Back in the 1970s, British automaker Aston Martin had their very own supercar fighter. The original V8 Vantage featured all the features that people grew to love about Aston Martins, bolstered by a 5.3-liter V8 that gave quite a few supercars of the time something to worry about. Even then, the focus of the original Vantage was always the grand touring aspect, allowing the driver to take it a long country trip, whether that's a relaxed drive on the highway or a more spirited drive down some canyon roads.
The original V8 Vantage bowed out in 1989. Aston Martin decided to hold off on a direct replacement for a little while, before finally introducing an all new Vantage in 2005. This new car was more sports-focused than the predecessor, and Aston Martin aimed it squarely at the Porsche 911.
2005-2018 Aston Martin Vantage
- Aston Martin badge kudos
- Characterful V8 and V12
- Dynamics and luxury
- Engine/Motor: 4.3-liter V8/4.7-liter V8/5.9-liter V12
- Horsepower: 385-573 hp
- Torque: 302-457 lb-ft
- Drivetrain: RWD
- Transmission: 6-speed manual/6-speed automatic/7-speed manual/7-speed automatic
- Gorgeous styling
- Great to drive
- Bargain prices
- Ancient technology
- Pretty expensive to maintain
- Early automatics aren't very good
Overview Of The Vantage
Aston Martin first introduced the Vantage in 2005, a couple of years after the AMV8 Vantage concept car preview of 2003. Placed below the DB9 in the lineup, the Vantage was the more athletic offering from the automaker, with a bigger focus on dynamics and handling and comfort taking a back seat. Though, with this being an Aston Martin, it didn't truly take a back seat.
By most counts, the Vantage is a gorgeous car. Clean lines, pretty profile, curvaceous shape and no oversized grilles, wings, or diffusers. The V12 Vantage introduced a slightly more aggressive body kit with bigger bumpers, which became standard fit on all the Vantage models beginning in 2012. Speaking of, a variety of different models appeared in this car's 13-year-life, but the basis of the lineup was in the V8 Vantage and the V12 Vantage. At the time, the Vantage competed with the likes of the Porsche 911, the Jaguar XKR, the Mercedes SL and, for a little while, the Maserati GranSport.
Aston Martin Vantage Powertrains And Drivetrains
Aston Martin offered a handful of powertrains and drivetrains throughout the Vantage's life. The car debuted with a 4.3-liter Jaguar-sourced V8 at first, developing 385 hp and 302 lb-ft of torque. That motor sent the 2005 V8 Vantage from 0-60 in 4.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 173 mph, and Aston Martin offered it with either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed Sportshift semi-automatic. If you're after the early V8 Vantage models, the manual is definitely the one you want.
Four years after the original launch, in 2010, Aston began offering the V12 Vantage. It eschewed the Jaguar V8 in favor of the automaker's venerable 5.9-liter V12, also known as the AM11. In other words, you could have the signature Aston Martin sound and a healthy power boost up to 517 hp in the Vantage. The peak of the family, outside the ultra special limited edition models, was the V12 Vantage S, which boosted power to 573 hp and was only available with a seven-speed dogleg manual transmission. No matter which Vantage you opted for, they were all truly special to drive. It was never offered with AWD, so power was exclusively sent to the rear. It managed to be comfortable, but also extremely engaging at the same time, coming together for a fantastic driving experience.
Aston Martin Vantage Comfort And Quality
On the inside, the Vantage is an interesting mishmash of things. As a remnant of the Ford ownership, the interior plays host to some parts bin components. For example, the earliest Vantage models borrow their keys from Volvo, and the same applies to the navigation system and the power mirror switch, specifically how pressing the L and R buttons together folds the mirrors in. Even then, there's a good amount of beautiful, signature touches, like the abundant use of leather, the aluminum accents, and those signature gauges with the counterclockwise tachometer.
In terms of reliability, the Vantage might just surprise you. The 4.3 V8 has shown to be a pretty solid powertrain if well-maintained, and the same is true of the V12. However, the maintenance is pretty expensive, all things considered. Unlike some of its contemporaries, even the automatic transmission shouldn't give you much to worry about, but it's still a good idea to avoid it as its problems are more centered around jerkiness and slow shifts. The Vantage seats four passengers (technically speaking), and it has a decent 12.3 cubic feet of trunk space.
Aston Martin Vantage Prices
The Aston Martin Vantage is one of the sports car bargains of the moment. The earliest V8 models are very cheap, considering what you get for the money, some of them even slipping below $40,000. Naturally, the later models are a little more expensive, but not by all that much. The manual transmission carries a small premium, and so does the V12. A sorted V12 with a manual transmission is pretty pricey at around $130,000, but that's still considerably less than the brand-new Vantage, which has neither of those things.
All in all, as far as bargain sports cars go, the Aston Martin Vantage is a real winner. Gorgeous styling, great drive, great luxury and characterful powertrains mated to RWD and a manual transmission.