On the subject of reentering motorsport Aston Martin's CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez stated, "Aston Martin is an exclusive brand, but we cannot be exclusive without being visible, and motorsport is a way to heighten our profile. Production-based sports car series' are growing in stature with many leading manufacturers returning with their own factory programs. By competing with them we can demonstrate that our cars are not only the best on the road, but also on the racing track.
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| "Aston Martin is an exclusive brand, but we cannot be exclusive without being visible, and motorsport is a way to heighten our profile." (Photo: Aston Martin) |
"We are keen to see new regulations for 2004 that will allow true production-based sports cars to compete on a level playing field. The new rules from the Automobile Club de l'Ouest clearly provide this; we hope other sporting organizations will follow their route and encourage sports car racing to grow in importance and profile."
No doubt GT class competition will remain heated, with Ferrari having unveiled an updated works-backed 575 GTC in September and Lamborghini getting into the big leagues with the announcement of its new Murciélago during the same month. With such formidable newcomers, a returning rookie and the always aggressive Porsches, the 2004 season should be exciting.
Aston Martin has yet to announce a price for the modified racing DB9, but expect it to be well north of the $200,000 (approximately USD$150,000) plus production GT that goes on sale in spring of 2004.