Step into the world of DRVN Daniel, where automotive passion meets precision engineering. His heavily modified Aston Martin Vantage is a masterpiece on wheels with a crazy amount of visual and performance modifications. Amongst the technical marvels, there's a key player ensuring comfort and performance are evenly matched: the Tillett C1 Racing Seats.
The Aston Martin Vantage is a true icon in the automotive world. First introduced in 1972, the Vantage has evolved ever since and is still going strong today, with the newest 2024 model set to be unveiled on the 12th of February. The particular model that DRVN Daniel went for was a 2011 Aston Martin 4.8L V8 Vantage S with Sport Shift II Transmission.
We asked DRVN Daniel why he chose the Aston Martin Vantage S for this project:
“The Aston Martin Vantage was always a car that I thought was beautiful in design since its launch over 20 years ago. The biggest draw in purchasing the Vantage last year was the unique opportunity to modify and debut it at the SEMA Show. You won't find very many heavily modified Vantages out there, typical Aston Martin owners either keep them stock or maybe lower it with wheels, potentially an exhaust. You can probably count on one hand how many heavily modified Vantages there are, so to take an obscure and unique chassis like the Vantage’s and build it up, as I have done with all my other cars, was a huge selling point. The opportunity to link up with ACR Performance to debut their all-dry carbon widebody kit in North America cemented that project.”
As you can see, this Aston Martin Vantage is no ordinary one. DRVN Daniel was lucky to connect with Hiro Akane San from ACR Performance a little over a year ago, and it was through that chance connection that he was able to learn more about the ACR Performance products and their custom widebody kit. Seeing the demo car ignited his inspiration to bring the project to life. The goal was to replicate a car that lives in Japan and introduce it to fans in North America. It was Hiro Akane San’s dream to bridge his brand to an audience in the United States, and DRVN Daniel became a part of fulfilling that dream.
To make DRVN Daniel’s idea a reality, a lot of support was needed. Sponsors of the project include Tillett Racing Seats, ACR Performance, Toyo Tires, Nitron, Velocity AP, Studio RSR, Rays Wheels, Evasive Motorsports, Pro Car Innovations, Antigravity Batteries, Sensei 6 and Aerowerkz. Let’s take a look at the full modification list:
• ACR Performance Dry Carbon Fiber Widebody Kit (Bumper, Hood, Front Fenders, Side Skirts, Rear Fender Flares, Rear Bumper, Ducktail Wing & Tail Light Inserts)
• EVS Tuning GTLM Carbon Fibre Mirrors
• AMR Carbon Fibre Front Grill, Clear Tail Lights & Smoked Side Repeater Blinker Lights
• STEK Dynoshield Full Satin PPF by Aerowerkz
• Tillett C1 Carbon Fiber Seats & Custom Seat Cushions
• Pro Car Innovations Custom Seat Mounts
• Schroth 2x2 FIA Enduro Harness
• Sparco 330B Suede Finish
• Sparco Steering Hub
• Velocity AP GT4 Supersport Exhaust
• Velocity AP Performance 4-1 Headers
• Velocity AP 200 Cell Sport Cats
• Velocity AP Performance Air Filters
• Velocity AP Performance ECU Tune
• Antigravity H8/Group 49 Lithium Battery
• Volk TE37 Ultra M-Spec (Bronze) 19x10.5 +22
• Volk TE37 Ultra M-Spec (Bronze) 19x10.5 +12 (5mm spacer)
• Toyo Tires R888R 295/30/19 (front & rear)
• Nitron NTR R3 Coilovers
It’s no secret that seats are a huge focal point in the interior of any car. In the case of Daniel’s Aston, so much time and effort had been focused on perfecting the exterior, that specifying a complimentary and equally breathtaking seat upgrade was critical. Because the car's exterior is clad in 80% exposed carbon fibre, it made sense to bring that material theme inside and Daniel turned to carbon composite specialists Tillett for the solution. He eventually settled on the C1’s you see here - a seat that is both stunning to look at and extremely comfortable to sit in.
In addition to delivering huge performance and safety benefits over stock, the C1 stands out visually from other Tillett models, giving this Vantage the look of a true GT3-style street racer. DRVN Daniel also said that being the first person to debut the new seats made it an extra special opportunity for him. You can view the Tillett C1 Seats here.
The Tillett C1 Racing Seat is an FIA 8855-1999 approved competition bucket seat derived from the popular B6 Screamer model. While maintaining the same dimensions as its predecessor, the C1 introduces side impact head support, ensuring exceptional protection in the case of an accident. In terms of comfort, its compact proportions enable a remarkably low driving position without sacrificing legroom. Whilst the seat's specially designed ergonomic shape provides outstanding support, allowing the shoulders greater freedom of movement for seamless control of the vehicle. In essence, the Tillett C1 Racing Seat is more than just a seat; it's a meticulous blend of safety, comfort, and performance.
“The true motorsports heritage of the Tillett C1 Seats gave me the confidence that they were designed to perform. They hug your body and look aggressive, but the visual intimidation of the seats is quickly forgotten when you realise how comfortable they truly are. It sounds contradictory but the idea of a "comfortable everyday race car seat" is not something that you can say about most seat brands.”
A massive thanks to DRVN Daniel for his help on this article, make sure to follow him on Instagram and visit his website to keep up-to-date with all of his projects.
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