Autoblog

Aston Martin LMP1 debuts at Le Mans Series season-opener in Catalunya [SPOILER ALERT]

Noah Joseph — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:58:00 EST

European Le Mans Series, Catalunya 2009 - Click above for image gallery

Ambition is good. Ambition backed by competence is better. Aston Martin Racing would appear to have both.

Since landing on the endurance racing scene in 2005 with a victory in its first race, the competition arm of the venerable British sportscar-maker has become an indomitable force, taking victory in the GT1 category at Le Mans two years in a row and expanding into every other GT class along the way. But AMR wasn't satisfied with class wins, so for this year, David Richards and company took aim at the diesel-burning big boys from Audi and Peugeot by entering the Le Mans Prototype Class with a DBR9-powered Lola chassis in partnership with Charouz Racing Systems. The Gulf-liveried Astons were unveiled less than a month ago, but made their racing debut this past weekend in Spain at the 1000 km of Catalunya, the season-opener to the European Le Mans Series. Follow the jump to read how it all unfolded.

Gallery: European Le Mans Series - Catalunya 2009

Continue reading Aston Martin LMP1 debuts at Le Mans Series season-opener in Catalunya [SPOILER ALERT]

Aston Martin LMP1 debuts at Le Mans Series season-opener in Catalunya [SPOILER ALERT] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sabelt stitches together a pair of shoes for Aston Martin Racing

Noah Joseph — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:08:00 EST

Filed under: Aston Martin, Lifestyle

Aston Martin Racing has emerged as the dominant force in sports car racing wherever they've lined up on the grid, and they haven't gotten there without copious amounts of horsepower. And as Aston knows best, all that power needs to be properly harnessed, so for the past three years they - like some of the greatest names in motorsport - have teamed up with Italian harness company Sabelt to keep their drivers in place. Unfortunately, their collaboration was something only to be enjoyed by AMR's professional pilots, but the two have now teamed up to bring the fruits of their racetrack dominance to the market in a driving shoe for the gentleman motorist.

The Sabelt for Aston Martin Racing shoe is crafted from a blend of traditional and high-tech materials and available in a variety of colors. You can order directly from Sabelt's website for 129-139 euros a pair, but Classic Driver magazine's got a pair to give away for free if you've already blown your money on tickets to Quantum of Solace or the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

[Source: Classic Driver via Luxist]

Sabelt stitches together a pair of shoes for Aston Martin Racing originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pics Aplenty: Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT2

Alex Nunez — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:56:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Aston Martin

Click image for a hi-res gallery of the Vantage GT2

The flexfuel-compatible Aston Martin Vantage GT2 that we first reported on back in January has finally been captured in the photo studio. Not surprisingly, it's a looker. After all, the Vantage is a car that activates the pheromones in many a gearhead. Making it Le Mans Series-worthy just piles on the awesome. The car makes its competition debut for James Watt Automotive on April 5 in the European Le Mans series at Barcelona, and it's also good to go for ALMS if any teams decide to take the plunge. Without further ado, have a look for yourself. We like the subtle Gulf colors -- who knew orange lipstick could be so pretty? If baby blue and orange doesn't do it for you, check out the menacing black car that participated in the Paul Ricard test session with the rest of the Aston racers. The phrase, "It's all good" applies here.

Gallery: Aston Martin Vantage GT2

[Source: Aston Martin Racing]

Pics Aplenty: Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aston Martin Racing takes a bitchin' family portrait

John Neff — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:26:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Aston Martin

Click above to enlarge (1,980 pixels wide)

It's pretty incredible to think that three years ago there were no Aston Martin race cars. Now we can watch them in the European Le Mans Series, American Le Mans Series, FIA GT racing, as well as endurance races like the 24 Hours of Nurburgring and the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans. To celebrate both the factory-backed and privately-owned teams, Aston Martin hosted all of its racing cars at the Paul Ricard circuit in France for a little preseason test. The product of that event, aside from many famous drivers taking their turn behind the wheel of each and every car, was this family portrait of Aston Martin Racing. Front and center is the Gulf livery DBR9 flanked by the new Vantage GT2 on its left (our right) and one of many V8 Vantage N24 cars on its right. See that white car being left in the dust way in the back? That's the V12 Vantage RS concept that just got off a plane returning from the Geneva Motor Show. Since we know you want to make this pic your desktop wallpaper, we've included an extra special 1,980-pixel-wide version for you to download, and there are more Aston Martin Racing galleries after the jump.

Gallery: 2008 Aston Martin Racing Gulf DBR9

[Source: Aston Martin]

Continue reading Aston Martin Racing takes a bitchin' family portrait

Aston Martin Racing takes a bitchin' family portrait originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aston Martin Racing unveils Gulf livery for DBR9s!

Alex Nunez — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 07:15:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Aston Martin

Click image for high-res gallery

The now-famous powder-blue and orange Gulf Oil racing livery was on a 24 Hours of Le Mans winner for the first time in 1968 when Pedro Rodriguez and Lucien Bianchi piloted the #9 Ford GT40 to overall victory at the Circuit de la Sarthe. It has subsequently been worn by a variety of other racers at Le Mans, most notably the Porsche 917, and even on the R8 campaigned by Audi Sport UK in 2001. This year, on the 40th anniversary of that first victory, the Gulf colors will again be worn by contenders at Le Mans. The #007 and #009 Aston Martin Racing DBR9s will trade in their green livery for the iconic blue-and-orange as Aston looks to defend its GT1 crown against Corvette Racing. For a race as steeped in tradition as Le Mans, this change by Aston Martin Racing seems only fitting and further adds to the mystique.

[Source: Aston Martin]

Gallery: 2008 Aston Martin Racing Gulf DBR9

Continue reading Aston Martin Racing unveils Gulf livery for DBR9s!

Aston Martin Racing unveils Gulf livery for DBR9s! originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Jan 2008 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aston Martin Racing releases sketch of Vantage GT2

Alex Nunez — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 11:24:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Aston Martin

Click image to enlarge

Aston Martin has officially completed the GT-class superfecta with the announcement of its new Vantage GT2. Aston Martin Racing has unveiled the first sketch of the GT2-class racing car, which is based on the V8 Vantage. The Vantage GT2 has been designed to be campaigned on either normal race fuel or E85 in race series that allow the bio-based juice, such as ALMS. It joins the stable of AM racers that already includes the Le Mans-winning DBR9 GT1 car, the DBRS9 GT3 car, and the Vantage N24 GT4 racer. The menacing GT2 car will be fully unveiled next week in Birmingham at the Autosport International show. Stay tuned for more.

[Source: Aston Martin]

Continue reading Aston Martin Racing releases sketch of Vantage GT2

Aston Martin Racing releases sketch of Vantage GT2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Jan 2008 11:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aston Martin and Prodrive develop the Rally GT

Alex Nunez — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Aston Martin

Click to enlarge

Independent (and deep-pocketed) rally racing teams have a new machine available to them thanks to the people at Aston Martin and Prodrive. The Aston Martin Rally GT is being touted as the world's most exclusive rally car, and why not? It's not as if rally-prepped Vantages are a common sight.

Developed by Aston Martin Racing, the partnership between the famed British marque and the motorsports gurus at Prodrive, the Rally GT is derived from the production V8 Vantage. It uses the road car's chassis and transmission as well as a retuned version of the Vantage's 4.3-liter V8. Prodrive adds a rollcage of its own design to the structure and replaces the shocks and springs with equipment more suited to the demands of rallying. Teams can also elect to have the stock gearbox replaced by one designed specifically for the Rally GT.

The Rally GT's development process included real racing, as you'd expect. It placed second in its class (17th overall) at the 2006 Lyon-Charbonnières Rally, with Subaru World Rally Team co-drivers Stéphane Sarrazin and Stéphane Prévot behind the wheel ( the pair are SWRT's asphalt specialists). Sarrazin is also one of the co-drivers of the #009 Aston Martin DBR9 familiar to anyone who follows Le Mans and the American Le Mans Series.

(Photos, press release, tech specs after the jump)

[Source: Prodrive]

Continue reading Aston Martin and Prodrive develop the Rally GT

Aston Martin and Prodrive develop the Rally GT originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Oct 2006 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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