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Vantage N24

AM V8 Vantage N24

The N24 is low on luxury but big on thrills - a road-racing Aston Martin for serious enthusiasts

Text: John Simister / Photos: Nick Dimbleby

January 2007

Will the Sportshift be the only new take on the V8 Vantage to be launched this year? Perhaps not, as Auto Express was also given an exclusive taste of a very special version of the baby Aston. Called the N24, it’s a car designed primarily for racing – but it’s one that’s road legal.

 
It’s a well run-in manual, which is smooth and slick, and perfectly complements the car’s rev-hungry, lightly modified engine.
The N24 is a near-standard V8 Vantage which has been stripped back to the bare essentials in an effort to take on the Porsche 911 GT3. And the model seen here has already completed the Nürburgring 24 Hours with Aston boss Ulrich Bez as one of the driving team.

We tried it on a test track in Bahrain, which was still soaking after an uncharacteristic storm. The N24 has racing tyres, uprated brake pads, a stripped-out interior and revised suspension settings to suit the reduced weight, but it’s one of the friendliest, most benign racing cars we’ve ever driven.

The N24 offers excellent feedback and control in the wet, and proved far more accomplished than the roadgoing Vantage in corners.

And its transmission? It’s a well run-in manual, which is smooth and slick, and perfectly complements the car’s rev-hungry, lightly modified engine. Gearchanges are harder to master than in the Sportshift version of the Vantage, but this car is far more satisfying to drive.

Yet for the time being, the N24 remains a one-off. Although Aston Martin has admitted that it has considered putting a small number into production, no firm decision has been made about its future.

We’d love to see it launched, though, as few roadgoing racers have the N24’s fuss-free responses, or its apparent versatility.

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FIRST OPINION

    There can’t be many more appealing prospects for serious driving enthusiasts than a road-racing Aston Martin. The N24 might be a little low on luxury, but it’s big on thrills. Get rid of some of the stickers, and it’s a car you could easily use on an almost daily basis.
 

AT A GLANCE

    Engine: 4.3-litre V8, 400bhp
    Price: £100,000 (est)
     
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