Here's An Aston Martin That's Powered By Gravity
car&bike Team
1 min read
Jul 10, 2017, 04:42 PM
Key Highlights
- The car has been specifically built for the Red Bull Soapbox Race
- Entrants are judged on speed, obviously, and creativity of design
- The car is a miniaturized V8 Vantage GTE
We all know how people need to have deep pockets to buy an Aston Martin, but not this one. After having spent years on making race cars, Aston Martin has finally brought out something that a common man can afford. Over 104 years ago, early Aston Martin cars were designed for hill-climb racing so all that knowledge can now be turned on its head. It’s not great news for those who love the sound of a V8 or V12 engine as the power source for this event much quieter…gravity! With design and engineering by Aston Martin and the build taking place at Aston Martin Works in Newport Pagnell, the Aston Martin challenger is all set to hit the race track.
The miniaturized V8 Vantage GTE was created specifically for the Red Bull Soapbox Race and it was one of the challengers in the “24 Seconds of Le Ally Pally” event and tackle the corners using a gravity-propelled vehicle. Aston Martin’s first entirely electric car will be the RapidE scheduled to come out in 2019 but this soapbox car doesn’t have an electric powertrain, nor does it run on hydrogen, yet it still does not pollute the environment and stays silent all of the time considering that its fuel source is gravity.
The miniaturized V8 Vantage GTE is one of the challengers in the “24 Seconds of Le Ally Pally” event
David King, President of Aston Martin Racing said, "When taking on a challenge as big as this it is important to rally your troops and throw everything you’ve got at it. Aston Martin has enjoyed great on-track success with the V8 Vantage GTE so it was the obvious choice for the design of our soapbox entry. I don’t think we’ll be putting our race drivers in it though as we need them to be in one piece for their next World Endurance Championship race the following week!"
Entrants are judged on speed, obviously, and creativity of design. They are also judged on showmanship and this is where Le Mans winners Darren Turner (GB) and Jonny Adam (GB) can help. Well-known for their ability to put on a great show, the two racers will be on hand to support Alex Summers, Aston Martin Prototype Operations Senior Engineer who has volunteered to race the mini-Vantage.
The miniaturized V8 Vantage GTE was created specifically for the Red Bull Soapbox Race and it was one of the challengers in the “24 Seconds of Le Ally Pally” event and tackle the corners using a gravity-propelled vehicle. Aston Martin’s first entirely electric car will be the RapidE scheduled to come out in 2019 but this soapbox car doesn’t have an electric powertrain, nor does it run on hydrogen, yet it still does not pollute the environment and stays silent all of the time considering that its fuel source is gravity.
David King, President of Aston Martin Racing said, "When taking on a challenge as big as this it is important to rally your troops and throw everything you’ve got at it. Aston Martin has enjoyed great on-track success with the V8 Vantage GTE so it was the obvious choice for the design of our soapbox entry. I don’t think we’ll be putting our race drivers in it though as we need them to be in one piece for their next World Endurance Championship race the following week!"
Entrants are judged on speed, obviously, and creativity of design. They are also judged on showmanship and this is where Le Mans winners Darren Turner (GB) and Jonny Adam (GB) can help. Well-known for their ability to put on a great show, the two racers will be on hand to support Alex Summers, Aston Martin Prototype Operations Senior Engineer who has volunteered to race the mini-Vantage.
Popular Aston Martin Models
Latest Cars
Upcoming Cars
Latest News
Shams Raza Naqvi | Jan 26, 2026Renault Duster Makes A Grand Indian Comeback, Gets Hybrid TechThe nameplate which started the trend of compact SUVs in India has returned and almost everything is new but the name.3 mins read
Jaiveer Mehra | Jan 26, 2026New Renault Duster India Debut Highlights: Specifications, Features, ImagesThe Duster nameplate is set to mark its return to India today after it was discontinued in 2022.2 mins read
car&bike Team | Jan 26, 2026India-EU Trade Deal: List Of Cars Likely To Get More Affordable In IndiaThe soon to be announced India-EU Trade Deal is likely to reduce import duties on cars made in Europe. We list down some popular names likely to get more affordable.2 mins read
car&bike Team | Jan 26, 2026Import Duty On Cars Likely To Be Slashed To 40% Under India-EU FTA: ReportAs per a Reuters report, the reduced import duty could be applied to all vehicles priced over 15,000 euros (Rs 16 lakh approx).1 min read
car&bike Team | Jan 26, 2026New Renault Duster To Make India Debut Today: What To ExpectThe latest generation of one of Renault India's most successful nameplates will also be the French carmaker's first all-new product for India in five years.3 mins read
car&bike Team | Jan 26, 2026No Fastag Annual Pass For Three Row Cars? NHAI ClarifiesThe National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has issued a clarification regarding usage of Fastag annual pass for 6/7 seater vehicles1 min read
Bilal Firfiray | Jan 21, 2026Tata Punch Facelift Review: New Turbo Engine; Same Old SoulWith the update, the Tata Punch facelift retains its character of being a healthy runabout, which is perfect for Indian roads. But have these changes made it any better?7 mins read
Amaan Ahmed | Jan 17, 2026Bajaj Chetak C25 First Ride Review: Basic, Likeable E-Scooter For First-Time RidersThe Chetak C25, in quite a few ways, is poles apart from the larger and more powerful 30 and 35 Series models, but in its mannerisms, it is very much a Chetak.8 mins read
Bilal Firfiray | Jan 9, 2026Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder: 10,000 km Long-Term ReviewAfter spending over three months and 10,000 km with the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder Hybrid, we were impressed by its real-world mileage, seamless hybrid, practical comfort, and Toyota reliability. Is it the best C-SUV then?5 mins read
Seshan Vijayraghvan | Jan 8, 20262026 Mahindra XUV 7XO Review: Big On Tech, Bigger On ComfortThe new Mahindra XUV 7XO is flashier, feature packed, and comes with more advanced tech. But are the changes just incremental or actually substantial?1 min read
Preetam Bora | Jan 10, 2026Simple One Gen 2 First Ride Review: 265 km Claimed Range!The Gen 2 model of Simple Energy’s first electric scooter gets a fair few updates, including new features, tech, more range and lighter weight. We spent a couple of hours with the Simple One Gen 2 to find out if it manages to impress.6 mins read