Aston Martin DB7 Vántage. 6000cc. 2003.

The Aston Martin DB7 is a grand tourer which was produced by Aston Martin from September 1994 to December 2004. The grand tourer was available either as a coupé or a convertible . The prototype was completed in November 1992, and debuted at the Geneva motor show in march, 1993, the car was designed by Ian Callum and Keith Helfet . The six-cylinder DB7 was positioned as a model of "entry level" below the hand-built V8 Virage introduced a few years before. This model was the highest production Aston Martin vehicle ever, with more than 7,000 built before it was replaced by the DB9 .

General description

The DB7, known internally as the NPX project, was made mostly with resources from Jaguar and had the financial backing of the Ford Motor Company , owner of Aston Martin, 1988-2007. The platform of the DB7 is an evolution of the Jaguar XJS's, though with many changes. The style began its life as the type stillborn Jaguar-F (XJ41 - coupe / XJ42 - convertible) designed by Keith Helfet. Ford canceled this car and the general design was grafted on a platform XJS. The style received modest changes by Ian Callum so that it looked like an Aston Martin. The first generation Jaguar XK-8 also uses an evolution of the platform, XJ-S/DB7 and the cars share a family air, though the Aston Martin was significantly more expensive and rare.

The DB7 was engineered in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, by Tom Walkinshaw Racing on behalf of Aston Martin. The engines continued to be built in Kidlington during the production cycle of the vehicle.

With production of the Virage (later renamed "V8" following the revisions of style Vantage) continue in Milton Keynes , a new factory was acquired at Bloxham , Oxfordshire that had previously been used to produce the Jaguar XJ220 , where every DB7 would be built throughout its production run. The DB7 and his family were the only Martins Aston produced in Bloxham and the only ones that have a construction unit of steel inherited from Jaguar (Aston Martin had traditionally used aluminium for the bodies of their cars, and models introduced after the aluminum using DB7 to the chassis as well as for many major parts of the body).

The convertible version steering Wheel was presented at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in 1996. Both versions have a supercharged straight-6 engine that produces 335 bhp (250 kW; 340 ps) and 361 lb · ft (489 N · m) of torque. In the united States, the Coupe sold for a $ 140,000, and the Volante for $ 150,000 from the. Service Works provided a special package of driving dynamics, which greatly improves the performance and handling for drivers who wanted more than the standard configuration.

V12 Vantage

In 1999, the more powerful V12 Vantage DB7 was introduced at the Geneva motor show. Its 5,9-litre, 48-valve, V12 engine produces 420 HP (313 kW; 426 ps) and 400 lb · ft (540 N · m) of torque . Has a compression ratio of 10.3:1. Transmissions were available with a TREMEC T-56 six-speed manual of a or a ZF 5HP30 five speed automatic gearbox . Aston Martin claimed it had a top speed of 186 mph or (299 km / h) with the manual gearbox or 165 mph (266 km / h) with the automatic gearbox, and would accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km / h) in 4.9 seconds. It is 4.692 mm long, 1830 that mm (72,0 inches) wide, 1.243 mm (48.9 per inch) in height, with a weight of 1,800 kg (3,968.3 pounds).

After the launch of the Vantage, sales of the supercharged engine DB7 straight-6 had been reduced considerably and so production was ended by mid-1999.

GT V12 and GTA

In 2002, we launched a new variant called GT V12 or V12 GTA when equipped with an automatic transmission. It was essentially an improved version of the Vantage, its V12 engine producing 435 BHP (324 kW; 441 PS) and 410 pounds · ft (560 N · m) of torque for the GT manual, although the GTA auto retained the 420 BHP ( 313 kW; 426 PS) and 400 lb * ft (540 N · m) of torque of the standard DB7 Vantage. ^[3] suspension Also, the GT and the chassis GTA had substantially updated models DB7 Vantage. Aesthetically, compared with the Vantage has a front grill mesh, vents in the bonnet (hood), (trunk), rear spoiler, a shifter aluminum, optional carbon-fiber trim and new wheels. It also has 355 mm (14.0 in) front and 330 mm (13.0 in) rear vented disc brakes made by Brembo . When being tested by Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear in 2003, demonstrated the ability of the car to pull away in fourth gear and continue until it hit the rev limiter at a speedometer indicated 135 mph (217 km / h). Production of the GT and GTA was extremely limited, as only 190 GT and 112 GTA occurs all over the world.