Here’s the smallest car that Aston Martin has produced for 30 years – a compact front-engined two-seater coupe. The looks of the V8 Vantage alone will knock your socks off! But everything about the car is right there; a package to give the speed, handling, control and fun that you’re looking for. Top speed is put at 175 mph, and a 0-60 time of 4.9 seconds. Not rocket power, but plenty of performance for must of us.
How big is the ‘small’ Aston? It is just 174 inches long, which is 2 inches shorter than a Porsche 911, and 13 inches shorter than the DB9.
Aston Martin has a tradition of producing beautiful cars, even though some lacked the power to compete with Ferrari, and others were a bit fragile. All that is now different, not least because the engineers at Aston Martin have the test and development facilities of the Ford group behind them.
The new Astons: aluminum frames, good looks and power
The Vanquish S and DB9 have set new standards for V-12 two-plus-two grand tourers, but now comes the stunning V8 Vantage, set to open the marque to a new group of customers.
The V8 Vantage differs slightly from the other models in looks. It goes back to the straight through sides of the DB6, but with a wedge tilt to it, instead of having the strong rear haunches over the rear wheel characteristic of the V-12 models. Of course, it starts with the classic Aston Martin grille – easy to recognise, but difficult to describe – which goes back to the 60s. To give it plenty of air, the V8 Vantage has an extra air intake below the grille. The main grille is flanked by twin headlamps neatly housed beneath flush-fitting covers.
There are a couple of air outlets in the hood, and also one on each side – in both cases these are small and discreet. As this is a two-seater, the coachroof is fairly short, tapering back into a fastback, which has a large opening hatch.
Good looks and light weight
Aston Martin puts looks before aerodynamics and the engineers have made a great effort to ensure that the body panels look just right and are light. The hood, roof and door panels are aluminium, while the front fenders, tailgate and sills are lightweight composites. To get the deep curvature needed at the rear quarters, the side panels, which run from the door pillars back to the rear fenders are steel pressings. These could not be pressed from aluminum because of the deep draw needed – the amount the metal deformed when stamped – is too great. As they are very thin, the weight penalty is small.
What about the drag coefficient (Cd)? It is reasonable but not brilliant at 0.34; these days the best cars have Cds of around 0.30.
Aluminum frame with engine well aft as in the DB9
Beneath the elegant lines is the same type of aluminum frame as on the DB9. Sitting in the frame, just behind the front axle is the engine. It really is well aft - a few inches further back than the V-12. The front of the engine is just behind the suspension towers. To get as much weight on the rear wheels as practical, the gearbox is mounted just in front of the rear axle.
With this layout weight distribution is 50:50, which is an ideal start to getting good handling and high cornering power, with each tire doing the same amount of work when cornering steadily.
New V-8 engine built in Germany
Aston Martin has developed a new engine for the V8 Vantage, based on the Jaguar 4.2 liter unit. It has been enlarged to 4.3 liters, and just about every component has been modified to suit the sporty character needed for an Aston. The engines are built in Aston Martin’s own engine shop; not in the traditional home of the company at Newport Pagnell, England, but at a separate section of a Ford plant at Cologne.
The engine is an all-alloy V-8 with the essential four valves per cylinder and variable valve timing you expect in a supercar. It is a high-revving unit, developing 380 bhp at 7,300 rpm. Maximum torque is 302 lb ft (410 Nm) at 5,000 rpm, so there should be plenty of mid-range power.
Dry sump lubrication
To reduce the height of the engine, and make it suitable for the track, it has a dry sump. Dry sump engines are more efficient, because there is less oil swilling around the crankshaft, and the oil is continually circulated and cooled. They are becoming the vogue in supercars.
The drive is taken through a clutch to a carbon fiber prop-shaft enclosed in an aluminum torque tube which joins the back of the engine to the rear-mounted gearbox/axle gear unit. The tube is attached rigidly to create a unified drive train. Of course, the gearbox has six speeds, but only a manual is available at present; an automatic will be available later. To improve adhesion, a limited slip differential is standard.
Rigid frame of extrusions and castings
To make the most of the power, you need a rigid frame, and the new-generation aluminum frames used by Aston Martin – and Audi, Ferrari and Lamborghini –are all stiff and light. The V8 Vantage frame is based on aluminum extrusions for the main members, with precision castings for some parts – such as the caps of the suspension towers and joints between extrusions.
Aluminum sheet is used for the floor and other flat panels. The various parts are riveted and adhesive-bonded together to form a light and very rigid structure.
As the V8 Vantage is shorter than the DB9 it is inherently more rigid. Since the frame has the same architecture quite a few of the castings and extruded sections are common.
With the V8 Vantage, weight reduction and quality have been taken into account with every component. Therefore, magnesium is used for some parts including the door frames.
Wishbone and coil spring suspension
To obtain the desired suspension geometry and make the best of the basic architecture, double wishbone suspension is used front and rear. With an eye to light weight, the wishbones are aluminum. Coil spring/dampers units provide the suspension with the aid of front and rear anti-roll bars.
Steering is by power-assisted rack and pinion, and there are large brakes with four-pot callipers. Interestingly, Aston Martin has adopted Bridgestone Potenza tires for the V8 Vantage – 235/45-18 section on 8.5 inch rims at the front, and 275/40-18 on 9.5 inch rims at the rear.
Every Aston is hand-built, and the interior trim reflects this, with the ambience you’d expect, owing to the leather and wood trim. In front of the driver is a simple analogue instrument panel, the large speedo and rev-counter taking up most of the space.
Stability control and other electronics
To help you on your way, you’ll have plenty of electronics in the car. There’s the obligatory ABS with electronic brake distribution, emergency brake assist – which keeps the brakes full on if the system detects that the driver has put the brakes on in an emergency – and stability control. The stability control will no doubt allow the driver some degree of freedom.
So here’s your new small Aston; looks great, the layout is good, and the power and handling should be terrific, but we’ll have to wait and see, as the car will not be available for some months.
What about the weight? Astons don’t have a tradition of being ultra-light, and the new car follows that tradition. It weighs 3,460 lb (1,570 kg), which is 250 lb lighter than the steel Jaguar XK8 4.2, but 250 lb more than a Ferrari F430 and 350 lb more than the Porsche 911.
The 911 is the closest challenger with similar performance – from a smaller engine - but very different character. The existence of the V8 Vantage will open up this sector of the supercar market – so long as the price is right. And we expect it to be right.
