At last: A really lightweight Aston Martin
A power output of 600 bhp and a kerb weight of 3,520 lb (1,600 kg) give the Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS concept terrific performance. To date, despite aluminum frames, Astons have been just a mite on the heavy side, but this concept car, likely to come onto the market this year, changes all that.
To produce the V12 Vantage RS, Aston Martin has taken the V8 Vantage and stretched it a little to take the terrific V-12 engine. That was not enough for an RS concept, though, so the engine has been tweaked to the sort of power you expect from a top supercar – 100 bhp per liter.
Needless to say, this latest Aston shares the styling of the newer models, but looks more sporty thanks to the air outlets in the hood, which are part of a fully ducted cooling system.
There is a splitter at the front, air intakes for the brakes – now carbon ceramic to save weight and give better high-speed performance. At the rear there is a small wing which is raised automatically at speed – almost essential these days on a supercar.
To reduce weight, the hood and trunk lid are molded from carbon fiber, as on the DBS.
Nor is the engine just a tuned up version. It is a dry sump unit, designed for racing, forged pistons and revised cylinder heads and camshafts. Peak power is achieved at 6250rpm and peak torque of 690Nm is at 5000rpm.
With a power-to-weight ratio of about 380 bhp per tonne, the V12 Vantage RS concept is the fastest accelerating road car ever built by Aston Martin, with a 0-60 mph time of under 4.0 seconds and 0-100mph (160km/h) of 8.5 seconds – that's very quick.
Corvette ZR1 rises to the challenge
No doubt vexed by the power of the new Dodge Viper SRT-10, GM has upped the anti with the launch of the 620 bhp Corvette ZR1. No, this is not a souped up 7.0 liter mill, but a supercharged 6.2 liter version of the all-new LS9 V-8. Torque is pretty massive, too, at 595 lb ft (823 Nm). This new Corvette is expected to exceed 200 mph.
The hand-built engine gets its power from a new Eaton Roots type supercharger with four lobes instead of three, which is said to improve response up to the red line of 6,600 rpm. It has an intercooler to improve performance, and gives a big increase of power throughout the range.
The engine is coupled through a twin-plate clutch to a six-speed manual box, and the torque tube and drive-shafts have been beefed up.
To improve handling, the suspension has been tweaked and lowered, and magnetic damping is standard. As a result, tests show that the ZR1 can corner at over 1.0 g, which used to be the hallmark of real racers.
Weight is reduced by carbon-ceramic, drilled disc brakes – 15.5-inch-diameter (394-mm) at the front and 15-inch-diameter (380-mm) at the rear. Of course, these also improve braking performance, and are now found on most 200 mph supercars.
Michelin has developed some Pilot Sport 2 tires specifically for the ZR1– P285/30ZR19 at the front and P335/25ZR20 at the rear.
To make the car look different, it has a transparent window in the carbon fiber hood, a carbon fiber roof panel and cross member and front apron. Of course, these panels reduce weight a tad, too.
What about the weight? Pretty cool, this Corvette ZR1 weighs just 3,350 pounds (1,519 kg) , a good deal less than the Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS concept, which is fairly light. So, the ZR1, with a power-to-weight ratio of 405 bhp per tonne, will be a stunning performer.
Over 1,000 bhp for Koenigsegg CCX Edition
Joining the makers of special versions of their cars is Koenigsegg with the CCX and CCXR Edition models, which are more powerful and have different exterior appearance and interiors form the standard models.
Both engines have the latest supercharged 5.0 liter V-8. Only 14 CCX Editions will be built, and each engine develops 888 bhp while the CCXR develops 1018 bhp on a gasoline-ethanol mix. Only 6 cars will be built to this specification.
These cars are more track biased than the standard models, with stiffer springs and anti-roll bars, reset dampers and lowered suspension. They have large adjustable rear wings, larger front splitters and side strakes for increased down force and unique forged wheel design.
The 888 hp CCX costs 1,330,000 Euro,(about $2.0 million) and the 1018 hp CCXR 1,500,000 Euro (about $2.2 million) for E85 version.
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Best Wishes
John Hartley, Editor, Fast-Autos
