Although the originally small anticipated level of demand from the Americas meant that the car would not be homologated for the market, unprecedented demand from customers prompted an engineering study into potential feasibility; with the strict brief that any changes could not impact on the overall design of the car. Now just six months later, a series of engineering refinements have been introduced to satisfy the specific requirements of the American market. Benefiting from the modular nature of the VH architecture, the Aston Martin engineering team were able to review the virtual and physical testing data for all modern era Aston Martins. Following this study a detailed Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) analysis resulted in the development of an alternative load transfer path, incorporating an innovative version of the structure at the front of the car, which now satisfies North and South American requirements. Aston Martin Chief Commercial Officer, Michael van der Sande commented: “We are very pleased to be able to respond to customer demand and launch this car in the Americas " still our biggest market globally. “This illustrates one of Aston Martins key strengths " the ability to act quickly and turn concepts and ideas into reality, giving our customers what they want. For launch in the Americas, the Aston Martin V12 Vantage will also be available in a highly desirable and strictly limited Carbon Black special edition. This new special edition adds a typically understated flair to V12 Vantage. On the exterior, the car features a bespoke Carbon Black metallic paint with a subtle metallic twist to create a deep rich patina; painstakingly created through a hand painting process taking 50 man hours. The iconic Aston Martin side strake has been fashioned from real carbon fibre backed by a black mesh and complimented with gloss black 10 spoke diamond turned alloy wheels. A bright finished grille and front parking sensors (normally an option) complete the exterior detailing. Inside, owners will be greeted to swathes of Obsidian Black leather highlighted with a contrast silver coarse stitch all hand stitched by the craftspeople at Gaydon " Aston Martins global headquarters in England. Also featured are a Piano black facia trim, centre stack and centre console, anodised black tread plates and unique sill plaques build on the carbon theme. The normally optional Aston Martin 700w Premium Audio System is delivered as standard equipment. Designed for the focused driver, every component of the V12 Vantage has been honed with pure driving enjoyment in mind. Benefiting from race-developed materials and components; performance and agility have been tuned to perfection. The latest incarnation of the Vantage family has been designed to provide a unique character, appealing to different driver tastes and complementing the other models in the current Aston Martin line-up. Visually enticing, the V12 Vantage expresses its performance potential through its purposeful stance created by enhanced aerodynamic and cooling aids optically widening the car, while retaining traditional understated Aston Martin design. Equally inviting, the cosseting interior permits the driver to extract maximum performance ability from the car while also enjoying customary levels of Aston Martin comfort on longer journeys. High levels of power and torque are available at all engine speeds making the V12 Vantage responsive and tractable in any driving situation. The V12 Vantage is as at home on the track as it is on the road; last year as the final engineering durability test for the car, a near-standard specification V12 Vantage competed in the gruelling Nürburgring 24-hour race driving to a class victory at the hands representatives from the companys engineering team, including CEO Dr Ulrich Bez. A similar V12 Vantage is set to compete in the 2010 race on 15/16 May. The V12 Vantage is built at Aston Martins global headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire joining the DBS, DB9 and V8 Vantage model lines which are built in the state-of-the-art production facility combining hi-tech manufacturing processes with traditional hand-craftsmanship. |