At the heart of the 1999 DB7 Vantage was a new V12 engine built by Formula One Legend Cosworth at their Wellingborough factory, the fruit of a 500,000-mile test programme in temperatures ranging from -30 deg C to +45 deg C in Europe and North America. That included high speed durability testing that saw pre-production Vantages run continuously for 48 hours at 165 mph in the height of summer in Southern Europe and given continuous 30-day accelerated durability tests equivalent to 100,000 miles of regular driving at speeds of up to 140 mph at the MIRA Proving Ground in the Midlands.
To cope with the increased cooling demands of the V12 power unit, designer Ian Callum penned new bright metal grille. New front fog and turn indicator lamps reminiscent of the ‘Project’ endurance racers of the 1960s were incorporated in a new impact absorbent front bumper while a new rear bumper system accommodated a greater diameter tail pipe. Over 4000 Vantages were built: a new record for Aston Martin.
To cope with the increased cooling demands of the V12 power unit, designer Ian Callum penned new bright metal grille. New front fog and turn indicator lamps reminiscent of the ‘Project’ endurance racers of the 1960s were incorporated in a new impact absorbent front bumper while a new rear bumper system accommodated a greater diameter tail pipe. Over 4000 Vantages were built: a new record for Aston Martin.