2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Top Speed Car

The Aston Martin V8 Vantage is a British exotic 2-seat sports car available in coupe and convertible Roadster models.The V8 Vantage's V8 engine features a bump in displacement from 4.3-liter to 4.7-liter, with a horsepower increase to 420 and torque increase to 346 lb-ft, an increase of 40 hp and 43 ft-lb of torque over the former powerplant. It is mated to a standard six-speed manual transmission or an optional automated manual with paddle-shift, both of which have undergone changes to improve performance and to handle the increased levels of power and torque

2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Instrumented Test

Aston Martin’s V-8 Vantage is the company's least expensive car, but it looks a lot like its V-12–engined big brothers, the DB9 and the DBS. Although only car nerds can distinguish which current Aston is which, the Vantage's short overhangs, taut lines, and absence of gratuitous scoops and fins make it the best-looking of the bunch. Even in DBR9 racing green—without the proper sponsorship decals, it’s a color more suited to a wedding than a racetrack—people instantly recognize it as an exotic. The interior, which is mostly shared with its more expensive siblings, looks the part. To start the car, the stainless steel and glass key, which Aston calls an "Emotion Control Unit," slides dramatically into the middle of the dash.

2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Review

Engine

The cylinder bore and stroke has been increased from 89mm to 91mm and 86mm to 91mm respectively, giving a total displacement of 4735cc.
The new forged steel crankshaft provides the 91mm stroke and incorporates new holes in the counter weights for reduced rotating mass and improved inter-bay breathing.
New forged steel con-rods and cast aluminium pistons complete the capacity-related changes. Improvements in performance have been achieved through a number of carefully developed changes to Aston Martin’s acclaimed V8 engine.

Transmission

Aston Martin’s Sportshift™ transmission has undergone a series of specific changes to broaden the capabilities of the gearbox to offer customers enhanced comfort and convenience with sporting capabilities. Changes include a revised control strategy, allowing the transmission, rather than the engine, to dictate how best the engine torque should be deployed to optimise performance and deliver power smoothly and consistently.
Sportshift™ now also has the capability to take inputs from the steering wheel enabling the current gear to be held when the car is negotiating a corner and hill descent detection, allowing a low gear to be held, maximising the effects of engine braking.
The V8 Vantage transmissions have also undergone changes to improve performance and to handle the increased levels of power and torque. Both the standard manual stick-shift gearbox and the optional Sportshift™ transmission benefit from a modified clutch and flywheel, reducing clutch pedal efforts and delivering a 0.5kg weight saving, reducing the rotating masses within the powertrain, and hence increasing engine responsiveness.

Design & Optional Equipment

First shown as a concept car at the 2003 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the V8 Vantage caused a worldwide sensation as it allowed Aston Martin to enter a new sector of the premium sports car market with a genuine alternative to other cars on offer. Deliveries of the V8 Vantage Coupe to customers began in late 2005, joined by a convertible sibling in 2007 when the Vantage Roadster was launched. The car is hand built at Aston Martin’s Headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire, UK and to date more than 10,000 have been delivered to customers around the world.
Also introduced as an option for both Coupe and Roadster variants is a new Sports Pack which comprises forged lightweight alloy wheels aiding a lower unsprung mass, re-tuned Bilstein dampers with improved dynamic response, up-rated springs and a revised rear anti-roll bar (Coupe only).
Although the award-winning exterior design of the V8 Vantage remains largely unchanged, a new 20-spoke 19’’ alloy wheel is introduced as standard, with either diamond turned silver or graphite finishes available as options, affording customers maximum choice. Alternatively, as part of the Sports Pack option, a 5-spoke lightweight aluminium wheel will be provided.

First Drive: 2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

For 2009, Aston Martin took some sage advice from current Vantage owners: don't screw with the exterior. Aston's current lineup will undoubtedly go down in history as some of the most beautifully crafted machinery ever to roll on public roads, so there's no sense in messing with perfection or waxing poetic about the proportions. To that end, Aston is taking up the mantle formerly held by Porsche – a low-volume purveyor of specialty sports cars – leaving the exterior intact and only changing the design of the 20-spoke, 19-inch wheels. Some might call it lazy; we'll go with restrained.
All those tweaks bring output to 420 bhp and 347 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 11 and 15 percent, respectively. On paper, the extra 40 hp is only good for a 4.7-second sprint to 60 (.1 second off the outgoing model), but the 45 pound-foot increase in twist will impress the most.

The suspension also benefits from some revisions, most of which have carried over from the roadster to the coupe. The '09 model receives stiffer front and rear springs (11 percent and five percent, respectively), and Bilstein dampers are now standard on both the coupe and cabrio. An optional sport pack retunes the Bilstein units, uprates the springs, adds a stiffer rear anti-roll bar on the coupe, and rounds out the package with a lightweight set of five-spoke, 19-inch hoops.

Once I headed north across the Golden Gate and into the hills lining the coast, the sports pack's presence went from distinct to distressing. The upgraded suspension might be all that and a side of chips on the track, but navigating everyday roads at anything beyond 5/10ths takes serious intestinal fortitude. The chassis is remarkably stiff on its own, so the $3,785 option is best left unchecked unless you're making regular pilgrimages to Laguna or the autobahn.

While it pains me to say it, the $4,000 Sportshift is where it's at. Depress the brake, press "D" and you're on your way to polished automated bliss. With the 'box set in "Comfort" mode, the computer keeps shifts below 2,500 rpm, making low speed cruising a smooth, natural affair. Bucking and lurching is virtually non-existent, and with the top down and an arm on the windowsill, things were beginning to look up. Another press of the "Comfort" button to switch to "Sport" and things got better.