  2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage roadster. Click image to enlarge |
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2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
North Vancouver, British Columbia – 2009 has already been a big year for Aston Martin. The venerable British marque brought to market two extreme machines: the V12 Vantage and the open-air DBS Volante.
Aston Martin, owned since 2007 by English businessman John Sinders and a Kuwaiti investment fund, also brought back an equally venerable name – Lagonda. At the recent 2009 Geneva Motor Show, Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. unveiled the Lagonda concept vehicle, a four-wheel drive, four-seater powered by a V12 engine (what else?) and slated for release to the general public this summer.
This is all very exciting stuff for an automaker that, for the better part of two decades, seem to have fallen off the motoring map. Undercapitalization, lack of innovation and big competition from the world’s other luxury sports car makers put iconic Aston Martin on the ropes, and it wasn’t until the unlikely suitor of Ford appeared on the scene in 1994 and bought the company, that Aston Martin cars would return to their former glory.
 2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage roadster. Click image to enlarge |
Among the 21st Century models that have put the automaker back in the mix with Porsche, Mercedes and BMW is the V8 Vantage, an agile and lean two-seat coupe brought to market in 2006. A Roadster version appeared the next year, and in 2008 a number of technological updates were done to the Vantage’s engine, gearbox, suspension and appearance. First and foremost was an 11 per cent increase in horsepower from 380 to 420. Just as impressive, fuel economy and CO2 emissions were improved by 13 per cent.
Those updates and tweaks have continued into the 2009 Vantage Roadster, with new swan-wing doors, a leather and Alcantara interior and a zinc alloy centre console. The all-new crystal-capped key fob is pretty cool, too.
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at 8:09 am
“Mom, I will be driving my condo out now!” haha couldn’t resist
I wish there was a closer shot of the dash, the two purple thing there look kind of out of place. Nevertheless, a sexy car, the interior does look very refined, for supercars.
at 10:21 pm
Saw my first Vantage in London(2006). I crossed the street to get a good close look and the French owner from Paris was just getting back to his car. I explained how much I liked the car and how it was my first sighting and all. He smiled and said au revoir and I began walking away and down the street. Just for my enjoyment, the guy rips by me holding 1st gear all the way and the noise was simply love at first listening. Fantastic that Aston made the necessary improvements, but I’ve read that shifting is awkward due to the centre console…I could live with it though
at 8:32 am
I have a comment, and it applies not only to this review but to all of them in general.
It’s about photography… generally… it’s lousy ! Serious !!!! Since your reviews always, as it should, include images, it would be a great idea for you guys to oarganize a workshop in basic photography, on how to present your products in the best possible light. This review in an exemple, where are the details of the interior, the guages ? The trunk space, the motor, the seats… I realize that you are somewhat restricted in your presentation, that you can’t show 127 images, but those you show should have a minimum quality to them, right ? After all, an image is worth a thousand words they say !!! So you don’t have to be professional photographers, far from there… but maybe some basic notion like the backgrounds, the angles, the main subjects, the points of interests…
It’s a constructive comment that could improve your general presentations to all the products you’re showing… Maybe you staff would love a day outside in Stanley Park, learning something that would stay with them and be fun to learn.
Other than that… I religiously read all your presentations every week… my special request… the 2009 – 2010 Corvette !!!
Have a great day
Raymond
at 5:14 pm
Why are HID headlights, cruise control, heated leather seats amongst other things all options on a car that costs over 150K?