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Aston Martin's Porsche rival finally goes into production

Ever since the V8 Vantage was shown as a concept in 2003 enthusiasts, sales people and potential customers have been equally anxious for the car to be put into production. This move has come to be this year and Frankfurt saw the official launch of the new baby Aston.

At this level the words "entry model" are very relative, as the V8 is intended to compete against some major players in the sports car world, such as the Porsche 911, Lamborghini Gallardo and Ferrari F430. The V8 includes all of Aston's traditional virtues of hand built quality, performance and style. Low slung and aggressive yet refined and pretty, pictures don't do it justice, as you can't appreciate its compact dimensions compared to the Vanquish until you see the two next to each other.

Interior wise the detailing is as individual and delicious as the exterior suggests. The dashboard in particular is lovely with some of the nicest dials you'll see anywhere. The materials are selected from the highest quality of leathers and finished in a wide range of colours with contemporary textures completing the quality feel and appearance one would expect in an Aston.

It goes without saying that the performance is very Aston like as well courtesy of a 4.3-litre V8 producing 380bhp and 302lb.ft of torque. This new unit features a race-derived dry sump oil system to provide the engine with the protective lubrication it needs when the driver chooses to exploit the power and Nurburgring honed handling to the full.

The V8 Vantage was designed with more than just sporting prowess in mind, offering spacious and luxurious accommodation for two, including boot space for the essential two sets of golf clubs. The car has been designed very much as an everyday supercar, a mantle previously only truly nailed down by the venerable 911. If the V8 Vantage drives as well as it looks then Aston will struggle to build enough cars to satisfy the market's demand.

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