Being an automaker whose all-new models don’t come along that often, Aston Martin constantly tries to spruce up its range with special variants of existing cars, which it paints, trims and names differently so that its motor show stands always house something that draws the passers-by in.
This year in Geneva, they will be relying on the new V8 Vantage N430, a car that “builds on heritage of successful ‘N’ cars,” as well as “the dramatic” DB9 Carbon Black and Carbon White editions.
There’s honestly nothing really new to shout about here, aside from a modest horsepower increase for the dry-sumped 4.7-liter V8, which makes 436 PS (430 hp) at 7,300 rpm, bringing it up to the level of the Vantage S. Other performance enhancements come from a 20 kg weight saving thanks to carbon fiber seats and unique ten-spoke rims. Sixty now comes up in 4.6 seconds and the top speed is 190 mph or 304 km/h.
Visually, the N430 is “styled to evoke thoughts of the track, N430 celebrates Aston Martin’s sporting heritage and motorsport success,” and is full of dark-themed or black exterior details that can be made more lively with the optionally available liveries with “club sport graphics” inspired by those of the CC100 Speedster.
The other car brought to Geneva, the new DB9, comes in two flavors. The Carbon Black version receives a predictably dark-themed makeover with carbon details, whereas the Carbon White replaces dark with light, but keeps the special detailing.
By Andrei Nedelea
PHOTO GALLERY
