Persona Non Grata: Aston Martin V12 Vantage won't make it Stateside
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage
Dropping big engines into small sportscars is as American as apple pie, but the British are equally adept. Proof came yesterday in the form of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage, revealed ahead of its pre-production debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Only 1000 examples will be made, but unfortunately none of them will be making the transatlantic voyage to these shores (not legally, anyway). After speaking with a member of the U.S. Aston team last night, we discovered there are some problems with the overstuffed front end passing U.S. crash tests, and the airbag-less optional Alcantara-wrapped carbon-Kevlar bucket seats are completely out of the question, making the Nardo-verified 190-mph supercar persona non grata on these shores.
Disappointing though that may be, the V12 Vantage is only one of four anticipated new launches from Aston Martin this year. We've already seen the first official shots of the Rapide four-door coupe, the DBS convertible is tipped to bow at Geneva alongside the V12 Vantage, and despite economic conditions, Aston is still said to be going ahead with the launch of the first model in its revived Lagonda line (to say nothing of the full reveal of the One-77.) The DOT can't keep them all out... can they?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
lim 11:16AM (2/04/2009)
oh my god i just jizzed in my pants; too bad its not coming here :(
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RG 2:41PM (2/04/2009)
Why? Were ya gonna pick one up? :)
Serge 2:44PM (2/04/2009)
I'd like to see one in person... oh well :(
SteveRB 4:23PM (2/04/2009)
That's fine. America is dinero non grata
jarozi 2:44PM (2/04/2009)
All three Americans who this will effect are shaking their fists at the news.
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TyWright 2:59PM (2/04/2009)
Ridonculous. Why limit it? Why make it?
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HotRodzNKustoms 3:02PM (2/04/2009)
The DOT can and will do all they can to stop them all because they are "protecting" us.
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Rich 4:03PM (2/04/2009)
It hardly shows a need for it, but it illustrates nicely the type of case where a vehicle judged perfectly safe in one market is deemed so unsafe it's illegal to sell it in another market.
There *is* a valid case to be made for standards "amnesties", where EU-safe cars can be sold in the US, and weaker-worser, but this isn't it.
BoxerFanatic 3:28PM (2/04/2009)
D'oh!!!!!!
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JZeke 3:50PM (2/04/2009)
Boo. Though a clever bunch will likely buy a bunch of regular Vantage vin numbers and "convince" Aston to slap those in... maybe even ship the V12 separate and load a V8 in the bay. Who would notice?
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aj121489 4:45PM (2/04/2009)
I'm with JZeke. BOOOOOOOOOOOO. I don't care if I can't pick one up I'd still like to see one in person, and living in Ft. Lauderdale that's actually possible. Who knows? Maybe I'll win the lotto this weekend and will be one of those who CAN afford to get one but can't since it's not coming here....
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aj121489 4:50PM (2/04/2009)
Oh yea and I don't care about the DBS convertible or the Rapide. I love the DBS but a convertible version isn't anything I'd get real excited about. And the One-77 is gonna be so rare to see it might as well not come here even though it is one sexy car
larryryan0824 5:34PM (2/04/2009)
I think the DBS is a lot better looking than that. Yea they have their similarities but the DBS has a better hood, not as big as a grill, more of a flush spoiler, and just plain sexy. I'm not saying that the this aston isn't nice though. I'd still get it. Come to think of it no car is sexier than the DBS in my eyes. Maybe the DB10 will be.
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Mike 3:01AM (2/05/2009)
This car exists for 1 and ONLY 1 reason. While the GT1 class is going away in ACO competition (ALMS, LMS, 24 Hours of Le Mans), Stephane Ratel who heads up the FIA GT has a new "GT1 World Championship" planned for 2010 in which a new breed of GT1 cars will take on tracks from all over the world. The DBR9 will no longer be eligible for it though, so a V12 engined, Vantage based race car will take the reigns. This car will be the "homologation special" in order to make a race car legal.
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