Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster
If it looks right, it is right. Think about that phrase and how it rings true for cars. Yes, there have been some spectacularly ugly but effective supercars but how many cars can you think of that look great but which underneath the alluring lines are, in fact, rather ordinary. Not many, I would imagine.
If Aston Martins V8 Vantage Roadster is half as good as it looks, the company will have a winner on its hands.
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Aston Martin is confident the V8 Vantage Roadster will be amongst the best of the best when it comes to chassis performance. That means matching up to cars like the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, the BMW M6 Convertible, the Jaguar XKR Convertible and the Porsche 911 Cabriolet a tough ask by any stretch of the imagination. As desirable as these cars are, none have the same cohesiveness of design of the Aston Martin. There is not one bad angle, not one awkward aspect.
Hood up, hood down, hood half-mast, this car looks the business. Yes, we can understand why some grouse that all Aston Martins look much the same but when they look this good, it seems churlish to grumble. Rather than attempt to fit a folding metal hard top and risk ruining the cars lines, Aston Martin wisely chose to fit a Plush three-layer fabric hood to the Vantage Roadster. With the hood up, the Vantage still looks elegantly proportioned, the hood forming a neat turret without the overly long rear deck that some convertible suffer from.
With the hood stowed, there are a pair of what Aston refers to as leather speed humps that sit behind the seat head restraints and pyrotechnic roll over bars.
"The V8 engine is unique to Aston Martin," said Jeremy Main, Product Development Director of Aston Martin. "We share expertise within the PAG organisation but this design is totally new and not a shared engine. Every significant part of it is unique, from the specification of the cylinder block to the cylinder heads, crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, camshafts, inlet and exhaust manifolds, lubrication system and engine management."
Aston Martin claim a minimal weight increase over the Vantage coupe, the suggestion being that the inherent stiffness of the aluminium chassis means theres no need for the sort of extensive cross-bracing that many convertible cars require to maintain rigidity. Such added ironmongery adds weight, blunts performance and reduces fuel economy. Take a look at the specification of the Vantage Roadster and youll quickly appreciate that there may be an element of licence being taken with the truth here, its 1,710kg kerb weight a whole 140kg more than the coupe. The exterior panels are a combination of aluminium, steel and advanced composites designed to keep weight down, and even that 1,710kg figure is a mere 60kg more than a Porsche Carrera 4S Targa but a lot lighter on its feet than the 2005kg BMW M6 Convertible.
With a 380bhp engine under the bonnet, performance is certainly class competitive, hitting 60mph in 4.9 seconds and accelerating to a top speed of 175mph. That is serious performance by any measure. With a relatively large 4.
3-litre eight cylinder engine up front, weight distribution was a priority for Aston Martins engineers. A transmission at the rear of the car helps generate a 49:51 weight distribution front and rear, the engine being what is fashionably termed front-mid mounted or in laymans terms, with its centre of gravity set behind the line of the front axle. All of this helps the Vantage V8 corner nimbly, and predictably. A dry sump also allows the engine to sit very low in the chassis, lowering the cars centre of gravity to help stability. During periods of extreme cornering, acceleration and braking, this system also helps to maintain an uninterrupted flow of oil to crucial engine components.
The quad cam 32-valve engine itself is hand assembled in Cologne alongside the powerplants for the Vanquish S and DB9. "The V8 engine is unique to Aston Martin," said Jeremy Main, Product Development Director of Aston Martin. "We share expertise within the PAG organisation but this design is totally new and not a shared engine. Every significant part of it is unique, from the specification of the cylinder block to the cylinder heads, crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, camshafts, inlet and exhaust manifolds, lubrication system and engine management." Particularly interesting is the availability alongside the standard Graziano six-speed manual gearbox of the Sportshift automated manual transmission at a £3,000 premium over the Roadsters standard £91,000 asking price (around £8,000 more than the Coupe model). This uses paddles mounted behind the steering wheel to snick between the six ratios and looks set to be a popular pick. Despite the attractions of the clutchless Sportshift, theres a lot to be said for the manual box which will probably remain the choice of enthusiast drivers, the close ratio setup and light, positive action promising the sort of tactility that has long been the preserve of Porsche and BMW drivers. The move to a purpose-built factory at Gaydon has enabled the company to abandon many of the less productive practices of the old Bloxham plant without sacrificing quality.
Factor in strong sales of DB9 and Vanquish models and the company is looking at a yearly production capacity of close to 5,000 cars which is astounding when compared to the 42 cars that rolled through the factory gates in 1991. That will make Aston Martin a bigger producer than Ferrari. Impressive stuff. Many V8 Vantage Roadster buyers wont give a fig about whats under the skin.
Owning the most beautiful car in series production will be the big draw. Id always abhorred superficiality as a character trait but after having a look round the Vantage Roadster, I think I could try it on for size.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster
PRICES: £91,000-£94,000 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 20
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 4.9s / Max Speed 175mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 16mpg (average)
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS, rollover protection
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/height mm 4380/1866/1265
