Dubai: Sportscar marques are no longer content with selling their high-performance packed models for road use — these days they are just as likely to sell on-track versions too.

Aston Martin has given a glimpse of its strictly limited edition — only 24 will be built — Vulcan supercar, with a take-no-prisoners 800-hp (horsepower) powering it via a 7-litre engine. It is twinned to a V12, more or less a standard on an Aston Martin. They are taking pre-orders of the model which will go into production later this year.

But the all-carbon fibre Vulcan also carries a price tag — Dh8.5 million and over — that is nowhere near being understated. As for the actual deliveries to likely Gulf customers, “The Vulcan was only launched at the Geneva motor show in February — from the launch we have now started communicating to our prestigious customers,” said Neil Slade, General Manager — Aston Martin Mena. “The car has just returned from New York. They will be built to individual [buyers’] taste and requirements.

“We do intend to do a very exciting handover event in Abu Dhabi for all the owners — this will include full driver race training, etc”

Given that they are taking the wheels of a Dh8 million plus car, their owners can always do with a bit of hands-on training.

Another British marque, McLaren, recently confirmed another track-only supercar in the form of the P1 GTR. It is believed that UAE/Gulf buyers have taken the lead in placing orders for the near £2 million (Dh11 million) impresario.

Deliveries

In many ways, the Vulcan is an appetiser being served up by Aston Martin. There is the Lagonda Taraf — from £400,000 and armed with a 6-litre V12 — built with the Gulf/Middle East buyer in mind. “We have always declared we will only produce 200 units — this remains the case,” said Slade. (Deliveries are likely by the tail end of the year or early next.) And waiting in the wings, literally, as Aston Martin’s play at making an SUV — “This was launched as a concept at Geneva in February, so still too early to comment on this,” Slade added.

As if these super models are not enough to keep it busy, there’s the new James Bond movie — Spectre — to deal with. And with that should come the familiar spike in sales whenever Bond is willing to lend a hand.

“We celebrate our 50 years of Bond association — how exciting [then] that Pinewood Studios when launching the film in London in December introduced their first “non-human star” — the new Aston Martin DB10,” Slade said. “Only 10 units are being made for the film — this will be a celebration of our association.”