#4 ASTON MARTIN - PROJECT VANTAGE THE ASTON MARTIN - PROJECT VANTAGE WAS FIRST SHOWN AT THE 1998 NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW IN DETROIT. IT WAS DESIGNED BY IAN CALLUM WHO IS THE HEAD OF TWR DESIGN WHICH IS OWNED BY TOM WILKINSHAW. CALLUM ALSO DESIGNED THE ASTON MARTIN DB7. JUNE 1975 THE ASTON MARTIN LAGONDA LTD. WAS PURCHASED BY AMERICANS PETER SPRAGUE AND JOHN MINDEN. JANUARY 1981 PACE PETROLEUM AND C.H. INDUSTRIALS TOOK CONTROL OF ASTON MARTIN. PRESIDENT WAS VICTOR GAUNTLETT. JULY 1983 AUTOMOTIVE INVESTMENTS (U.S. IMPORTER OF ASTON MARTIN) PURCHASED THE PART OF ASTON MARTIN HELD BY PACE PETROLEUM. FEBRUARY 1984 AUTOMOTIVE INVESTMENTS PURCHASED THE OTHER HALF OF ASTON MARTIN HELD BY C.H. INDUSTRIALS. OCTOBER 1984 AUTOMOTIVE INVESTMENTS SPLIT ASTON MARTIN LAGONDA LTD. TO 75% OWNERSHIP TO PETER LIVANOS AND 25% TO VICTOR GUANTLETT. SEPTEMBER 1987 FORD PURCHASED 75% OF ASTON MARTIN AND LIVANOS AND GUANTLETT SHARED THE REMAINING 25%. JULY 1994 FORD ACQUIRED 100% AND NOW OWNS ASTON MARTIN LAGONDA LTD. A KEY TURNED TO THE 'ON' POSITION STARTS THE ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE WITH A DASHBOARD MOUNTED BUTTON. THE BODY AND CHASSIS ARE CONSTRUCTED OF HONEYCOMB ALUMINUM AND CARBON FIBRE. THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CARS BODY IS SHAPED WITH A VENTURI TUNNEL AS WELL TO REDUCE DOWNFORCE AT HIGH SPEEDS. THERE IS A 6-SPEED BORG WARNER GEARBOX AND GEARS CAN BE SHIFTED WITH PADDLES MOUNTED ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND CAN ALSO BE OPERATED IN MANUAL OR FULL AUTOMATIC MODE. THE COMPOSITE MATERIALS ARE IN THE ROOF STRUCTURE FOR SUPERIOR RIGIDITY. THE VANTAGE IS 1,000 POUNDS LIGHTER THAN THE ASTON MARTIN VIRAGE BUT IS TWICE AS STRONG STRUCTURALY. THE SUSPENSION IS DEVELOPED FROM STEWART-FORDS F1 DEVELOPMENTS AND HAS AN ULTRA MODERN SETUP WITH HORIZONTAL SPRINGS AND SHOCKS AND UN-EQUAL LENGTH TRANSVERSE A-ARMS. THE REAR HAS THE SAME EQUAL LENGTH. THE FRONT HAS 15-INCH AND REAR 14-INCH DISC BRAKES WITH 6-PISTON CALIPERS OF TITANIUM. THE WHEELS ON THE ADVANTAGE ARE 19-INCH BRIDGESTONE POTENZA S-02'S WITH THE FRONT AT 255/40 AND THE REAR AT 285/40. THE WHEELS ARE MAGNESIUM ALLOY 12 SPOKED. THE INTERIOR OF THE ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE IS MARVELOUS AND HOUSES NO WOOD BUT INSTEAD HAS CONNOLLY LEATHER WITH CARBON FIBRE AND ALUMINUM MIXED IN THE DASHBOARD AND THROUGH-OUT. THE SEAT BELTS ARE 4-POINT CONNECTED. FORMULA ONE DRIVERS CONNECT THEIR SEAT BELTS IN A 5-POINT MANNER. FITTED LUGGAGE COMES STANDARD AND IS OF COURSE ALSO CONNELLY LEATHER. THE ENGINE IS A V-12/48-VALVE DOHC. IT IS 450 HORSEPOWER AND CAN GO FROM A STANDING STILL 0-60 IN 4.0 SECONDS FLAT. IT CAN REACH 139 MPH IN ONLY 300 FEET OF ROAD. THE TOP SPEED OF THE VANTAGE IS 199 MPH. IT GETS 20 MILES TO THE GALLON. THE MARKET RESEARCH FOR THIS CAR ENDED IN AUGUST OF 1998 IN PEBBLE BEACH. THE CAR IS SLATED FOR PRODUCTION IN THE YEAR 2001. THE PRICE TAG RANGE IS OVER $200,000.00 U.S.