Aston Martin plans to take on Ferrari at its own game with one of its upcoming models, so who better to look toward for inspiration than the manufacturer that has been a thorn in the Italian automaker’s side for half a century?
A recent Financial Times report claims that Aston’s answer to the Ferrari 488, unlike any of its current models, will be powered by a V-6 engine, according to Road & Track. Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer confirmed in June that the company will develop a mid-engine supercar, which will fill the gap between the forthcoming Valkyrie hypercar and the rest of its lineup.
Although the smaller displacement power plant will mean the new model, expected to go on sale in 2020, won’t get hit with certain taxes, as Financial Times reportedly noted, we bet that’s only part of the reason. The primary motivator for Aston opting for a V-6 likely is that, with the 2017 GT, Ford proved a car with six cylinders can still beat the 488.
Ford, and the Ford GT specifically, has a reputation for beating Ferrari without copying it.
At the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Ford GT40 did so by competing against Ferrari’s V-12-powered 250LMs, armed only with a V-8. And more recently, the GT, with its 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-6, bested the Ferrari 488 and its 3.9-liter twin-turbo V-8 at the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Imitation might be the sincerest form of flattery, but victory is the most definitive measure of success. And Aston Martin clearly is aimed at beating Ferrari, not buttering it up.
Thumbnail photo via Aston Martin
