Aston Martin DB7 GT Works Prototype: A stripped-out streetcar named desire

The mid-90s saw Aston wishing to provide its loyal group of gentlemen racers with a stripped-out, tuned-up DB7 intended for a single-model race series. In essence, a modern-day DB4GT – had the project gone ahead…

Significant weight reductions were achieved by stripping away much of the car’s interior and incorporating much lighter components

Of course, the bloodline meant that the new car had a lot to live up to, and as a result Prodrive (one of the UK’s most well-established racing and rallying specialists) was enlisted to build the first DB7 GT ‘test mule’ to assess the project’s technical credentials and its likely performance. The TWR-built, 3.2-litre straight-six now produced around 370bhp (the V12 was still under development), while significant weight reductions were achieved by stripping away much of the car’s interior and incorporating lighter components.

Testing and development was entrusted to Le Mans legend Andy Wallace.

Building a more polished version

Confident in what Prodrive served up, Aston’s Customer Service Division (nowadays known simply as ‘Works’) lifted an early DB7 from the press fleet and went about building a more polished version. It was built to the same mechanical and technical specification as Prodrive’s car. In addition to the now-aluminium bonnet’s more prominent bulge, new wheels were specified and the nose was painted yellow in homage to famous racing Astons of the 1950s. Creature comforts such as a stereo, air conditioning, opening windows, electric seats and dashboard were long gone, but Aston still took care of a gentleman’s requirements: the rollcage was leather-trimmed, and the normally bare transmission tunnel covered in quilted material.

A meeting with Ford’s guillotine

Regardless of its newfound merits, the project was stillborn. Despite promising feedback from none other than Sir Stirling Moss, intended racing clients and media alike, its fate was at the mercy of parent company Ford. An internal review by Aston’s new owner clearly saw the proceeds of a double-digit production run to be little more than a drop in the corporate ocean, and swiftly deployed the resources elsewhere.

With the concept of a DB7 GT Gentleman Racer series on the chopping block, Aston Martin soon sold the prototype to a private owner. However, its spirit lived on in the form of various subsequent Aston Martin and Prodrive racing developments, culminating in the DBR9 and DBRS9s campaigned so effectively at Le Mans and World Championship sports car events worldwide some ten years later.

Photos: Joe Breeze/Alex P

The Aston Martin DB7 Factory Competition prototype is offered by Aston specialist Nicholas Mee in the Classic Driver Market.

Driving Tips: Vic Elford on how to seduce a classic 911

“If you try to bully a 911, it will bite you.” Who better to describe the unique qualities of the Porsche 911 – and how to drive it – than Vic Elford, a man whose success in both racing and rallying is unheard-of in the highly specialised world of motorsport today...?

First, let’s consider why Elford has more right than anyone to tell us how to ‘seduce’ a 911 (his words). In 1967, he and his co-drivers (Hans Hermann and Jochen Neerpasch) took a 911R to victory in the 84-hour Marathon de la Route, on the treacherous combination of Nürburgring Nordschleife and Südschleife. Yes, 84 hours. Three and a half days, with Elford doing much of the night driving. That year, he also became European Rally Champion in the GT class in a 911S. And those are just two highlights of an incredibly varied career that – even aside from Porsches – encompassed 13 World Championship F1 Grand Prix races.

So we asked this race and rally expert for his thoughts on the techniques needed to get the best from a classic 911.

“The real secret of driving an early 911 is balance. When I first rallied one, in the 1960s, that rear engine meant the weight distribution was around 40/60 and the car had a dreadful reputation for spinning. The balance of those early cars can be altered by the tiniest adjustment to the throttle and steering – but if an inexperienced driver feels the rear end getting out of line, the risk is that he will simply lift off the throttle. And that, of course, is a recipe for disaster. Lifting off too abruptly unloads the rear wheels, transfers the weight to the front, and the extra grip on the front wheels means a spin is inevitable.

“By the time the average driver feels the rear end sliding, it’s probably too late to catch it because the rear-heavy car ‘accelerates’ into the slide. But I discovered that the 911’s fearsome reputation was a myth. Once you understand the balance and dynamics, the car becomes predictable – and genuinely safe. It’s a car that needs to be gently coaxed, and persuaded, and seduced: but never bullied. Treat it with finesse – everything smooth and gentle, because if you try to bully a 911, it will bite you.”

via Classic Driver

Acier !!

-Giant Art Work

via OTTONERO

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