Aston Martin pays tribute to iconic warplane with the V12 Vantage S Spitfire 80



Aston Martin has announced a new series of limited edition cars, this time celebrating the 80 years of Britan’s most iconic World World 2 fighter – the Supermarine Spitfire.

First, a little trivia about that plane’s history. The Spitfire first flew in 1936 and had played a pivotal role in defending Britain from the clutches of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. The beautiful yet agile fighter packed enough machine guns to completely annihilate the Me 109, and has been a source of inspiration and hope for the Brits.aston-martin-vantage-spitfire-2

Fast forward to today and what we have here is Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Spitfire 80. No, there isn’t any machine guns, instead, it features components made by the Aircraft Restoration Company at Duxford. It receives a special ‘Duxford Green’ colour with yellow pinstripes on the sides, of course inspired by the warplane.

It also receives Spitfire inspired goodies, ranging from an aluminium bar inside the car which looks like the fighter’s rear strut brace, and tailpipes tips that mimic the fighter’s exhausts. The carbon fibre front and rear diffusers bring some contemporary touches to the car.aston-martin-vantage-spitfire-3

The attention to detail on the inside is pretty amazing too. The ‘Spitfire 80’ logo can be found embroidered onto the headrests, and the door handles come in red ‘webbing’ finishing, just like the Spitfire. To complete the experience, buyers can spec for Irvin flying helmet and flying goggles just for kicks.

Unlike the real deal, there’s no Rolls-Royce Merlin engine underneath the hood. Instead,  Aston Martin retains the same 565 hp 5.9-litre V12 engine from the standard V12 Vantage S. In case you’re wondering, it takes 3.9 seconds to reach from nought to 100 km/h, with a top speed of 328 km/h. 

Only 80 examples will be made and exclusively available at Aston Martin Cambridge dealership. Each of these fine models will cost £180,000 (or approximately RM956k based on today’s rates). As a matter of fact, for each car sold, a portion of the profit will be donated to the Royal Air Force welfare charity, the RAF Benevolent Fund.

[Image Source: Aston Martin Cambridge]


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