Aston Martin Vantage lands
Kiwis get their first chance to see the new Aston Martin Vantage, and the British marque’s new flagship model, the Aston Martin DB11 AMR, in Auckland today.
The two new coupes, and the DB11 Volante convertible, will be on public display at the Giltrap Group’s headquarters in Great North Rd.
The Vantage is a bold departure from tradition for Aston Martin, looking dramatically different from the more traditional-looking Aston Martin models.
It has a predator appearance, with a wide gaping grille dominating the lower half of the car’s front. It sits wide and low, and as Driven experienced at the international launch in Portugal earlier this year, it sits glued to the road whether it is being driven on the track or on windy backroads, in wet or dry conditions.
It is powered by a 4-litre V8 twinturbo engine, producing 575kW of power and 683Nm of torque.
The Vantage is Aston Martin’s best-selling model, with more than 300 sold in New Zealand since it was first introduced 13 years ago.
“The success of the Vantage is a testimony to the popularity of the model, and to the loyalty to the Aston Martin brand,” said Greg Brinck, Aston Martin NZ general manager.
The two Vantage cars to be unveiled today are pre-production models, brought to New Zealand for the annual Aston Martin on Ice programme near Queenstown next month.
However several Vantage models have already been sold to New Zealand buyers, and the first, in lime essence, is expected to arrive either late next month or during August. It is on sale here from $249,000.
From now on AMR ( Aston Martin Racing) will designate Aston Martin’s top performance models, and the new V12 DB11 AMR will cost from $355,000, which is $5000 more than the current model. The AMR has 30 more horsepower from the twin turbo
5.2L V12 engine, reducing its
0-100km/h time by 0.25sec, to
3.5sec.
The handling of the models being unveiled today reflects the influence of engineer Mark Becker, the former Lotus ride and handling chief who is rated as among the best at his trade in the world, and the influence the hard-driving CEO of Aston Martin, Dr Andy Palmer, is having on the brand.
It is increasing market share across most of its markets, including New Zealand.
Greg Brinck said Aston Martin New Zealand took 38 per cent of the premium $200,000 plus market segment during 2017, which beat the performance of the brand in its home market of the United Kingdom, where it achieved 37 per cent market share in that segment.
The new models will be unveiled this morning, and the Aston Martin Auckland showroom will be open today to the public from 10am until
2pm.
■
See more pictures and details about the new Aston Martin models on Driven.co.nz