DP-100 Unveiled at 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed

Developed by the Aston Martin design team, DP-100 Vision Gran Turismo is a new, virtual-only GT racer available for Gran Turismo®6 (GT6™) owners to download in July 2014, following its global launch at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The twin-turbo mid-engined racer offers up to 800bhp, endowing it with blistering performance fully in keeping with the high octane nature of the game. 

Starting with nothing but the traditional 'blank sheet of paper' the Aston Martin design team and design engineers worked for six months to create the new addition to the Vision Gran Turismo stable of race cars. Clearly pushing the boundaries of what an Aston Martin could be, DP-100 not only looks beautiful but also boasts a high degree of engineering integrity.

As with the CC100 Speedster Concept, many of the design cues visible in DP-100, such as the light blade rear lamps, could also feed through into future Aston Martin sports cars launched in the offline world.

DP-100 was unveiled to the world at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed in the company of Kazunori Yamauchi, the creator of Gran Turismo and President of Polyphony Digital.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FROCsPRyWI 

Top Five Finish for Aston Martin in Nürburgring 24 Hours

Top Five Finish for Aston Martin in Nürburgring 24 Hours

Nürburgring, 22 June 2014 - Aston Martin has finished fifth overall in the 2014 Nürburgring 24 Hours in its #007 V12 Vantage GT3 race car and has taken three class podiums with its close-to-production V12 Vantage and pair of V8 Vantage GTs. 

The iconic blue and yellow Bilstein-liveried #007 car, which recorded the fastest lap of the race with Darren Turner (GB) behind the wheel, completed 156 laps of the 15.5-mile circuit and showed the pace and reliability to be in contention for the win. However, refuelling issues early in the race hampered the charge and Turner and his team-mates, Stefan Mücke (DE) and Pedro Lamy (PT) were left playing catch up for most of the 24 hours.

However, in the final laps the car was locked in a gripping battle for fifth place, but it was Aston Martin Racing works driver Lamy who came out on top to record the best finish yet for the British marque at the Nürburgring race.

“I was expecting that it would be a relaxing final stint – I just needed to bring the car home but then I had the BMW come out if the pits right behind me and it was looking to take the position.

“We were fast but it was fast too. In traffic it was difficult but it worked for us in the end. Considering the experience we have compared to all these teams, we got a great result. I'm pleased for everyone at Aston Martin it is a great team to be part of.”

In the SP10 class, Nürburgring experts Andreas Gülden (DE) and Oliver Mathai (DE) were joined by British journalists Richard Meaden and Chris Harris, and together they finished in second place in the V8 Vantage GT’s maiden race.

“I had contact with one of the lead GT3 cars in the small hours and that cost us half an hour, the team did a fantastic job replacing the steering arm and we’ve pushed ever since,” commented Harris. “The Vantage GT hasn’t missed a beat and Nürburgring 24 Hours remains the most colourful, exciting and challenging race of all.”

Aston Martin customers Liam Talbot (AU), Egon Allgäuer (DE), Peter Cate (GB) and Marcus Mahy (GB) finished in second place in the SP8 class for cars over 4.0-litres in the #55 Aston Martin Test Centre-prepared V12 Vantage.

“I came to Nürbrugring in 2012 as a guest of Aston Martin and I was blown away by the teams, cars and drivers, but thought that, having no racing experience, I would never be able to compete here,” commented Talbot. “However, the Aston Martin Test Centre team enrolled me on the Driver Training Academy and from there I got my race licence. Now, just two years later, I’m stood here on the podium and I couldn’t be happier.”

In the same class, the #70 Vantage competed with a team of drivers from the Test Centre, joined by Australians Mal Rose and Peter Leemhuis and, despite a minor issue with the cooling system due to damage from debris on track, the team still took third in the class.

“To compete in Nürburgring 24 Hours and finish in the top five is no mean feat,” commented Head of Motorsport David King. “To come here with only one car against the might of the German car industry was a challenge, but the team rose to it magnificently, and showed that a win in the near future is within our reach.”

Aston Martin Qualifies in Top 10 at the Nürburgring

Aston Martin Racing’s V12 Vantage GT3 will start the grueling 2014 ADAC Zurich Nürburgring 24 Hours from ninth place on the 169-strong grid, following an exciting top 30 qualifying shoot-out that saw works driver Stefan Mücke (DE) complete two flying laps of the 25-km long Nordschleife circuit.

"Qualifying for the race, which is considered one of the most challenging and grueling 24-hour races in the world, is quite an accomplishment," said Sonny Morgan, dealer principal at Aston Martin of Austin. "It takes place over two two-hour qualifying sessions followed by a shoot-out for the fastest 30. Being in the top 10 is simply incredible."

All drivers completed their two mandatory laps on Thursday evening’s session but rain hampered this morning’s outing for many of the top teams. With an anxious wait as the track slowly dried, the team sent Mücke out in the final 20-minutes, with the pressure on to try and beat the times set by competitors on a warm and dry track the day before. Despite damp and greasy patches across the asphalt, the German didn’t disappoint and, in the final seconds of the session, he placed it 23rd.


Drawing the 28th slot in the shoot-out, Mücke headed out onto the track to complete his laps in the Bilstein and Castrol Edge-liveried V12 machine and, on his second attempt, recorded the ninth fastest lap of the session.

“It was a tough qualifying for us thanks to the weather this morning that made it difficult," commented Mücke. “However, we made it into the shoot-out and I think we can be happy with ninth.”

“We were three seconds faster than last year’s qualifying time where qualified in second place but everyone else was faster this time, too.

“We have found a good set up for the car for the race and we are happy with balance. The car runs fine, so we are now looking now for clean race – I can't wait.”

The first of the two race-prepared V8 Vantage N340s, driven by British journalists Chris Harris and Richard ‘Dickie’ Meaden and Nürburgring experts Oliver Mathai (DE) and Andreas Gülden (DE) qualified third in the SP10 class. The second of the N340s, competing in SP8, qualified fifth in class.
Also in SP8, the close-to-production V12 Vantage S will start tomorrow’s race from second in class. 


The 2014 ADAC Zurich Nürburgring 24 Hours starts at 9 am CST (Austin time) on Saturday 21 June. For more information and for live streaming go to www.astonmartin.com/n24

Aston Martin Attending Goodwood - Hospitality Packages Available

After an absence of some years, Aston Martin has confirmed their attendance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival meetings in 2014, two of the largest lifestyle motoring events in the UK.

As one the official events sponsors, Aston is offering a number of exclusive hospitality packages to marque owners. In essence, there are three packages: two for Goodwood Festival (V12 and V8) and one for Revival (i6).

For overseas guests, Aston Martin included a “bolt on” package incorporating London and Performance Driving. For inbound travelers, all you need to do is make your way from the airport to the recommended hotel and the Aston Martin Events team will take care of the rest! 

Goodwood Festival of Speed (June 27-29, 2014)

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is a unique summer event which is now the largest and greatest celebration of car culture in the world. Aston Martin is offering two main hospitality packages:

V12 Hospitality:

Based in the Gurney Suites, Aston Martin will have an exclusive hospitality suite which overlooks the first corner of the hill climb.

The V12 package includes:

• Private Parking at the Kennels
• All day transfers from the Kennels to the Gurney hospitality suite
• Full hospitality; breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and all day drinks
• Access to Goodwood House
• Total capacity for 20 couples/day

Cost: £750/person/day or £1500/couple/day

Availability: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

V8 Hospitality:

Based in the Sponsors Enclosure, Aston Martin will have VIP hospitality in an area which overlooks the main straight adjacent to Goodwood House.

The V8 package includes:

• Private parking at the Kennels
• All day transfers from the Kennels to the trackside Sponsors Enclosure
• Full hospitality; breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea
• Access to Goodwood House
• Lunch and tea in Goodwood House marquee (Sunday only)
• Capacity for 10 couples on Friday and Saturday and 20 couples on Sunday

Cost: £365/person/day or £730/couple/day

Availability: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Goodwood Revival (September 12-14, 2014)

Since the first Revival Meeting in 1998, it has become not only the most important and celebrated historic motor race meeting in the world but is also the only major sporting event to take place completely in period theme – an extraordinary and magical step back in time! Period dress is actively encouraged.

‘i6’ Hospitality:

Hospitality will be based at the VIP marquee on the Richmond Lawn which features its own grandstand overlooking the chicane. 

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Bookings will be taken on a first come, first serve basis. Contact Sonny at 512-401-4607!

Aston Martin Takes Dominant Class Win at Le Mans

The all-Danish crewed #95 Young Driver AMR V8 Vantage GTE raced to victory in the GTE Am class at the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Gulf-liveried car finished two laps ahead of its nearest rival in what was the largest class of the famous endurance race with 15 competitive GT cars.

Aston Martin Racing works drivers Nicki Thiim, Kristian Poulsen and David Heinemeier Hansson will return to Denmark as 24 Hours of Le Mans champions after leading the world’s most famous endurance event for the majority of the race, finishing two laps ahead of their nearest rival.

“We have achieved what we were aiming for last year but didn't succeed,” commented Young Driver Team Owner Jan Struve. “We have now fulfilled it and we know that Allan has been cheering for us and smiling down on us and, of course, he has been in our thoughts. This win is extremely important to us and I'm proud of all of the team and drivers. They are all Le Mans winners.”

The GTE Am race win has captured the hearts of millions of fans watching the race around the world as they reflect on the tragic loss of the team’s Danish driver Allan Simonsen here at Le Mans last year.

“The key to this race is reliability,” said David Heinemeier Hansson. “We've not pushed very hard but had a decent pace and made sure nothing bad happened. We had a two-lap lead because we've not been in the pits and that's how you win Le Mans. To win is magical. It's my third time here. The first time I tasted leading, the second time I finished second and finally I've stood on the top of the podium.”

In contrast to the joy of the Am class victory, the team's race-long challenge with the #97 GTE Pro car finished with bitter disappointment as a power steering leak cost them five laps on track and left them in sixth place.

According to Darren Turner, “It was an up and down sort of race. At the start, the showers made it difficult to predict what tires to be on. It’s a shame we had a technical failure that cost us any chance of a podium spot. But, Le Mans isn’t supposed to be easy. We’ll come back stronger next year.”

The #97 GTE and its drivers Darren Turner (GB), Stefan Mücke (DE) and Bruno Senna (BR) showcased a fine display of GT racing, battling it out with the works Ferraris, Porsches and Corvettes in 18-hours of wheel-to-wheel action before a power steering pipe came loose.

“We led the class on and off for the majority of the race,” commented twice-Le Mans GT class-winner and long-standing Aston Martin Racing works driver Darren Turner. “Early on in the race, Corvette showed their pace but the plan was to stay close but out of trouble and to use a triple stint strategy to jump them in the pits. However, the rain came and interrupted our plans and we were left with a new plan – to pick them off one-by-one and take the race lead.

“The Corvettes had troubles and the Porsches dropped back leaving us and the #51 Ferrari swapping places at the front numerous times. We were leading and Bruno was on a charge when the power steering issue brought us into the pits.”

Despite the #97 car’s misfortune, the team didn’t miss out on a Champagne celebration this weekend. The pit crew has won an award for the best technical assistance team and presentation.

“We’ve seen both sides of motor racing this weekend,” comments Team Principal John Gaw. “The #95 team has long deserved this win and there is a real sense of poetic justice. On the other hand, with cars #97 and #99, we have seen how a very small issue can end the race for the teams that have shown they have everything required to win this race, it just didn’t happen on the day.

“The #99 car drivers have tasted the cruelest side but have dealt with it well and have shown real sporting spirit throughout the weekend.

“Now we move on and focus on the second half of the World Endurance Championship and look to take as many points from each round as we can.”

The next FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) round takes place on 20 September 2014 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

Aston Martin Racing Prepares for an Epic Month of Endurance Racing

Motorsport has been at the heart of Aston Martin since its birth, but never more so than today. As if to prove the point, next month Aston Martin Racing embarks upon the most intense fortnight of the year, and John Eagle’s Aston Martin of Austin looks forward to cheering them on. Competing in the world-famous Le Mans 24 hours on June 14/15 with the V8 Vantage GTE, AMR then immediately heads for Germany's fearsome Nürburgring to contest another epic twice-round-the-clock race - the grueling 'N24' - in the V12 Vantage GT3.

Aston Martin Racing's iconic pale blue and orange V8 Vantage GTEs will once again return to Le Mans on June 14/15 for the most important weekend in the endurance racing calendar. With a team of four cars and an impressive driver line-up, including Britain's Darren Turner and ex-F1 driver Bruno Senna, hopes are high for class victory and a place in the history books.

As if one grueling endurance race isn't enough, Aston Martin Racing will head straight from Le Mans to Germany and the fearsome Nürburgring for the extraordinary 'N24' race (June 21/22). AMR will be aiming for outright victory with its formidable V12 Vantage GT3, while Aston Martin's Gaydon engineering team will contest both the SP8 & SP10 class in a pair of close-to-production V8 Vantage N430 Coupes.

Aston Martin is immensely proud that these proven race-winners are based on series production road models, like those found at Aston Martin of Austin. They are prouder still that they’ll be fighting for victory in the two biggest endurance races of the year.

For live updates from Le Mans and the Nürburgring be sure to visit astonmartin.com.

Aston Martin Ready for Le Mans Challenge

Aston Martin Racing will head to its tenth consecutive 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 14-15 with its four Gulf-liveried V8 Vantage GTEs. Team Principal John Gaw says the team is better prepared than ever for the world’s most famous 24 hour race but that the challenge is the "biggest to-date."

Aston Martin has competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans many times since it made its debut in 1928, most notably winning the race overall in 1959, and the manufacturer’s modern motorsport division, Aston Martin Racing, has contested the iconic endurance race every year since the team’s formation in 2004.

In 2007 and 2008, the team claimed GT1 class victories and, although John Gaw says this year is the most challenging to date in terms of class competition, he also believes the team ready.

“This is the third Le Mans in Aston Martin Racing’s return to GT racing and, subsequently, the team is in a very strong place,” comments Gaw. “The competition in our class will be intense this year, for sure, but the team is the most prepared it has ever been.

“But preparation is just part of what we need to be successful. A key ingredient, of course, is the drivers and I’d argue that this year we have the strongest line-up in the GTE Pro class with the #97 car, while both of our GTE Am cars could fight for the class win.

“Our #99 GTE Pro team has two Le Mans rookie drivers so this is a learning year for them, but they are doing a solid job so far and the team is one to watch for the future.”

In the #97 V8 Vantage GTE, double Le Mans-winner Darren Turner will be joined once again by long-standing team-mate Stefan Mücke and Bruno Senna, who contested the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with Aston Martin Racing in 2013.

Turner, double GT class Le Mans-winner, commented: “We came here for the test last weekend and on paper it looked like we were struggling. However, we were actually doing what I call ‘homework’; all the things you need to do before going racing, such as bedding in brakes. We got through all our homework in the morning but didn’t put in a representative lap time.

“In the afternoon we managed to get some good laps in and, although we’re still a little bit off the competition, if you look at the sector times we’re not as far off as it seems. The car is different from last year: the 5mm ride height change we had over the winter has created a new problem for us at Le Mans. When we are in low downforce trim it affects the predictability of the car under braking. This makes the car a bit more of a handful but we just need to find a good balance. I’m confident that our team will manage to do this ahead of the race.”

In the identical #99 Craft-Bamboo Racing V8 Vantage GTE, Darryl O’Young, who first contested the race in 2013, will be joined by Le Mans rookies Fernando Rees and Alex MacDowall.

In the GTE Am class, the #95 Young Driver AMR V8 Vantage GTE returns to race with Aston Martin Racing for the third consecutive year, with its sight sets firmly on the top step.

LMP2 class-winner Kristian Poulsen, who has raced at the last two 24 Hours of Le Mans with Aston Martin Racing, will race alongside fellow Dane David Heinemeier Hansson and GT ace Nicki Thiim.

In the #99 Vantage GTE, Paul Dalla Lana will be joined by long-term racing partner Pedro Lamy and experienced WEC and Le Mans racer Christoffer Nygaard.

“So, we are confident that the elements within our control are all in place,” continues Gaw. “However, as with any endurance race, the final element comes down to those factors out of our control: what others on track do; the weather – which is unpredictable in Le Mans – and safety cars, for example. We’ll just have to see what happens on the day.

“What we are clear about, however, is that we are ready for the fight.”

The 24 Hours of Le Mans starts at 1500 hours on Saturday 14 June. Ahead of the race, there is a four-hour practice session on Wednesday at 1600hrs before the first of three qualifying sessions at 2200 hours. Qualifying sessions two and three take place at 1900 hours and 2200 hours on Thursday. Fans can watch the build-up and race on lemans-tv.com and via the Le Mans 24 Hours app.

Aston Martin Returns to the ‘Ring

Aston Martin Racing will return to the Nürburgring later this month (21 June) to race its Bilstein-liveried V12 Vantage GT3 in the ADAC- sponsored 24-hour race.

The iconic blue and yellow liveried car, also carrying new Castrol Edge branding for 2014, will compete for the overall race win in the top SP9 class for FIA homologated GT3 on 21-22 June.

Continuing its tradition of intensive product prove-out at this unique and gruelling race, Aston Martin will also enter two race-prepared V8 Vantage N430s, one in the SP8 class and another in the SP10 class. The latter will be piloted by British journalists Chris Harris and Richard ‘Dickie’ Meaden and Nürburgring-experts Oliver Mathai (DE) and Andreas Gülden (DE). A close-to-production V12 Vantage driven by an Aston Martin Test Centre team will run in the SP8 class.

The V12 Vantage GT3, driven by Aston Martin Racing works drivers Darren Turner (GB) and Stefan Mücke (DE) finished in tenth in last month’s preparatory race, a four-hour event in the popular VLN series, which featured more than 200 starters across multiple classes.

“When I jumped in, the car immediately felt very good,” said Turner. “We led the 24 hour race for 10 hours last year so we know the car is competitive, and I couldn’t ask for better team-mates than Stefan and Pedro [Lamy].

“We just need to have a trouble-free run on the day, as that is the way we are going to be able to take the fight to the big manufacturer entries.”

For the 24-hour race in June, five-times N24 winner Pedro Lamy (PT) will join Turner and Mücke on the 25km-long circuit that is famous for its undulating nature, ever-changing surfaces and unforgiving corners.

Aston Martin has been racing at the Nürburgring since 2006, facilitated in recent years by its permanently-staffed Test Centre adjacent to the circuit. From this base, all of the company’s road-going sports cars are developed and signed off, and a successful driving academy and customer racing programme is run by Test Centre Director Wolfgang Schuhbauer and his team.

“The DB9, V8 Vantage, V8 Vantage N430, V12 Vantage S, Rapide S and Vanquish have all benefited from development at the Nürburgring,” explains Schuhbauer. “A key part of the sign-off process for all new Aston Martins is a 10,000km durability test on the famous circuit and, since 2006, we have also used the 24-hour race to showcase the reliability and build-quality of our cars.”

For the 2014 race, Schuhbauer will be behind the wheel of one of two 4.7-litre V8 Vantage N430s. The cars will race in close-to-production specification, but featuring full FIA race safety equipment. His fellow drivers will be Dr Bez, and Australians Mal Rose and Peter Leemhuis.

In the second of the V8 Vantage N430s, British journalists Chris Harris and Dickie Meaden will be joined by Oliver Mathai (DE), who has raced at the Nürburgring with Aston Martin since 2007, and Andreas Gülden (DE), chief instructor at the Nürburgring.

Pure, unadulterated fun is what lies at the heart of the new V8 Vantage N430. Honed on the track to excel on the road the N430 – available in Coupe or Roadster form – boasts a power hike to 436 PS at 7,300 rpm that brings its output up to that of the spirited V8 Vantage S.

Ally that inherent dynamic capability to lightweight and sporting-biased features as standard such as carbon fibre and Kevlar® seats and ten-spoke forged alloy wheels in a new graphite painted finish – together yielding a weight saving of 20 kg – and it’s clear that the GT4-inspired N430 has been created to deliver exceptional performance with a club sport ethos.

The final entry from Aston Martin in this year’s N24, a close-to-road-specification V12 Vantage, will be driven by Liam Talbot (AU), Marcus Mahy (GB), Peter Cate (GB) and Egon Allgaeuer (AT).

“The Nürburgring 24 Hours is one of the most challenging races in the world,” comments John Gaw, Team Principal at Aston Martin Racing. “Aston Martin has an exceptional 100 per cent finishing record in the race and our aim with the GT3 is not only to maintain this, but to give our all to challenging for the race win.

“We have the team, the car and the drivers to do this, but with 200 cars on such a demanding track, and the notoriously fickle Eifel weather, we will need a large slice of good fortune to stand on the top step of the podium.”

In last year’s event, Aston Martin defied the odds to qualify on pole and lead for the first 10 hours of the race before torrential rain and fog red flagged the action on-track.

“As usual we are in the role of ‘David’ to the ‘Goliath’ of the big German brands, but that is a challenge we relish,” adds David King, Head of Motorsport at Aston Martin. “Last year we were the only British brand to feature in the top 20 on the starting grid – quite a daunting thought!

“We are very fortunate to have long term technical partners Bilstein and Castrol so engaged in supporting our Nürburgring racing programme, as both are technical leaders in their fields and iconic motorsport brands in their own right.”

The ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hours takes place on Saturday 21 June.