What is Aston Martin up to?

[Gingers4Justice]

Can't believe this thread's been laying dormant for 6 months. Amazing how dusty it's got in that time.

[pederb]

Face it, AMR is not doing much these days

[Deleted]

And the poor old Vantage campaign isn't exactly sending magic sparkles to the air as the P1 and GT1 programs used to

[CTD]

Perhaps development of a new platform takes up the normal motorsport resources?.

[Pandemonium]

Aston Martin is going to get serious by 2015-2016 with their new cars. Specially with the 8 speed transmisions. About time. Hope we see new race cars as well.

[Deleted]

Everything about Aston Martin Racing's current ambitions can be described by one single sentence given by John Gow last May when the GT3/GTE future was called off:

"We would rather spend money going racing rather than developing a new car"

As in we will continue with our cranky old stagecoach for as long as the organizers keep bopping it to be among the fastest cars, or indeed the very fastest. And with that in mind who could blame them for not putting any effort...

[Maelochs]

Ah, Chianna ... you always find that one ray of sunshine peeping through the clouds ... and block it..

Spot on, though.

[TF110]

With mercedes coming onboard, theyre going to get a shot in the arm. Its just a matter of time.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

AMR are very proud of their motorsport heritage but for now it doesn't look like they'll try and add some more glory moments. Which I find sad.

However, their factory supported British GT cars are doing well, but almost certainly won't win the title...

[CTD]

Originally Posted by CTD

Perhaps development of a new platform takes up the normal motorsport resources?.

Originally Posted by Chiana

Everything about Aston Martin Racing's current ambitions can be described by one single sentence given by John Gow last May when the GT3/GTE future was called off:


As in we will continue with our cranky old stagecoach for as long as the organizers keep bopping it to be among the fastest cars, or indeed the very fastest. And with that in mind who could blame them for not putting any effort...

I was refering to a new road car platform to replace the VH platform, which originates all the way back to the 2001 Vanquish.

[Tim the Grey]

Lots of money for a whole new platform. I really cannot say very much. But WATCH THIS SPACE!
http://www.astonmartin.com/en/live/n...ties-at-gaydon
Marek's design team have been busy...

Sadly, I guess this means very little new for AMR. But then I'm just a drone, what would I know anyway? Oh, yes. We now have as CEO the old Nissan head of marketing. Who surely had to buy into all that NISMO stuff at LM?http://www.astonmartin.com/en/live/n...f-aston-martin Here's hoping.

[tux]

Very little incentive for AMR to do anything other than what its doing at the moment. GTE at a pro level in WEC is quite poor, LMP1 is too expensive. BOP keeps the car competitive.

[Deleted]

DBR9 run for 4 seasons as factory & privateer entrant (2005-2008) and then further 3 seasons as privateer-only entrant (2009-2011). How long has the GT2 Vantage been going on? Please let's not pretend that the 2012 GTE "relaunch" was anything substantial, it is the same car with even bigger BoP breaks than before. So you have 4 seasons as privateer-only entrant (2008-2011) and now 3 seasons of factory & privateer entrant (2012-2014 and counting). Wow it's like reverse ain't it? It's not often that you prepare model for privateer use and then suddenly years later when your other programs have failed for whatever reasons you start running it up yourself.

If we compare Vantage lifetime to the trusty old GT1 warhorse, it should be retired at the end of this year... but no in all likelihood they will keep running the same Vantage for years to come with little to no modifications, unless ACO demands it to be completely replaced by another model when the new GTE "regulations" come in force...and again as explained above, there's no reason for them to do otherwise as sad as it is...

[Deleted]

One more win and their cars will have surpassed Ferrari as the most winning WEC GTE make. The next generations will surely remember the dominator that was the AMR GT2 Vantage.

Originally Posted by Dailysportscar

Aston Martin’s double class win at COTA (their second this season) brings them level now with Ferrari in all time WEC GTE class wins – 14 across both classes.

Aston Martin Racing has had a car on the GTE Am podium at every race since Brazil 2013. Across both classes that run goes back to Le Mans 2012!

[JoestForEver]

Originally Posted by Chiana

DBR9 run for 4 seasons as factory & privateer entrant (2005-2008) and then further 3 seasons as privateer-only entrant (2009-2011). How long has the GT2 Vantage been going on? Please let's not pretend that the 2012 GTE "relaunch" was anything substantial, it is the same car with even bigger BoP breaks than before. So you have 4 seasons as privateer-only entrant (2008-2011) and now 3 seasons of factory & privateer entrant (2012-2014 and counting). Wow it's like reverse ain't it? It's not often that you prepare model for privateer use and then suddenly years later when your other programs have failed for whatever reasons you start running it up yourself.

If we compare Vantage lifetime to the trusty old GT1 warhorse, it should be retired at the end of this year... but no in all likelihood they will keep running the same Vantage for years to come with little to no modifications, unless ACO demands it to be completely replaced by another model when the new GTE "regulations" come in force...and again as explained above, there's no reason for them to do otherwise as sad as it is...

EVEN if they are required to make a new car, a Vantage chassis with a Vanquish shell will do.

[kyoung]

Originally Posted by Chiana

One more win and their cars will have surpassed Ferrari as the most winning WEC GTE make. The next generations will surely remember the dominator that was the AMR GT2 Vantage.

I think I am going to be sick.

[Deleted]

Good lad.

[David Land]

I shot this footage 3 years ago today. Hard to believe!

It is of those two lovely Aston Lolas at Petit. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv78M8cF6f4

[tux]

Potentially up to 5 cars for WEC next season and 3 for TUSCC/NAEC

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/as...g-naec-effort/

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by Chiana

One more win and their cars will have surpassed Ferrari as the most winning WEC GTE make. The next generations will surely remember the dominator that was the AMR GT2 Vantage.

Originally Posted by kyoung

I think I am going to be sick.

Yes indeedy doodly doo:

Originally Posted by Dailysportscar

Aston Martin Racing add to their record tally of WEC GTE Am wins, it now stands at 10. Aston Martin’s GTE Am class win means that the Aston Martin are now the most successful marque in WEC history with 16 class wins.

[Simmi]

I don't think anyone who's witnessed the car in the flesh is complaining. Something else to complain about though which is key.

[Deleted]

Yes because the looks mean everything.

And no, wrong again. I've said it before in this very thread that I'm not faulting Aston Martin itself for not bothering with literally anything with this old, outdated and weakly equipped car, because why should they when the organizers have artificially made it the best performer of the bunch by law from year to year. There is no reason to do anything in such scenario, just relax and show up for the races. You can just see how weak it is when running in IMSA trim, where it still has most of it's generous gifts but not all of them (or others have the same amount).

But you know, if FIA GT1 World Champ kinda got laughed at for having old grandfathered Maseratis, Aston DBR9s and Corvettes winning races in front of new Nissans and alikes, then why shouldn't this ancient piece of... whatever deserve the same for outclassing 458s, 991s and C7.Rs? At least the factory developed hyper MC12s and co were genuinely better cars than some privateerly built Lamborghinis, but the Aston Vantage GT2 is without the doubt one of the least convincing -base- GT packages out there, was from the very beginning. And when you have a world championship where such model outshines the others, well...

Look this Vantage is now 6+ years old and will go into next year with little change. Some mods were made in 2012 but basically it's the same car. Now have there been models in recent years that were run even longer and yet were still (semi) competitive? Of course, look at the Saleen S7-R for example. From Laguna Seca 2000 to Zhuhai 2010 in ACO related racing, wow! But that car A) wasn't run by factory team when it was old enough for old folks home B) wasn't constantly in the top of the timecharts solely because of BoP

[Rodger Davies]

Whilst I follow some of your logic re: BoP, why would they not be using the Vantage? It's the current road car that they sell against those competitors in the marketplace. When a new model comes along for the road, expect the race car to be new or the team to cease, but until then let's just enjoy the awesome sound it makes.

[TF110]

I prefer the Vanquish (it has a cooler name too). But the Vantage is the model thats up against the 911 in price. But if Ferrari followed that, their California would be racing. I sometimes think the cars should race according to their price point or market level. So an 'entry level class' with the Vantage, 911 gt3, Vette, NSX, California, P13 (McLaren), GTR. Or higher priced class with the Vanquish, 458/F12, 911 gt2, Mac 650, Lambo Huracan etc. Thatd be ideal to me as a new gt1/gt2, pro/am, factory/customer.

[MitchZ06]

If it can be made GTE-ish and Bop'd in then let it race, F the price point.