Aston Martin Victor – special one-off built to celebrate 70th anniversary of the Vantage name; 836 hp, 821 Nm - Latest Car News, Bike news & Reviews, Auto News

Q by Aston Martin, which is the company’s bespoke division responsible for various limited-run models, has released its latest creation, the Aston Martin Victor. Unveiled to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Vantage nameplate that was first used on the DB2, the Victor is based on the limited-edition One-77 but extensively reworked to appear as something totally different.

Let’s start with the bodywork (photos from Motor1) which is made entirely out of carbon-fibre and draws inspiration from the V8 Vantage introduced in 1977. At the front, there’s a new grille design with circular headlamps flanking it, while the lower apron sports a prominent lip, all of which are reminiscent of the classic Aston Martin.

There are no fog lamps mounted on the grille to make sure the engine is well fed with air, so they are instead downsized and tucked below the headlamps. However, the V8 Vantage’s vented bonnet has been reinterpreted for the Victor, and it is functional to aid in engine cooling.

Along the sides, the low-slung roofline of the One-77 is retained, but the air curtains aft of the front wheels have been dropped to create a cleaner hard line running down the flanks. Prominent rocker panels have also been fitted, with exhaust outlets integrated into them, while the square-like shoulders are for continuity, as they meet up with a boat tail spoiler at the rear, which is derived directly from the RHAM/1 race car.

Much like the front, nearly all remnants of the One-77 are absent on the Victor’s rear, as it gets a massive diffuser element placed below new taillights, the latter getting its technology from the Valkyrie.

The lighting units occupy a horizontal plain that is further highlighted by a strip that spans the width of the vehicle at the base of said spoiler. To complete the exterior form, the car gets wheels with a rather intricate design, along with a Pentland Green paint finish and satin carbon-fibre trim.

The final, muscle car-style shape has also undergone significant computer fluid dynamic (CFD) testing to ensure all cooling and downforce requirements are met. On the latter, the Victor can achieve 842 Nm of downforce at 161 km/h, compared to 525 Nm from the race-prepared Vantage GT4.

Moving inside, the Victor is again, unrecognisable from a One-77, with an overhauled cabin is more contemporary look and racer-like in function. The Vulcan-style steering wheel and digital instrument cluster are big changes here, while the centre stack only carries a display screen and rotary dials. The gear knob linked to the manual transmission is also new, as are all the air vents and spartan centre console.

It isn’t all function and no form either, as most of the interior is covered in Forest Green and Conker Bridge of Weirleathers leather, with cashmere used for the car’s upper environment. Plenty of exposed carbon-fibre too, along with anodised aluminium, machined and polished titanium and Crown cut solid walnut, the last of which is what you’ll feel when shifting gears.

Yes, the Victor ditches the One-77’s six-speed automated manual transmission for a DIY unit supplied by Graziano to drive the rear wheels, with power coming from a reworked 7.3 litre naturally-aspirated V12.

Aston Martin partnered with Cosworth to give the V12 a bit more oomph, bringing the figures up to 836 hp and 821 Nm of torque. This is more than the One-77’s previous 750 hp and 750 Nm, making the Victor the most powerful manual sports car to wear the iconic Aston Martin wings.

All that added grunt requires the rest of the running gear to keep up, so the company equipped the Victor with twin coolers and a bespoke motorsport clutch for the transmission. The Vulcan also lends its inboard springs and dampers, with six-stage setting to cycle through, while a Brembo CMM-R Carbon Ceramic braking system consists of 380mm front and 360mm rear discs, clamped on by six-piston calipers.

According to Autocar UK, the Victor was specially commissioned by an unnamed Belgian customer and was named as such to commemorate Victor Gauntlett, the man widely credited for reviving Aston’s fortunes in the early 1980s. Looking at it, you know this wasn’t a cheap project, and with it being named the winner in the Future Classics class by the Concours of Elegance, it’s certainly one worth collecting.