It was September last year that the Carrera Pan Americana Aston DB6 was first seen on PH; quite the impression it made, too - "you guys have won PistonHeads" being pretty much the consensus. The jist of the intro piece was that a bunch of mates, having completed the incredible Mexico road race in classic Jaguars, wanted to be more competitive against Porsche 911s in a class dominated by them. But without a Porsche 911. The rebuild of a rally-prepped DB6 was the end result of that discussion...
Eight months after initial testing, PH went along with the team to Brands Hatch for a more through shakedown of the big Aston. With the start of this year's Pan Americana now less than four months away, there's no time to waste.
Pics really can't do the DB6 justice, however good it looks on your screen. Unlike a lot of classics, it's big, with presence coming from the Aston's sheer size as much as its exquisite details. The patina that comes with classic racers isn't there just yet, because it's effectively a new build, but thousands of kilometres across central America ought to help with that. In its place there's the meticulous finish only associated with money-no-object race cars, from the paint to the fit of the cage to the beautifully prepared driving environment.
So, how does it drive? Sadly we can't tell you that, but the man who can is in a much better position to do so anyway - BTCC driver Dan Rowbottom. He's been involved of every stage of testing thus far, ensuring the car is perfect for the unique demands it'll face in Mexico. And there was work to do...
"It was too stiff before", says Dan, "much more set up for circuit than cross-continental rallying". Apparently, the old bus "would bite" if you weren't careful, which is something of note when an actual racing driver says it. The changes were extensive, reckons Dan, including, re-valved dampers, a tweaked spring rate and new shim studs. The resulting car is "too soft for track", he says - and therefore perfect for the challenge ahead. Or, to use the technical term, "built to take a load of abuse."
The Brands day was useful for the team ahead of Mexico too, with Dan and Matt Neal (also helping out with the project) revealing issues that mere mortals probably wouldn't however hard they drove. The gearbox was getting a bit hot on a sunny summer's evening in Kent, which is presumably nothing compared with what's coming up, even in October. So that'll need a little more work from the Motorvational Classics team in charge of the build. Otherwise, though, Dan reckons it shouldn't be much more than final fettling, the Aston much better suited to the task at hand now than in 2020. "It's a lovely car to drive", he says, "like driving something more modern". Let's hope the team are still thinking that after days at the wheel...
The DB6 certainly seems that way on Brands' Indy circuit, being fast and sonorous. It does move around more than even the typical classic racer, as alluded to by its remit and modifications, but looks really nicely controlled in the process. Laps of a 1.2-mile tarmac circuit really aren't what the Pan Americana car was built for, though even allowing for that you'd give anything for a go - it looks great fun.
The eagle-eyed might have noticed another Aston Martin in these pictures, a DB4 that's been more recently acquired. Plans for that car aren't yet clear - there's the possibility of Goodwood competition - but it feels fit as a fiddle from the passenger seat, raw and eager like the best old racers. It'd be a privilege to race anywhere, leave alone Goodwood - once they have an exhaust system that's quiet enough...
Given the imminent obligations for Team Apparently Racing, it seems unlikely that the DB4 will be racing in West Sussex this year. Still, worse problems to have than too many racing possibilities! With the DB6 having impressed all in attendance at Brands Hatch, it doesn't seem like final preparations need to be too exhaustive - but we won't speak too soon. Of course, we'll be following the team's progress with interest, though it's worth following them on socials if you don't already @astonmartin335 on Instagram and apparentlyracing.com. Finally, there are sponsorship opportunities available for interested parties wanting to support the project; on this experience, the Carrera Pan Americana Aston is as worthy an automotive cause as any.
Image credit | Steph Ewen
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