Aston Martin Vantage | Spotted
A new Vantage is from £165,000 - the previous version is now available at £100,000 less...
It’s heartening to see probably the best Aston Martin line-up ever now on sale. And that’s with the Valhalla still to hit the road. Whether customers are after the ultimate super SUV, a charming sports GT, a musclebound V8 sports car or a V12 continent crusher, Aston has all bases covered. In some style, too. And while it’s been easy to fixate on the new interiors and more capable chassis of late (easily done, because they’re significant improvements), the role of the AMG turbo V8 shouldn’t be underestimated in the renaissance either.
Even after almost a decade of Aston Martin use, the hot-v continues to deliver. It made for the best-driving DB11, for starters, and remains central to the appeal of a DB12 also. Drive the DBX707 and you’d swear the engine was made for that car, not a Mercedes, so perfect is the harmony between engine and vehicle. The Vantage couldn’t want for a better V8, either - nobody talks about the baby Aston feeling a little light on torque these days…
Now that superb V8 is available in an Aston Martin for £65,000, as this Vantage demonstrates. It’s a whole lot easier to overlook flaws and gripes at usefully less than half price after 40,000 miles. Let’s not forget, either (though it became trendy to contradict the opinion) that the 2018 Vantage was a properly good product. Perhaps it lacked the outright deftness of a 911 or an R8, or the tactility of the car that preceded it, yet it was also so much faster and more capable than any Vantage before it. After some moaning in the beginning, too, the design has aged nicely.
Certainly, you’d feel pretty content turning up anywhere in this example, having paid Alpine A110 money for it. Back in 2018 more than £20,000 was spent on options, which would have meant a price in excess of £140k, and it assuredly still looks like a six-figure hot rod. Perhaps some of the interior fixtures and fitting might frustrate (and best really like red leather) but, again, that all feels far less problematic at tens of thousands less.
This three-owner car presents smartly; time hasn’t done the cabin any favours, sure - but the optional 20-inch wheels look great, as does the Volcano Red paint, and there are seven main dealer services in the history. It’s never even had an MOT advisory in five tests, and has been in regular use over the past few months by the looks of it.
Tempting, right? Even if the old V8 Vantage has suggested that these ones still have a little way to fall, paying not much more than £60k for this sound, speed and sense of occasion feels like a good deal. Or the DB11 with the same engine costs a similar amount. And we know now, if we didn’t already back then, that the 4.0-litre engine is capable of a good deal more than 510hp; while you’re sorting out the pea shooter exhaust for something more appropriate, perhaps those turbos could be turned up a tad as well…
SPECIFICATION | ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE
Engine: 3,982cc, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: 8-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 510@6,000-6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 505@2,000-5,000rpm
0-62mph: 3.6sec
Top speed: 195mph
MPG: 26.9
CO2: 245g/km
Year registered: 2018
Recorded mileage: 40,000
Price new: £120,900 (before options)
Yours for: £64,895
I’m guessing that sort of money would get an equivalent age R8? It’s where mine would go.
This kind of depreciation must hurt their new car sales even though they do seem to be improving the cars recently.
I’m guessing that sort of money would get an equivalent age R8? It’s where mine would go.
I'd like to think I'd go for the Aston if I were in a position to, but I'd probably be predictable like almost everyone else and have the Audi.
. A more subdued interior, and that would be tempting.Still never understood why they used a bright green as a launch colour on this car. As if they wanted it to fail from the off. A Lambo, yes, but bright green on the older vantage would have made even that look bad, let alone on this new one.
Conversely, these look better and better, although I do agree with the comments about this particular car’s challenging interior…
You've never driven one. Thats for sure.
The R8 Spyder is a fun-bloody-tastic car for backcountry roads with an engine sound to kill for.
With your right food and the shift paddles at your fingers you can compose a symphony with the V10.
Boss: “Where’s the sat-nav?”
Designer: “Oh sh!t I forgot about that!”
Boss: “Well it’s too late now, let’s just stick it in that sunglasses tray and hope nobody notices”.
Boss: “Where’s the sat-nav?”
Designer: “Oh sh!t I forgot about that!”
Boss: “Well it’s too late now, let’s just stick it in that sunglasses tray and hope nobody notices”.
Searching sportscars 40-70k Manual (and avoiding Porschar) there is not a huge amount of modern choice.
Emira' s, soft top R8's, a few Aston V8's and 12's but over a decade old now & dull Ferrari's
So, for 45k, take a risk have fun and keep the 15k for a new bonnet, wing removal & anything that goes wrong.
Or for 57k head for turnipshire.
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