Aston Martin DB9 LM and V-8 Vantage N400

Perhaps meant as a display that its vital signs are strong and its recent sale was for the betterment of the storied brand, Aston Martin follows up its August DBS debut at Pebble Beach with two more product introductions at the 2007 Frankfurt motor show: the DB9 LM and the V-8 Vantage N400. Both are special editions of pretty special cars meant to commemorate Aston’s recent achievements in the racing realm.
V-8 Vantage N400: Power and Beauty

As a product, the most newsworthy of the two is the V-8 Vantage N400, a celebratory nod to the recent successes of the V-8 Vantage production racer at the ADAC 24-hour competition at the Nürburgring. And although “N” is obviously for Nürburgring, “400” denotes horsepower—specifically, how much the N400 produces—up from 380 and complemented by 310 pound-feet of torque, up from 302.

This newfound potency, aided and abetted by sportier suspension tuning, allegedly helped N400 prototypes crack the eight-minute barrier on the 12.9-mile Nordschleife during the car’s development. Reason enough to celebrate, we suppose.

A total of 480 N400s will be built, split evenly between coupe and roadster body styles, offered with manual transmissions in conventional and sequential automated forms. Look for black, orange, or silver paint, as those will be the only colors offered. Each N400 will also feature sassy silver mesh intake inserts on the hood; fat five-spoke, 19-inch wheels; and clear taillamp lenses.