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Aston Martin V8 Vantage Nürburgring Race Car (N24 prototype),
CP 025, Rose |
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During the middle weekend of June 2006, most AM enthusiasts had
their eyes glued to the 24 Heures du Mans giving support to the DBR9s. But
at the same time in Germany, AM were involved in another 24 hour race, the ADAC
24h Rennen Nürburgring organised by the ADAC, Germany's biggest automobile club.
The track used includes the Northern loop (Nordschleife)
and is 25.3km in length. The German race is for production cars although many
of those competing are really motorsport-homologated cars.
As if to prove a point, Aston Martin took over a virtually standard V8 Vantage to
prove the quality of it's road car against the stiff opposition. From an entry
of 220, the Vantage achieved a brilliant 4th in class (SP8) and 24th overall whilst
being driven by Dr Ulrich Bez, Chris Porritt, Aston Martin’s Vehicle Engineering
Manager; Horst von Saurma, editor-in-chief of Sport Auto magazine, and
development driver Wolfgang Schuhbauer. Despite the heat (perhaps hotter than Le
Mans) the Vantage completed 130 laps. The three cars in class SP8 that finished
ahead of the Aston were Dodge Viper GTS-R, Lamborghini Gallardo
GTR, Audi RS 4 and were I believe all road legal full race cars.
The car used by AM was CP 025, christened Rose (English Rose), a late confirmation prototype identical to a
production car, initially registered in April 2004. CP 025 had already had a
full life as a calibration vehicle, mostly on a dyno, and as such was actually
in very good shape. Modifications for the race were limited to the full mandatory safety cage,
special racing fuel tank and fire system, racing seat, slick tyres and built-in air
jacks; all
for safety and pit-lane efficiency. Weight was shaved off by the use
polycarbonate side windows, ditching almost all of the interior trim and a
lightweight exhaust system. Even the trademark AM side strakes on the wing vents
were lightened from 800g down to just 85. The finished car weighed 220kg less
than standard.
Only two weeks after the race, Aston Martin's Chris Porritt kindly brought the
race stained Nürburgring Vantage to the AMOC Horsfall meeting at Silverstone to take part in
the parade of V8 Vantages. |
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In a surprise move, at the start of the British Motor Show in London on the 18th July 2006, AM announced that they are going to build just a small number of replicas of the Nürburgring Vantage specifically for track days and amateur race drivers. Since the car is perfectly road legal, it is expected that cars will be driven to the circuit, compete and then drive home again. Shortly before Christmas 2006 (15/16th December), the race N24 was in action once again in the inaugural 24 hour race of Bahrain. Drivers on this occasion were Horst von Saurma, editor-in-chief of Sport Auto magazine, development driver Wolfgang Schuhbauer and Aston Martin’s Vehicle Engineering Manager, Chris Porritt. Starting from 14th the grid of mostly motorsport homologated cars, the N24 finished in 8th overall despite the unexpected heavy rain at the Bahrain International Circuit. |
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CP025 was again in action, this time at the Silverstone round of the 2007 FIA GT Championship competing in the first ever FIA GT4 races for effectively road legal cars. For race 1 on the Saturday, Jac Nelleman came first in the production N24 with Chris Porritt 2nd in CP025. In the second race on the Sunday morning, the cars achieved 3rd an 4th. |
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