Designed by Henrik Fisker, the car’s sleek yet aggressive lines perfectly embody the Aston Martin spirit, right down to its distinctive grille shape. The V8 Vantage naturally combines its sporty vocation with elegance, luxury and comfort. The aluminium and leather features in the cabin make for a striking yet cosseted interior. Under the bonnet, the car has, as its name suggests, an eight-cylinder V-engine. Press the accelerator pedal and listen to that roar! A deep, almost cavernous sound from a car that is just asking to be unleashed on the racetrack. It sprints 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in just 4.8 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of over 300 km/h (186 mph).

So is the Aston Martin V8 Vantage a shorter version of the DB9? They definitely share a number of features and offer similar performance. However, the DB9 comes with a 5.9-litre V12 547 hp engine, while the standard configuration for the V8 Vantage is a V8 4.7-litre delivering 426 hp. Yet the V8 Vantage is an exciting, agile car that measures up well against the DB9 because it is some 200 kg lighter.
  
The V8 Vantage made its racing debut in the GT2 class in the American Le Mans Series at Long Beach in 2008. It was entered by Paul Drayon’s team, also seen at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car will be out on the track again in 2016, most notably in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and at Le Mans but has undergone a series of upgrades since its beginnings. In fact, after putting an end to its LM P1 venture in 2012, Aston Martin resumed a GT campaign, introducing the radically overhauled Aston Martin Vantage GTE donning the Gulf colours the cars still sport today. This was a markedly improved variant but shares a number of characteristics with the road version of the V8 Vantage featured in Aston Martin’s catalogue.


Geoffroy Barre | Translated from French by Clair Pickworth

Photo: the V8 Vantage has a more compelling, aggressive front end than the previous generations and oversized lamps that affirm its powerful look.