What Is It?
2006 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
What's Special About It?
There wasn't a more highly anticipated car at the show than Aston Martin's new baby coupe, but any excitement surrounding its debut was sapped from the floor by an introduction that squeezed two hours of boredom into a 14-minute press conference.
Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez confided that the new V8 Vantage was "very fast," good-looking and "the most important car in Aston Martin's history since last year's DB9." Glad we stayed awake to catch those revelations.
The tedium finally ended with a pull of a sheet that revealed the new V8 Vantage wearing an unflattering shade of Canary Yellow.
Any other car might have wilted from such an intro, but the V8 Vantage still shined. Its overall shape is much like the larger DB9 but its proportions are better and its size more athletic. Three inches shorter than a Porsche 911, the Vantage stretches out over a 10-inch-longer wheelbase. Although the V8 Vantage makes use of lightweight materials throughout the car, it's still on the heavy side at 3,461 pounds versus 3,131 for a Carrera S.
Under its aluminum hood rests a 4.3-liter V8 that produces 380 hp and 297 pound-feet of torque. Hand-built at Aston's factory in Germany, the all-aluminum engine sends its power through a six-speed manual transmission. Aston Martin claims a 0-to-60 time of just 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 175 mph. Dual wishbones at each corner provide the connection points for your choice of 18- or 19-inch wheels.
Inside, the V8 Vantage doesn't disappoint as its cabin sparkles with aluminum trim, hand-stitched leather and an organic electroluminescent display pioneered by Aston. The design is simple, with high-quality switchgear and a pleasing layout that can include high-tech equipment like a color navigation system and integrated GSM phone.
And the price of admission for this nearly flawless coupe? Figure around 100,000 Euros, or roughly $130,000 at current exchange rates.
What's Edmunds' Take?
Drape this car in anything but yellow and it's the best-looking car on the road. Throw in its promise of sports car handling, a wailing V8 and a perfectly tailored cabin and we can't think of too many cars we would rather have than the V8 Vantage. — Ed Hellwig
2006 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
What's Special About It?
There wasn't a more highly anticipated car at the show than Aston Martin's new baby coupe, but any excitement surrounding its debut was sapped from the floor by an introduction that squeezed two hours of boredom into a 14-minute press conference.
Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez confided that the new V8 Vantage was "very fast," good-looking and "the most important car in Aston Martin's history since last year's DB9." Glad we stayed awake to catch those revelations.
The tedium finally ended with a pull of a sheet that revealed the new V8 Vantage wearing an unflattering shade of Canary Yellow.
Any other car might have wilted from such an intro, but the V8 Vantage still shined. Its overall shape is much like the larger DB9 but its proportions are better and its size more athletic. Three inches shorter than a Porsche 911, the Vantage stretches out over a 10-inch-longer wheelbase. Although the V8 Vantage makes use of lightweight materials throughout the car, it's still on the heavy side at 3,461 pounds versus 3,131 for a Carrera S.
Under its aluminum hood rests a 4.3-liter V8 that produces 380 hp and 297 pound-feet of torque. Hand-built at Aston's factory in Germany, the all-aluminum engine sends its power through a six-speed manual transmission. Aston Martin claims a 0-to-60 time of just 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 175 mph. Dual wishbones at each corner provide the connection points for your choice of 18- or 19-inch wheels.
Inside, the V8 Vantage doesn't disappoint as its cabin sparkles with aluminum trim, hand-stitched leather and an organic electroluminescent display pioneered by Aston. The design is simple, with high-quality switchgear and a pleasing layout that can include high-tech equipment like a color navigation system and integrated GSM phone.
And the price of admission for this nearly flawless coupe? Figure around 100,000 Euros, or roughly $130,000 at current exchange rates.
What's Edmunds' Take?
Drape this car in anything but yellow and it's the best-looking car on the road. Throw in its promise of sports car handling, a wailing V8 and a perfectly tailored cabin and we can't think of too many cars we would rather have than the V8 Vantage. — Ed Hellwig
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