If you have seen enough James Bond movies, then it’s really unlikely that you could have missed that gorgeous gorgeous silver Aston Martin DB4 that the super spy drives around to escape and take down the baddies. While the DB4 is pretty much one of the most sought after vintage machines for the road, Aston Martin is all set to re-produce the super rare DB4 G.T.
The car is to be celebrated with a special series of 25 track-only continuation cars built to lightweight specification by Aston Martin Works at Newport Pagnell. Launched in 1959, the DB4 G.T. was immediately celebrated as one of the rarest and most revered of all Aston Martins. Evolved from the production DB4 and introduced in the same year Aston Martin scored its historic outright win in the Le Mans 24 Hours, the DB4 G.T. was a true supercar of its day. Shorter, lighter, sleeker and with a more powerful version of the legendary 3.7-litre straight-six engine, not only was the DB4 G.T. Britain’s fastest passenger sports car, it was a born winner, scoring a debut race victory at Silverstone in the hands of Sir Stirling Moss. A total of 75 DB4 G.T.s were built between 1959 and 1963. Of these only eight were lightweight models, most of which survive today.
Remaining faithful to the design of those original eight factory lightweights, each DB4 G.T. Continuation will be built with Aston Martin Works’ unrivalled experience and exemplary attention. Employing a blend of old world craftsmanship and modern techniques, continuation cars benefit from improvements in engine performance, handling, braking and safety, with great care taken to ensure these enhancements build upon the original’s exceptional qualities while retaining its feel and character.
At its heart is a version of the celebrated Tadek Marek-designed straight-six cylinder engine with two spark plugs per cylinder, transmitting its 340bhp to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential, just as in the original DB4 G.T. Aston Martin Works has created a two-year international track driving programme held at a number of the world’s finest race tracks, including the spectacular Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. The ultimate arrive-and-drive experience, customers may also take advantage of Aston Martin’s dedicated driver training team. The deliveries of these ultra-exotics will commence sometime in the third quarter of 2017.
