Given its relatively small current model line, you'd be forgiven for categorizing Aston Martin as a small automaker. But the British sportscar-maker is one of the busiest in the business. As if developing the new Rapide four-door coupe didn't demand enough resources from a company that recently went independent after years under the Ford umbrella, Aston rolled into Geneva with the new V12 Vantage, DBS Volante and One-77, while reviving its Lagonda marque with a new crossover concept. Oh, and while they were at it, they redesigned London's famous double-decker city bus.

With that much going on, most other automakers would have scrapped their racing programs - in fact, many have, and with less to show for it - but at Aston's headquarters in Gaydon, England, it's full steam ahead. Not only have they developed new GT2 and GT4 versions of the V8 Vantage, but after dabbling their toes in the proverbial waters last year with partner Charouz Racing to admirable effect, they're speeding head-first into the top-level Le Mans Prototype (LMP1) category to dice it up with Audi and Peugeot in pursuit of an overall Le Mans win this year, 50 years since Aston Martin's historic victory at La Sarthe in 1959.

To that end, Aston participated in the Le Mans Series group test at the Paul Ricard track in France, opened to the public for the first time in ten years as 3,500 spectators got a view of Aston's new challenger for the first time. With a Lola chassis and V12 engine from the DBR9 (which the works team won't be fielding this year while they focus on LMP1), the new car looks the business in retro Gulf orange and blue livery and bearing the numbers 007 and 009. We'll just have to stay tuned to see if Aston and racing partner Prodrive, both under the direction of David Richards, can translate their expertise from the GT1 category into overall victory.
Autoblog

 

not the prettiest aston eh?

 

While it lacks the beauty of the iconic 917 in GULF livery, it is great to see a closed cockpit sports racer in GULF livery once again.

 

Reminds me of the AMR1 from the glorious Group C days. Almost as an updated version.

 

I absolutely love the new Aston LMP1 car, but that 917 looks so right! Then again, of all the Gulf cars to ever run at Le Mans, this is the best looking Gulf liveried car ever:



followed by this:



then this:



which is closely followed by this:



and last but not least, this: