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Prodrive, one of the world’s leading motorsport companies will display to the public for the first time a stunning range of products for the Aston Martin V8 Vantage at Autosport International which takes place at the NEC Birmingham on January 11-14. Banbury-based Prodrive, which for more than 20 years has been running race and rally programmes for some of biggest names in motorsport, will have a huge presence at the four-day motorsport extravaganza with emphasis on carrying through its motorsport sport technology onto road car projects.

The V8 Vantage package, announced on November 30, will improve the car’s performance and enhance its driving dynamics and includes a performance pack for the engine; new driver-adjustable suspension; unique forged wheels; and a discreet aero package. The 4.3 litre V8 engine has been tuned to raise peak power to 425bhp, which reduces the car’s 0-100 km/h time from 5.0 seconds to 4.7 seconds (est.) and increases the top speed by 13 km/h to 293 km/h (est.).

A new throttle map, combined with the increase in torque, also make the engine more responsive throughout the rev range. Prodrive has worked with suspension specialists, Bilstein and Eibach, to develop new driver-adjustable suspension. A switch in the cockpit allows the driver to choose between normal and sports mode. The normal mode has been designed to enhance the V8 Vantage’s existing ride and handling characteristics; while the firmer sports mode delivers an even more focused driving experience on the road or for track use.