Aston Martin’s 2021 F1 Edition Is The Most Hardcore Vantage To Date

Aston Martin’s Vantage series has just reached its peak, with the British firm unveiling the new F1 Edition model, the most hardcore variant to date.

Celebrating the brand’s return to Formula 1, it boasts several visual and technical improvements inspired by the safety car presented two weeks ago that make it “the fastest and most focused” model of the range, according to the company.

Starting with the exterior, it is available with the Aston Martin Racing Green color that mimics the F1 car, and can also be ordered in black or white, with satin or gloss finish, decorated with matte grey accents and racing graphics.

A comprehensive aero kit improves the downforce by 200 kg (441 lbs) at top speed and comprises of the new front splitter, dive planes on the sides of the nose, bespoke grille, underbody turning vanes and big rear wing. The 21-inch wheels complete the makeover on the outside.

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The cockpit follows a similar theme by combining black leather, grey Alcantara and lime green trim on the pictured car. However, customers can also choose other shades for the contrasting stripes and stitching, such as black, grey and red.

The changes do not end here, because the Vantage F1 Edition has a reinforced chassis with upgraded dampers and stiffer rear springs. The steering has been tweaked by the company’s engineers, and while power is still supplied by the same twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, it now produces an extra 25 PS (25 HP / 18 kW), for a total of 535 PS (527 HP / 393 kW). Peak torque has remained unchanged as well at 685 Nm (505 lb-ft), but Aston claims that it is sustained for longer. Finally, the eight-speed automatic transmission was optimized too.

Built with “direct input from Aston Martin’s recently appointed CEO, Tobias Moers”, the Vantage F1 Edition is available as a Coupe or Roadster, with a recommended retail price of £142,000 (equal to $196,775) in the UK and €162,000 ($192,786) in Germany. Deliveries will kick off in May.

“I set the engineering team a tough target, as I was insistent that gains in performance came via genuine improvements in the car’s dynamics, and not by fitting track-optimized tires”, said Moers. “The results speak for themselves. A Vantage to appeal to the most discerning drivers and a new model that marks an exciting moment in Aston Martin’s history.”