We review the Aston Martin Vantage V8 from price to economy and all its features
THE Vantage V8 may be Aston’s smallest model but it still has the looks to die for, which makes it an immediate object of desire.
When I first drove the Vantage V8 in 2005 I thought that, Pound for Pound, it was my favourite sports car.
And that meant improving it was going to be a very tall order.
But Aston have achieved what I thought was nearly impossible.
Wisely, they left the exquisite exterior styling just as it was, apart from new 19in wheels.
Aston have seriously upped the performance by swapping the 4.3litre engine for a growling 4.7litre V8 that thumps out 420bhp — an increase of 11 per cent when it matters.
I thought the old engine was quick enough but every second counts in the supercar world.
And that is why reducing the 0-62mph time by 0.2 seconds to 4.7 seconds, and upping the flat-out speed by 5mph to 180mph, makes a noticeable difference in the mid-range overtaking.
Sounds are equally vital in supercars — people need to know you’re coming so they can get out of the way.
And the V8 sounds sensational.
Handling was already a strong point of the Vantage and this is now even sharper, especially if you get the new sports suspension.
It costs an extra £2,500 — but if you’re paying £85,000 that’s not likely to matter.
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The model I tested had a manual gearbox that felt lighter and easier to use, but I’d pick the Sportshift auto box, which has software that monitors the driver’s throttle inputs to decide the best time to change gear.
One of the few areas where the Vantage didn’t excel was the messy dashboard — but the new version addresses that with a centre console similar to the one in the DB9.
Which means that the Vantage is even closer to the perfect sporting machine.
But knowing Aston Martin, as you read this their engineers and designers will be working at finding ways to reach perfection.
For now, though, this car is close enough for me.