5 years after the normal Vantage initial release, Aston Martin decided to up the ante, and in doing so, created what was the most powerful production car in the world at that time: the Vantage V600.
As you may be able to gather, "600" is in reference to the horsepower. But in order to achieve that, Aston first had to address something rather important. One of the main criticisms both journalists and customers had relayed to Aston about the Vantage was in regards to how the V8 dissipated heat as effectively as an excited woman's flapping hands. Aston therefore decided to rectify this by adding another intercooler; after which, they upped the boost of the superchargers to bring both horsepower and lb-ft of torque up to a deliciously neat 600!
The V600 wasn't a separate SuperSports model in Aston's range; it was simply a performance package that customers had the option to add to their car – even after it was built. All V600 cars started out in life as regular Vantages. Aston would then drive the cars to their Works Service facility, where the necessary modifications would take place at the customer's behest.
Those aforementioned "necessary modifications" didn't just benefit the engine – the V600 pack set out to transform the entire car! Better shocks, springs, and stiffer anti-rollbars were all part of the package. The huge 14 inch vented discs were now gripped by 6-piston racing calipers, and surrounding those calipers were lightweight hollowed-out 5-spoke magnesium wheels.
The V600 package also included transmission upgrades; however, the engine and suspension modifications could be specified separately to the gearbox options. Aston took the standard Corvette 6-speed gearbox, and threw away the 6th ratio. While that may sound like a demotion, they then set about changing the differential to utilise a longer final drive ratio – lengthened from 3.54:1 to 3.31:1. In basic English, that allowed the V600 with the transmission pack to be able to cruise at 100mph in 5th gear with the engine hovering around 2,000rpm. But more importantly, the longer ratios enabled the V600 to hit 60mph in first gear, which resulted in the 0-60mph time tumbling from 4.6 seconds to 3.9! Not only that, but 0-100mph now took just 9.1 seconds, and theoretically the V600 could reach 200mph - a claim which unfortunately was never tested.
As you may be able to gather, "600" is in reference to the horsepower. But in order to achieve that, Aston first had to address something rather important. One of the main criticisms both journalists and customers had relayed to Aston about the Vantage was in regards to how the V8 dissipated heat as effectively as an excited woman's flapping hands. Aston therefore decided to rectify this by adding another intercooler; after which, they upped the boost of the superchargers to bring both horsepower and lb-ft of torque up to a deliciously neat 600!
The V600 wasn't a separate SuperSports model in Aston's range; it was simply a performance package that customers had the option to add to their car – even after it was built. All V600 cars started out in life as regular Vantages. Aston would then drive the cars to their Works Service facility, where the necessary modifications would take place at the customer's behest.
Those aforementioned "necessary modifications" didn't just benefit the engine – the V600 pack set out to transform the entire car! Better shocks, springs, and stiffer anti-rollbars were all part of the package. The huge 14 inch vented discs were now gripped by 6-piston racing calipers, and surrounding those calipers were lightweight hollowed-out 5-spoke magnesium wheels.
The V600 package also included transmission upgrades; however, the engine and suspension modifications could be specified separately to the gearbox options. Aston took the standard Corvette 6-speed gearbox, and threw away the 6th ratio. While that may sound like a demotion, they then set about changing the differential to utilise a longer final drive ratio – lengthened from 3.54:1 to 3.31:1. In basic English, that allowed the V600 with the transmission pack to be able to cruise at 100mph in 5th gear with the engine hovering around 2,000rpm. But more importantly, the longer ratios enabled the V600 to hit 60mph in first gear, which resulted in the 0-60mph time tumbling from 4.6 seconds to 3.9! Not only that, but 0-100mph now took just 9.1 seconds, and theoretically the V600 could reach 200mph - a claim which unfortunately was never tested.
