Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans - Thunder for the gentleman

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans - Thunder for the gentleman

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Created on July 8, 2020

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

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Bruno von Rotz

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Aston Martin / Werk

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - this version is 194 cm wide

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - ready for take off

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - it quickly becomes clear that this is a super sports car

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - classic Vantage rear end

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - classic design, which in principle still goes back to the DBS from 1967

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - Fastback and double round lights at the rear

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - 474.5 cm long

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - there is little sign of restrained elegance here ...

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - 820 Nm torque is rare even for super sports cars

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - from this perspective probably the few who ever saw a V600 on the road

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - requires a lot of space and run-out

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - there it rumbles away

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - impressive front, you'll gladly make way for it

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - the Aston weighs almost two tons empty

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - only 40 were built

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - not made for 30 km/h zones

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - the car is said to have driven at over 320 km/h

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - Special feature - small speedometer, large rev counter

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - Cockpit to feel good in

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - no wood, but lots of leather

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - lots of comfort electrics on board

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - some parts of the interior came from mass production

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - Leather and suede upholstery on the seats

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - Suede inserts

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - elaborate door trim with artificial and smooth leather cover

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - each example was provided with a plaque with the serial number and the buyer (here retouched away)

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - the cylinder heads of the engine are not visible

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - you don't see much of the Tadek engine anymore, dominated by the two Eaton superchargers

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - 600 stands for the factory tuned version

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - fine lettering

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - Chassis badge

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - the classic Aston radiator grille is missing, instead there are two air intakes for the Eaton compressors

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - small headlights behind glass

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - Aston sign on the nose

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - the power plant under the hood needs plenty of fresh air and a few vents

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - Aston badge on the hood

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - the classic Aston trademark

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - Manufacturer's specifications

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - Air outlet on the hood

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - Magnesium hollow-spoke wheels

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - in the shape of a "D" - ventilation openings on the flank

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - these vents are reminiscent of the 1959 DBR1 Le Mans winner

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - You can refuel left and right

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - fuel inlets on the left and right

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - Aston sign on the rear

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - the normal "V8 Vantage" lettering

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - separate lights at the rear

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - the "Le Mans" lettering for the 40 special models

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - two exhaust tips at the rear

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Overall winner of the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans: Aston Martin DBR1 number #5 with Roy Salvadori/Carroll Shelby

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Aston Martin DBR1 (1959) - at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2012 - Category 'I - Heroes of Le Mans'

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Aston Martin DBR1 (1959) - at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2012 - Category 'I - Heroes of Le Mans'

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Aston Martin DBS (1967) - with six-cylinder engine

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Aston Martin DBS V8 (1970) - the mighty V8 fills the engine compartment

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Aston Martin Virage (1990) - dynamic test drive at Silverstone

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Aston Martin Virage (1992) - largely built by hand

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Aston Martin Virage (1990) - sleek aluminum bodywork

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (1999) - reminiscent of the 1959 Le Mans winner DBR1

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans (2000) - Ventilation for the engine compartment

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Summary

If you wanted to sell super sports cars worth half a million at the end of the last century, you had to offer something. Aston Martin remembered the Le Mans success of 1959 and offered the Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans as an extensively refined and limited-edition special model as the final model in a series that dated back to the 1960s. This vehicle report commemorates the last Tadek Marek V8 and shows the special model in many photographs. A sound sample is also included.

This article contains the following chapters

The end of a long tradition
From the V8 to the Virage and the Vantage
Not half a portion
No comparison test winner
V550 and V600
The future is calling
Even more brute
For the fast gentleman

Estimated reading time: 5min

Preview (beginning of the article)

If you wanted to sell super sports cars worth half a million at the end of the last century, you had to offer something. Aston Martin remembered the Le Mans success of 1959 and offered the Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans as an extensively refined and limited special model. Aston Martin's roots go back to 1913, from 1947 the company was driven by David Brown, and in 1959 Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori, followed by Maurice Trintignant and Paul Frère, achieved a one-two victory at Le Mans, 25 laps ahead of the best Ferrari. In 1967, the Aston Martin DBS designed by William Towns replaced the DB6; from 1969, a new light-alloy V8 engine designed by Tadek Marek provided propulsion.

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