12:16AM - 09.07.'14
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News Source: autoblog.com
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Only one thing is going through my mind as I blast down the Autobahn at 170 miles per hour: If someone were to give me $100,000 today, I'd go buy a new Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT tomorrow. I know there are a dozen other choices out there – cars that are more powerful, quicker around a road circuit and much less expensive, but you can keep your Corvette, your 911, your F-Type, your GT-R and your top-spec pony cars. My money would go towards this entry-level Brit with the metallic green paint and bright-yellow race-inspired accents. Aston Martin has always crafted alluring – and expensive – automobiles. Yet this is the first time one of its offerings has come close to making sense to both the enthusiast's heart and to his or her accountant. It may sound absurd, but considering the GT's engineering, design, pedigree and hand-crafted execution, its $99,900 sticker price (plus $2,825 destination) makes it an absolute bargain. To experience the new V8 Vantage GT, a model sold as the N430 in other markets, the British automaker invited me to attend this year's grueling Nürburgring 24-hour race. Before I watched its race-prepared siblings lap the famed circuit for a full day (all four Vantage models that entered finished), I was handed the keys to my very own example – in Alloro green exterior paint with yellow club sport graphics – configured with a welcomed six-speed manual gearbox. As you'll likely recall, the Vantage is the smallest, lightest and most agile of the Aston Martin lineup, and it's been around for a good while already. First launched at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, today the model is offered in Coupe and Roadster bodystyles with the buyer's choice of either a V8 or V12 powerplant. The coupe, like all of the automaker's production models, rides on its modular VH platform, a lightweight bonded aluminum and magnesium monocoque structure fitted with aluminum body panels for Vantage duty. Aston Martin is proud of its aerospace-like chassis, and it's historically been eager to promote its ability to offer its affluent clientele customized vehicles, with personalized upholsteries, colors and options – think of it like ordering a custom-tailored suit. But that exclusivity has previously come at a considerable price, starting at $121,225 (including destination) for its least-expensive V8 Vantage. But the new V8 Vantage GT breaks from this tradition, as it is pre-configured with an enthusiast-oriented set of options and only sold in a handful of colors, thus allowing Aston Martin to trim manufacturing time and thus lowering its retail price. While the automaker will offer both Coupe and Roadster models in V8 GT trim (priced from $102,725 to $122,525, including destination), any deviation from the pre-packaged program puts the customer in a standard V8 Vantage, which means the higher pricing applies. Don't expect the least-expensive Aston Martin to arrive bare bones. Instead, the specially appointed cabin of the V8 GT surrounds both of its occupants with a full leather and Alcantara cabin, with thick contrasting stitching, combined with real carbon fiber and wood finished in piano black. The three-spoke steering wheel is covered in Alcantara (or leather) and the rotary dials have anodized black faces with matching kick plates and pedals underfoot. I'm a couple inches over six feet tall, but my frame fits well within the personal space inside the Vantage. There is no sunroof, meaning headroom isn't compromised, and the pedal box is deep inside the wheel well, translating to good room to stretch my feet (passengers will discover that their foot well is quite a bit shallower). Sadly, the incredibly snug carbon-fiber and Kevlar bucket seats in my test car won't make it to the States – blame Uncle Sam and his frustrating regulations – we get thicker (a bit more padding) and slightly less supportive steel and leather units. In a sequence duplicated with all late-model Aston Martins, the vehicle is started with a crystal key that is inserted into top of the center console. After a momentary pause, the dashboard illuminates and the engine fires to life with a roar that startles unexpected onlookers. The handbrake is located, oddly, on the outboard side and it requires a lift before its button is pushed to release. Preflight done, and the engine burbling away impatiently, the sleek coupe is ready to go. With a firm push with my left leg, I carpet the clutch while pressing the leather-wrapped gearshift knob forward into first gear, which engages with a reassuring mechanical click. After a buttery smooth clutch release, the Aston Martin rolls gently of the line. It doesn't take but a ten-foot roll to notice the weight of the steering. Without a doubt, the traditional hydraulically assisted steering is one of the heaviest setups I have felt in some time. But I'm not complaining, as it feels wonderful. Maneuvering the V8 GT though a parking lot requires a bit of muscle, just as it should, requiring lots of focus, as the view out of the greenhouse is challenged (a reverse camera and sensors are standard). Located just ahead and to the side of the driver's feet, on the other side of a thick aluminum firewall, is the automaker's familiar 4.7-liter V8. As it is in the standard Vantage family, the all-alloy engine is fitted with a dry sump and pushed rearward for a low, front mid-mounted position. Special to this model is a standard sport exhaust, which helps it to deliver 430 horsepower and 361 pound-feet of torque (Aston has painted the intake manifold black, instead of silver, to set it apart from the standard engine). A rear-mounted transaxle is standard, but buyers are offered a choice between a traditional six-speed manual gearbox and a paddle-operated seven-speed "Sportshift II" automated manual transmission (single clutch), at additional cost, but the latter has proven to be an utter buzzkill in other Astons we've tested. |
