2006 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Aston Martin unveiled the production version of its eagerly awaited V8 Vantage at the 2005 Geneva International Motor Show on Tuesday 1st March.

First shown as a concept car at the 2003 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the V8 Vantage immediately caused a worldwide sensation as it allows Aston Martin to enter a new sector of the premium sports car market with a genuine alternative to other cars that are currently on offer.

Deliveries of the V8 Vantage to customers in the ÚK and Europe will begin in late summer and in North America and the rest of the world by the end of the year.

It will be built at Aston Martin's Headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire, ÚK, and completes the current Aston Martin line-up. This now comprises the flagship Vanquish S, the elegant DB9 and the agile V8 Vantage.

'The V8 Vantage is a significant car for us,' explained Dr Úlrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin. 'It is now the third model in our range and is the culmination of the first phase of reinvigorating the Aston Martin brand around the world that began in the year 2000.

'The V8 Vantage is a true Aston Martin, built with the same high integrity and passion as all of our cars. This is the more affordable Aston Martin and its design and agility should help to widen our appeal and attract younger customers to our marque.'

'The real difference is that the V8 Vantage takes us into a new sector of the market where we have not been previously represented. The V8 Vantage has all of the hand-built bespoke attributes for which Aston Martin is renowned.'

Styling & Design

The exterior of the V8 Vantage is beautiful and perfectly proportioned from every angle with a low purposeful stance. Each carefully detailed feature provides graphic evidence of the painstaking craftsmanship and quality, which is synonymous with the Aston Martin marque.

The long bonnet and two-seater cabin creates an instantly recognisable stance, while minimal front and rear overhangs, combined with a wide track, appear to push the rear wheels out and enhance the extremities of the bodywork. At the rear a hatchback offers practicality not normally found in sports cars of this type.

'The V8 Vantage features many of the design cues that have become basic DNA for all Aston Martin models and are leading edge in car design,' added Dr Bez.

'It was important to ensure that the design was pure, clean and innovative, while at the same time you should be able to cover the front nose badge and instantly recognise the V8 Vantage as an Aston Martin.'

Offered with an imaginative combination of different leathers, contemporary fabrics and aluminium, V8 Vantage customers will have an extensive choice of standard body and trim colours from which to choose.

'From the outset, the look, feel and functionality of the interior was a key priority', said Aston Martin's Interior Design Manager Sarah Maynard. 'We wanted to ensure the V8 Vantage reflected the new direction that the company is now taking.'

The V8 Vantage is a two-seater, with the rear environment offering a large luggage shelf area accessed by a tailgate.

Inside, Aston Martin's craftsmanship is matched to striking 21st century style. The dials are made from aluminium, and together with the switchgear have a very distinct design and unique Aston Martin look and feel.

'We wanted to continue to evolve the interior design we started with the DB9,' added Sarah Maynard. 'The V8 Vantage has all of those attributes and like the DB9 everything you touch and see within the cabin area is special to Aston Martin. The ambience of the cabin is extremely important and we needed to ensure we continued to maintain the high standards we have already set.'

Chassis, Engine and Performance

The V8 Vantage has endured the most extensive test and development programme in the Company's 91 year history during which 78 Prototypes were vigorously tested more than 1½ million miles. In Dubai over 12,000 miles of testing was carried out where ambient temperatures regularly hit 48ºc and the bodywork of the cars reached 87ºc.

High speed testing was conducted at the Nardo test track in Italy and extensive testing was carried out at Nurburgring's Nordschleife in Germany, and cold weather testing in temperatures as low as -30ºc was undertaken in Sweden.

The V8 Vantage is the second model to use Aston Martin's unique VH (Vertical Horizontal) architecture. Constructed from lightweight aluminium extrusions, precision castings and pressings, the underframe is bonded with aerospace adhesives and mechanically fixed with self-piercing rivets.

Certain complex parts of the frame are precision die cast in aluminium; the door inner panels are cast magnesium and the windscreen surround is a one piece aluminium casting.

The frame is bonded with cold-cure adhesive which has exceptional damping properties that help soak up the vibrations which may otherwise appear if the structure was welded.

The unique architecture provides an excellent backbone, while the use of sophisticated materials such as lightweight alloys, magnesium and advanced composites for the body further contributes to the car's low weight and class-leading rigidity.

The V8 Vantage uses a combination of aluminium, steel and advanced composite exterior panels. Composites are used for panels with a high degree of complexity and a deeper shape, such as the front wings, which incorporate the distinctive side strakes.

Aston Martin's engineers have worked with Ford Research and Nottingham Úniversity to develop RTM (Resin Transfer Moulding) composite panels, using unique processes and materials, resulting in composite panels and extremely high surface finish. The process ensures that the optimum amount of reinforcement material is used in each area of the panel to ensure optimum strength and weight.

Steel pressings are used for the body side panels to achieve the sheer depth of the design. This delivers the required style without resorting to using several panels in the rear three-quarter area, resulting in a remarkably clean and uncluttered appearance.

The V8 Vantage is very much a pure sports car, so from the outset, the priority of Aston Martin's engineers was to focus on a lightweight, compact size, agility and power. At just 4.38 metres long it is compact and very nimble and is the smallest model in the Aston Martin range.

The all new 380 bhp engine is a 4.3 litre, low emissions all aluminium alloy V8, unique to Aston Martin. This new V8 uses the latest technology to deliver outstanding performance in all environments.

The layout of the powertrain adopts a transaxle configuration, whereby the front mid-mounted engine is connected to the transmission - at the rear of the car - via a cast aluminium torque tube and carbon fibre prop-shaft. This configuration provides the car with a 49:51 weight distribution, giving outstanding handling characteristics and excellent all round capabilities.

Aston Martin has adopted a dry-sump lubrication system for the V8 Vantage. Often used in racing cars, this system allows the engine to sit very low in the body, lowering the centre of gravity which in turn helps to improve handling and the overall balance and stability of the car. The system also helps to improve engine durability by maintaining lubrication under conditions of extreme cornering and braking.

'This is precisely the set-up you want in a sports car,' explained Jeremy Main, Product Development Director of Aston Martin. 'It helps maximise all of the aspects that you need to create an outstanding sports car.'

The advanced quad-cam 32-valve engine is individually hand assembled by skilled Aston Martin technicians at the company's new engine production facility in Cologne, Germany, where every Aston Martin engine, including the V12 for Vanquish S and DB9, is built.

'The V8 engine is unique to Aston Martin,' said Jeremy Main. 'We share expertise within the PAG organisation but this design is totally new and not a shared engine. Every significant part of it is unique from the specification of the cylinder block to the cylinder heads, crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, camshafts, inlet and exhaust manifolds, lubrication system and engine management.'

The bore and stroke dimensions are optimised to provide an excellent balance between outright power and torque, while a resonance induction system improves tractability and performance.

The inlet camshaft timing is variable resulting in improved low-end throttle response, mid-range torque and seamless power delivery. Maximum power is 380bhp @ 7000rpm and maximum torque 302lb ft @ 5000rpm.

The V8 Vantage will be initially offered with a 6-speed manual transmission and other alternatives will be announced at a later date. A great deal of time and effort has been spent ensuring that the new transmission has a smooth and fast shift action to ensure its ultra close ratios can be used to maximum effect.

'It is one of the best manual gear changes in the world,' added Jeremy Main. 'Driving enjoyment is a very important quality of the V8 Vantage and part of this is a superb gear change action.'

Source - Aston Martin Lagonda

The design brief for the V8 Vantage dictated a style that could not be anything else but Aston Martin. Elegant, yet with a controlled aggression. Perfectly proportioned, with a low purposeful stance. Modern, yet incorporating classic Aston Martin design cues. Like all Aston Martin sports cars, it is simple, understated and beautiful. And like all Aston Martin sports cars, its beauty is more than skin deep.

Outside, the V8 Vantage displays beautiful sports car lines, while maintaining a unique identity. Inside, its traditional craftsmanship is matched to striking 21st century style. Hand-trimmed in the finest quality materials, the cabin is that of an authentic sports car. Driver and passenger sit low, close to the car's centre of gravity, where they can feel the car reacting to the input of the driver – it's a special sensation, usually only experienced in racing cars. The connection between car and driver is very direct. Very sporting. Instantaneous.

The long, low bonnet line and two-seater cabin of the V8 Vantage offer an attractive balance between beauty and pure aggression. The car sits low and close to the road, while the front and rear overhangs have been purposely minimised.

Essentially it's a sports car with a simple goal – to provide maximum exhilaration – yet it is also one of the world's most beautiful cars. The side profile is an elegant, simple sweep, creating a curved line rather like a bow under tension, while the rear haunches are wide and muscular, like those of a powerful animal. It is a pure, elegant design – but, above all, instantly recognisable as an Aston Martin.

The design team's brief was to give the V8 Vantage the look of a well-toned athlete wearing a skin-tight suit. With its taut, almost stretched surfaces, the car achieves perfectly that muscular, close-cut look.

The V8 Vantage is very much a pure sports car, so the Aston Martin engineers' priority from the outset was to focus on light weight, compact size, agility and power. At just 4.38 metres (172.5 in) long, not only is it the smallest model in the Aston Martin range and one of the leanest cars in its class, but it is light, too, and very nimble. Hand-finished body panels provide delectable shapes and perfect fit, while an all-alloy underbody structure – derived from aerospace technology – incorporates bonded aluminium extrusions and castings for superb rigidity and minimal weight. The bonnet and roof are also constructed from lightweight alloy, while the front wings, tailgate and sills are produced from advanced composites

The large single-piece body sides are hand-finished steel pressings, and include the entire rear three-quarter area – or haunches – of the car. A single pressing means the side and rear three-quarter style is especially clean, with the minimum of unsightly shut lines.

The V8 Vantage could not be anything else but an Aston Martin. It is a modern shape that bears a direct lineage to some of the great Aston Martin models of the past, such as the Aston Martin DB2 – praised at the time as 'one of the most beautiful cars in the world' by Motor Magazine in April 1950 – and its successors, the DB2/4 and DB4. They were not just handsome, but very fast sports cars that were also immensely practical and could be used every day. Just like the V8 Vantage.

Beauty From Within
Like all Aston Martins, the V8 Vantage is hand-assembled and hand-finished. Hand-craftsmanship not only improves quality, but can also improve styling. Aston Martin's designers enjoy fewer constraints than those faced in mass production, giving them the freedom to produce the perfect form.

Hand-assembly also avoids unsightly solutions to the inflexibility of mass production. For instance, the bonnet of the V8 Vantage has shut lines that travel all the way to the front of the car, without the need for a separate nose cone, so providing a cleaner, crisper design. Furthermore, the V8 Vantage uses metal mesh grilles and trims instead of the typical plastic alternatives. Integrity is a cornerstone at Aston Martin and we believe that everything has to be right.

Soul Mate
From the moment you first sit in the V8 Vantage, you connect with it. It's a bond created partly by the natural agility of the car, but also by the embrace of the authentic sports car cabin. Hand-trimmed in the finest quality materials, it is simple, logical and beautifully designed; everything you and your passenger touch is unique to Aston Martin.

The instrument pack is beautifully crafted from aluminium and has a three-dimensional profile for easy reading. To create a clear, simple design, most of the warning lights are hidden behind the aluminium faces, becoming visible only when illuminated. The central message displays, meanwhile, are organic electroluminescent (OEL) – a process pioneered by Aston Martin – making them easier to read than conventional LCDs.

A synthesis of high technology and hand-crafted elegance, the interior features an optional pop-up satellite navigation screen, class-leading audio system and even a glass starter button.

The V8 Vantage is a pure two-seater, a car dedicated to providing the most exhilarating driving experience possible, but that doesn't mean it is not practical. As well as a generous rear shelf, ideal for soft bags and holdalls, there's another, surprisingly large, luggage area, easily accessed via a one-piece lightweight composite tailgate. It's the only sports car of its type today to feature a 'hatchback' – a design first used by Aston Martin on the DB2/4 of the early 1950s.

Source - Aston Martin