OREANDA-NEWS. Aston Martin arrives at the 22nd Goodwood Festival of Speed next week with a superb line-up of exclusive and exciting sports cars and super saloons which, together, represent its biggest presence yet at the world-renowned celebration of motoring and motorsport.

The luxury British sports car maker will treat the Goodwood patrons to a feast of ‘firsts’, including the UK debut of the motorsport-inspired, and now sold-out, Vantage GT12 and the global dynamic debut of the strictly-limited luxurious new Lagonda Taraf super saloon.

Aside from the raw, track-derived appeal of the Vantage GT12, Aston Martin will also be running examples of its V12 Vantage S Roadster and luxurious Rapide S four-door, four-seat sports car. There will also be the rare opportunity to see the CC100 – Aston Martin’s centenary celebration concept car from 2013 – in action on the hill.

Meanwhile the sumptuously elegant Lagonda Taraf will make its global public debut in action at the Festival of Speed. Previously unveiled on static display only, Aston Martin has chosen the Goodwood event to reveal the sight, and sound, of its latest V12-engined super saloon in motion.  

Aston Martin Racing will be represented via the presence of the 2015 Le Mans 24-hour Vantage GTE #97 Art Car, which will also be making regular trips up the famous Goodwood Hill over the course of the Festival.

Sharing driving duties for the event will be Aston Martin CEO Dr Andy Palmer along with recently-appointed Chief Engineer Matt Becker – the man charged by Dr Palmer with setting the product attributes of the brand’s next generation of models.

Dr Palmer said: “I’m very much looking forward to seeing the reaction to our 2015 Festival of Speed presence from the knowledgeable and enthusiastic Goodwood crowds.

“I believe we’ve put together a hugely compelling line-up including some surprises that should keep fans of our brand, and of luxury sports cars in general, entertained and engaged throughout the event.”

He added: “Driving the Vantage GT12 up the famous hill climb at Goodwood will be a personal highlight for me.”

Vantage GT12 runs on home soil

The Vantage GT12 was launched to worldwide acclaim in March this year at the Geneva Motorshow, with all 100 examples sold prior to the reveal.

Taking its inspiration directly from Aston Martin Racing’s V12 Vantage GT3, the Vantage GT12 is equipped with a new iteration of the brand’s 6.0-litre V12 engine which is capable of generating up to 600 PS. Thus, the Vantage GT12 is not only more powerful but also even lighter than a standard V12 Vantage S. Weighing in at a full 120 kg less, which results in an appreciable boost in the car’s already formidable power-to-weight ratio.

Comprehensively re-engineered, as well as significantly restyled, the GT12 is lower and wider than any of its siblings in the Vantage family. The GT12 has been designed and engineered exclusively at Aston Martin’s Gaydon HQ in Warwickshire, England, to be the most overt expression of everything that defines the Vantage: an extreme sports model offering adrenaline-fuelled fun on road, and on track.

Lagonda Taraf - The finest of fast cars in action

Also making a crowd-pleasing global debut at Goodwood this year is the new Lagonda Taraf – the latest in a long line of Aston Martin Lagonda models termed ‘the finest of fast cars’.

Based on the brand’s almost infinitely flexible VH architecture, the new saloon draws inspiration from the highly sought-after William Towns-designed Lagonda of 1976 and features many of the same cutting edge engineering techniques seen in modern      Aston Martin sports cars such as the use of carbon fibre body panels.

It is hand-built by the skilled craftsmen and women at Aston Martin’s manufacturing facilities in a dedicated building previously the home of the One-77 hypercar.

The super saloon is being offered for sale by invitation only with precise pricing details remaining confidential. As a consequence, it will remain a rare and distinguished sight on UK roads – making its presence at Goodwood all the more special for festival patrons.

Aside from the high speed dynamic attractions at the 22nd Festival of Speed, Aston Martin will also have a strong presence at the event’s Moving Motor Show.

Staged every summer since 1993, the Goodwood Festival of Speed is the world’s largest automotive garden party, set against the spectacular backdrop of Goodwood House in West Sussex.