What‘s it? A special edition produced to celebrate Aston Martin’s efforts inside the Nurburgring 24Hr race, where within the last 2 yrs Aston have entered N24 race cars inside the SP8 class. Driven by Vantage, the N400 costs an additional £11, 000 and it is available as coupe or roadster with either manual or sportshift transmission. This buys a, unique for this model, power and torque upgrade (an additional 20bhp produced 200rpm higher, and 12lbft extra torque ), a sneak preview in an, as yet not available, Sports Pack to the Vantage (new spring, shock ratings and lightweight wheels ) and a few dubious cosmetic tweaks. Can it be any good? To mention anything having a 380bhp 4. 3 V8 is underpowered, may appear like nitpicking, but when there is a flaw inside the standard Vantage package It‘s that it’s just a little light on outright punch. It will fast, no problem, but is almost as decisively rapid as you may expect from your Aston. The N400 power upgrade addresses this, adding a layer of extra midrange flex, plus a far more urgent top-end. Together they create the Vantage both quicker to respond and much more thrilling to exploit. A shame then, which our test car was blighted with Aston’s lower than brilliant Sportshift gearbox, using its slow speed clumsiness. Offered the advances Aston have made using the manual transmission because the Vantage’s original launch, we’d strongly recommend specifying your Vantage with three pedals. The N400’s suspension changes show that firmer doesn’t always mean less comfortable. As the higher rated springs mean the N400 reacts more quickly to uneven surfaces, the lighter wheels (reducing unsprung mass ) more enhanced damped tuning mean this movement is better controlled. The end result that at speed over a challenging road, the N400 rides with less harshness, producing less head toss, compared to the standard Vantage. The N400 visual addenda, the Nurburging circuit map stitched straight into the armrest, clear rear light lenses and mirco-spin alloy veneer interior really certainly can be a make a difference of personal taste, but when you don’t want to reach to the Karussel Orange paintwork (exclusive for this car ), there is that the option of more subtle Bergwerk Black or Lightening Silver. Should I buy one? With only 480 N400s pencilled for production, whatever you choose, you’ll need to be quick. To our minds the £11k premium looks steep, pushing the value of Aston’s smallest model nearly into six figures. The greater and much more relevant news hidden within this special edition, could be that the successful suspension changes will soon be available like a option on several Vantages, and priced at a far more realistic £2495. It’s only a shame that engine tweaks won’t be similarly available. Jamie Corstorphine
Aston Martin V8 Vantage N400
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Aston Martin V8 Vantage N400
What‘s it? A special edition produced to celebrate Aston Martin’s efforts inside the Nurburgring 24Hr race, where within the last 2 yrs Aston have entered N24 race cars inside the SP8 class. Driven by Vantage, the N400 costs an additional £11, 000 and it is available as coupe or roadster with either manual or sportshift transmission. This buys a, unique for this model, power and torque upgrade (an additional 20bhp produced 200rpm higher, and 12lbft extra torque ), a sneak preview in an, as yet not available, Sports Pack to the Vantage (new spring, shock ratings and lightweight wheels ) and a few dubious cosmetic tweaks. Can it be any good? To mention anything having a 380bhp 4. 3 V8 is underpowered, may appear like nitpicking, but when there is a flaw inside the standard Vantage package It‘s that it’s just a little light on outright punch. It will fast, no problem, but is almost as decisively rapid as you may expect from your Aston. The N400 power upgrade addresses this, adding a layer of extra midrange flex, plus a far more urgent top-end. Together they create the Vantage both quicker to respond and much more thrilling to exploit. A shame then, which our test car was blighted with Aston’s lower than brilliant Sportshift gearbox, using its slow speed clumsiness. Offered the advances Aston have made using the manual transmission because the Vantage’s original launch, we’d strongly recommend specifying your Vantage with three pedals. The N400’s suspension changes show that firmer doesn’t always mean less comfortable. As the higher rated springs mean the N400 reacts more quickly to uneven surfaces, the lighter wheels (reducing unsprung mass ) more enhanced damped tuning mean this movement is better controlled. The end result that at speed over a challenging road, the N400 rides with less harshness, producing less head toss, compared to the standard Vantage. The N400 visual addenda, the Nurburging circuit map stitched straight into the armrest, clear rear light lenses and mirco-spin alloy veneer interior really certainly can be a make a difference of personal taste, but when you don’t want to reach to the Karussel Orange paintwork (exclusive for this car ), there is that the option of more subtle Bergwerk Black or Lightening Silver. Should I buy one? With only 480 N400s pencilled for production, whatever you choose, you’ll need to be quick. To our minds the £11k premium looks steep, pushing the value of Aston’s smallest model nearly into six figures. The greater and much more relevant news hidden within this special edition, could be that the successful suspension changes will soon be available like a option on several Vantages, and priced at a far more realistic £2495. It’s only a shame that engine tweaks won’t be similarly available. Jamie Corstorphine
Aston Martin V8 Vantage N400
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment