Monster Vantage blasts off

Is the standard Aston Martin V8 Vantage too soft for you? If it’s something harder and louder you’re looking for, with a touch of road-racing pedigree, then US tuner Elite has just the thing.

Called the LMV/R (Le Mans Vantage/Racer), it is the result of a tuning package that turns the stock Gaydon-built machine into a scalpel-sharp Ferrari 430 Scuderia rival.

Although currently still in the planning stages, Elite has released these computer renderings along with a spec list for the car. Thanks to extensive use of carbon fibre, the final model will weigh much less than the factory version.

A bodykit stretches the wheelarches by two inches on either side, as well as adding new bumpers at the front and back, side skirts and a rear spoiler. A carbon splitter and bonnet complete the extensive aerodynamic tweaks.

Centre-locking 20-inch alloy wheels fill the extended arches, and reveal a beefed-up braking package, which is designed to rein in the Aston’s awesome speed.

A new exhaust and an ECU upgrade bring a minor increase in power, although even with the 420bhp V8 engine untouched, the crash diet means that there is a considerable power-to-weight ratio gain over the standard model.

Elite plans to sell the LMV/R through Aston’s US dealer network. Only 30 cars will be produced, with each carrying a US3,000 (£102,000) premium over the stock Vantage. Sadly for UK buyers, import duties mean it will set you back even more