Aston Martin V8 Vantage N420 launches

The Aston Martin V8 Vantage N420 hits the roads next month

Aston Martin has launched the Aston Martin V8 Vantage N420, a special edition to celebrate Aston Martin’s Nürburgring 24-hour race success’s.

The only surprise about the new Aston Martin V8 Vantage N420 is that Aston Martin has chosen to reveal it today rather than this last weekend at Goodwood. But at least it gives us some supercar news even though Goodwood is over for another year.

If you remember the last stripped down, lightened and ‘Superleggera-fied’ Aston Martin Vantage – the V8 Vantage N400 – you’re not going to be struggling too much to work out what’s on offer with the Aston Martin V8 Vantage N420. Except this time there’s no tweak to the power to give more go, you have to make do with the 4.7 V8’s 420bhp.

The lack of a power increase is not too terrible as the 2010 V8 Vantage now enjoys a decent level of get up and go thanks to the move to the 4.7 litre lump. But this feels a lot more of a cosmetic job than the old N400, which did feel quite a bit different to the regular Vantage. And with a weight saving of about a sack of spuds the Vantage N420 seems more of a semi-skimmed Superleggera than a full fat option.

The N420 gets a new set of gloss black alloys, a rear diffuser, a set of side strakes, a carbon fibre front splitter and some black mesh vents to butch-up the exterior. On the interior it has carbon fibre seats and graphite instruments and the ‘Race Track’ stitching from the V12 Vantage. You’ll also get the normally optional Sports Pack – which gives you revised springs and dampers – and a louder exhaust as standard.

The N420 is available as Coupe or Roadster, and with a six-speed manual or optional Sportshift automated manual transmission. Prices start at £96,995 and deliveries start in August. This is a lot more a ‘V8 Vantage S’ than proper Superleggera, but it looks good, it’ll go well enough and it’s better than having no radio, no carpets and plastic windows.

Which is just not edifying in an Aston Martin.