The new Aston Martin Vantage GT8 is due to launch this month and look what we have with us today. It has been caught by a spy photographer who managed to take snapshots of the sports car during its test drive.

The Aston Martin Vantage GT8 will be based on the standard V8 Vantage but due to the heavy use of carbon fibre, titanium and aluminium in the body structure, it will be comparatively lower in weight.

In terms of exterior styling, it resembles the Vantage GT12 with a slightly larger front spoiler and deeper front bumper and side skirts. The ground clearance is also lower plus the overall width is more compared to the V8 Vantage.

Under the hood, the Aston Martin Vantage GT8 will carry a hand-built 4.7-litre V8 engine that will produce up to 420 horsepower and 347 pound-feet of torque. This powertrain will allow the sports car to sprint from 0 to 60 mph (0–97 km/h) in around 4.5 seconds. The engine will be paired to a seven-speed manual gearbox, while automatic transmission can also be installed by paying extra.

The production will be limited to only 150 units and the starting price is expected to be around £170,000 (estimated $242,000). The GT8 will be shown to a selected number of people this week.