 24-hour race to reveal the first production model of its new 'AMR' sub-brand. Unsurprisingly, the first car to receive the treatment is the highly successful Vantage. Just 300 examples will be produced, 100 powered by a V12 and 200 by a V8. Coupe and Roadster body styles will be available.
Exterior
There are a huge number of customisation options for the Vantage AMR to get your head around, but for starters there are four AMR colour schemes: Stratus White with an Orange graphic; Ultramarine Black with Blue graphic; Zaffre Blue with Red graphic; or Scintilla Silver with Grey graphic. But you don't want any of those... You'll want the AMR 'Halo Pack', which mimics the livery of Aston's championship-winning Vantage GTE racer using Stirling Green paint and Lime Green accents. Then, for the full AMR effect, you'll need to delve into the AMR Accessories catalogue and shell out for the AMR Aero Kit. This carbon fibre body kit, for the coupe only, includes front splitter and dive planes, plus side sills and a fixed rear spoiler. Complementing all that is a set of forged aluminium AMR Vantage wheels. And if you're getting all that it would be rude not to tick the box marked 'AMR titanium exhaust', which apparently sounds epic and reduces weight by a significant 14kg.
Still have more money to burn? Optional carbon fibre bits include a lightweight front grille, side strakes, lamp infills and mirror caps, while there is also a choice of three different finishes for the V8 Vantage AMR's five-spoke alloy wheels and the V12 Vantage AMR's lightweight 10-spoke rims.
Interior
Those exterior colour schemes are matched to individual interior treatments. The Vantage AMR Coupes all get a mix of leather and Alcantara, while the Roadsters are leather-only. Naturally, cars with the Halo Pack get Lime Green leather welts and accents inside. Optional add-ons include lightweight carbon fibre seats and/or carbon for the instrument surround, door tops and door grabs.
Mechanicals
Nothing has been said about the chassis, so it's assumed to be unchanged in these AMR cars, but buyers can choose between a 436hp V8 engine or a 603hp V12. The former is the same as in the Aston Martin V8 Vantage S, while the latter is more than is offered in the V12 Vantage S. Manual or paddle-shift semi-automatic transmissions are available.
Anything else?
Aston Martin President and CEO, Dr Andy Palmer, said of the Vantage AMR: "It's a real thrill to see our first AMR model go into production. The Vantage has been an incredible success for Aston Martin, both in V8 and V12 forms. As our most agile and athletic road car, and our long-time representative in the world of GT racing, it is the perfect model with which to introduce the exciting AMR range. Unmistakable in look and feel the Vantage AMR will appeal to our most enthusiastic customers. These are people who love our cars for their motorsport pedigree, and for their unmistakable dynamic and emotional qualities. Limited production numbers will undoubtedly make them extremely collectible, but they're so good to drive I'm confident we'll see many of them being enjoyed both on the road and at track events around the world."