2020 Aston Martin Vantage AMR #90 Pilots: J. Adam, C. Eastwood, S. Yoluç Team: TF Sport Race: 24th overall (1st place in LMGTE-Am class) at Le Mans in 2020 Spark - S7994 (resin)
Published 09/01/23
Some say that Aston Martin achieved its pinnacle with the 2018 Vantage. It had a 4.0-liter turbocharged V-8 that delivered over 500 hp. And just as important, it was drop-dead gorgeous. However, it had a problem – it was automatic. Well, for any “normal” modern driver that would never be a problem. Nonetheless, for the enthusiast an automatic gearbox is far from ideal. So in late 2019 Aston resolved that issue by releasing the Vantage AMR. And the big deal about the AMR was exactly its gearbox, a 7-speed manual Graziano gearbox. The engine was the same from the Vantage, a 3982 cm³ turbo-charged V8 that delivered 503 hp. Aston also enhanced the aerodynamics and managed to shave 100 kg from the regular Vantage. All that translated to a 0 to 100 km/h in 4 seconds and a top speed of 320 km/h.
Interestingly, though the AMR was the “racing” version of the Vantage, the regular model was 0.1 second quicker. Nonetheless, even being a smidge slower, it had a manual gearbox, and that’s what mattered. Aston produced 200 units of the car, and obviously some ended up on a racetrack. The Vantage AMR #90 here was one of those cars. British team TF Sport bought chassis #16A-201-1 in early 2020 and took it racing. The car debuted at the 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas, in February that year. The team started out winning: first place in the LMGTE-Am class. Then, in June, the same Adam, Eastwood and Yoluç trio, finished in 24th overall at the 24 Heures du Mans. And once again they came in first place in the LMGTE-Am class. In fact, the AMR ruled the LMGTE classes, with the Vantage AMR #97 coming in first in LMGTE-Pro.
In scale, the Vantage AMR #90 is a very nifty model. Details are very sharp and the paint job is top notch. In fact, just as gorgeous as the #97, released in late 2021. Admittedly however, at least for me, the big deal about this car is that it’s a class winner. So perhaps, to the non-Aston fanboy or Le Mans nut, this model might not be that fantastic. That is if you already have another Vantage AMR, of course. So if having both is too much, having just one would look great in any collection.