Aston Martin V8 Vantage and V12 Vantage: the Vantage of 2005–2018

The Aston Martin Vantage is a series of sports cars from the British automaker Aston Martin. The modern car, in contrast to earlier Vantage-badged high-performance variants such as those on the Virage, is the leanest and most agile car in Aston’s lineup, a more focused model aimed at potential buyers of cars like the Porsche 911.

Aston Martin Vantage (2005) at a glance

Aston Martin Vantage (2005) key facts

Concept	AMV8 Vantage concept, 2003 North American International Auto Show
Production debut	Geneva Motor Show 2005, for the 2006 model year
Production end	V8 Vantage 2017; V12 Vantage 2018
Original engine	4.3 L (4,280 cc) quad-cam 32-valve V8, 380 bhp (283 kW) at 7,300 rpm, 410 N·m at 5,000 rpm
Engine from 2008	4.7 L V8, 420 bhp (313 kW), 470 N·m
Performance (first V8)	0–60 mph in 4.8 s, top speed 175 mph (282 km/h)
Weight distribution	49/51 front/rear, engine front mid-mounted with a rear transaxle
Body	bonded aluminium structure, 172.5 in (4.38 m) long, hatchback-style tailgate
Planned output	up to 3,000 a year
Recognition	voted best current production car design by Car Design News readers in 2006

This page is based on English Wikipedia only (a trusted source), so the facts were not cross-checked against a second source.

History of the Aston Martin Vantage (2005)

After the AMV8 Vantage concept car was unveiled at the 2003 North American International Auto Show, the production V8 Vantage was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 2005 for the 2006 model year. The two-seat, two-door coupé had a bonded aluminium structure for strength and lightness and a hatchback-style tailgate with a large luggage shelf behind the seats. A convertible, the V8 Vantage Roadster, was introduced later in 2005.

Engine

The V8 Vantage was initially powered by a 4.3-litre quad-cam 32-valve V8 making 380 bhp; models produced after 2008 had a 4.7-litre V8 with 420 bhp. Though based loosely on Jaguar’s AJ-V8 architecture, the engine was unique to Aston Martin and featured race-style dry-sump lubrication, which allowed it to be mounted low in the chassis for a better centre of gravity. The block and heads, crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, camshafts, manifolds, lubrication system and engine management were all designed in-house, and the engine was assembled by hand at the Aston Martin facility in Cologne, Germany, which also built the V12 for the DB9 and Vanquish.

The engine was front mid-mounted with a rear-mounted transaxle, giving 49/51 weight distribution, and slotted Brembo brakes were standard. The first V8 Vantage could reach 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 175 mph. In 2008 Aston Martin introduced a dealer-approved power and handling upgrade for the 4.3-litre cars that kept the warranty, raising peak power by 20 bhp to 400 bhp and torque to 420 N·m. Aston Martin planned to build up to 3,000 a year, with a 6-speed manual and leather upholstery as standard; a 6-speed automated manual transmission, Sportshift, came later as an option.

Reception

In their 2006 readership survey, readers of Car Design News voted the V8 Vantage the best current production car design. It was also one of Automobile magazine’s 2007 “All-Stars”, and one of only two cars added to “The DB9 Section”, a mini-fridge reserved for the “super cool”, on the BBC’s Top Gear, where it is described as the baby Aston to differentiate it from the V12 DB9. In the 2005 awards Jeremy Clarkson declared it Best Sounding Car of the Year and the Coolest Car of the Year. The 2005 Vantage and its variants became the most successful model in Aston Martin’s history; the next-generation Vantage was unveiled in November 2017 and went into production the following year.

Design and features

• Engine: a dry-sump V8 designed in-house, 4.3 L at first and 4.7 L from 2008.
• Layout: front mid-engine with a rear transaxle for 49/51 weight distribution.
• Body: a bonded aluminium structure with a hatchback tailgate.
• Gearboxes: a 6-speed manual or the Sportshift automated manual.

Aston Martin Vantage (2005) versions

• V8 Vantage coupé (2005–2017): 380 bhp, later 420 bhp.
• V8 Vantage Roadster (from 2005): the convertible.
• V8 Vantage Power Upgrade (2008): 400 bhp for 4.3 L cars.
• V12 Vantage (to 2018): the V12-powered version.

More Aston Martin cars are in our Aston Martin collection, for example the V8, the Virage whose Vantage came before it, the V12 Zagato and the DB9.

Aston Martin Vantage (2005) questions and answers

When was the Aston Martin V8 Vantage introduced?

At the Geneva Motor Show in 2005, for the 2006 model year.

How powerful is it?

380 bhp with the 4.3 L V8; 420 bhp with the 4.7 L V8 from 2008.

How fast is it?

0–60 mph in 4.8 seconds and 175 mph for the first V8 Vantage.

When did production end?

The V8 Vantage ended in 2017 and the V12 Vantage in 2018.

Where is the engine built?

By hand in the Aston Martin engine facility in Cologne, Germany.

Video: Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Video by Motorvision Deutschland on YouTube.

Sources

• Aston Martin Vantage (2005), English Wikipedia: overview, engine, reception