2006 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Saturday, December 2nd, 2006
The new 2006 Aston Martin V8 Vantage, however, is a two-seat sports car. It is beautifully built, performs brilliantly and while the ergonomics aren’t perfect, they’re not bad. All Aston had to do to achieve was give up some Britishness. And at $119,340 the Vantage is a bargain.
As a sculpture the V8 Vantage is one of the most stunning sports cars of all time; the body is tautly stretched over the 102.4-inch wheelbase with minimal overhangs, the fenders cover the 19-inch Bridgestone Potenza tires with devastating sensuousness and the windshield is fitted into its one-piece aluminum frame at such an extreme angle that the car’s profile is practically ballistic.
But this isn’t a car that only looks good from 50 feet away. It’s actually more beautiful up close. The detailing is all very restrained and tasteful, but the body is undeniably provocative the automotive equivalent of Kate Beckinsale in a skintight Versace gown. And it makes cars like the scoops-laden Ferrari F430 seem almost vulgar in comparison.
The “VH” (Vertical Horizontal) structure that underpins the Vantage is an intricate assembly of aluminum extrusions, steel and magnesium castings and composite body panels, all bonded together with advanced adhesives, self-piercing rivets and welds so beautiful you can run your fingers over them and never feel a bump or joint.
Some of the aluminum extrusions, like those framing the engine bay and bolstering the cockpit structure, are so luscious the designers decided they were better off not covering them at all.
Throw in details like ventilated disc brakes clamped by perfectly detailed Brembo calipers and the result is a car that is thrilling to behold in every conceivable way and stops from 60 mph in just 113 feet. It’s a $107,400 semi-exotic ($119,340 with 19-inch wheels, satellite navigation and a few other options) that packs both the visual firepower of a $250,000 super-exotic and the restrained elegance of a Porsche 911.
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