Aston Martin V8 Vantage Driving Experiences

Although the Vantage name has been a key one for Aston Martin throughout its history, particularly for its Grand Tourer, high performance models of the 1970s and 1980s, the V8 Vantage takes on that heritage and brings it forward into the 21st century.

First produced in 2005, and unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show that same year, the V8 Vantage went on to be in production for twelve years thereafter. It is one of, if not the most streamlined and supple models in Aston Martin’s fleet, a serious contender to rival the Porsche 911 for performance, style and power.

At 4.38m long, it is powered on a 4.3 litre V8 engine, producing 420 bhp, mid-mounted with a rear-mounted transaxle, offering a 49/51 rear/front weight distribution. Speed wise, it cruises from 0 - 60 mph in 4.8 seconds, and from 0 - 100 mph in an even more jaw dropping 11.4 seconds, with top speeds possible of 175 mph.

The long running BBC motoring show Top Gear awarded the V8 Vantage the show’s highest honour, placing it in ‘The DB9 Section’ - a section of a mini fridge reserved only for what the team consider to be ‘super cool’ cars - in a 2005 edition of the show, with Jeremy Clarkson declaring it as both Best Sounding and Coolest Car of the Year.

The V8 Vantage has also been adapted into a specially tailored rally model for the popular motorsport, called the V8 Vantage Rally GT. This model was used by the Race of Champions as part of their fleet of cars for their 2006 event.