The V8 Vantage sells for a pretty reasonable price considering it is a British sports car with a tough no-nonsense attitude.
For all those who love their cars to be a bit on the raw side, the volume of sound created by the big horsepower twin-cam V8 in action is something that will delight.
The engine has a quiet, restrained note until it reaches 4000 rpm, sounding like any other quality V8. However, once over that mark and with plenty of throttle action, it opens its automotive lungs and simply bellows.
This is the sort of car that will appeal to drivers who like their car to demand real driving skill to get the best from it.
If you get your throttle control wrong, there is a fair bit of snatch in the drivetrain. The cluth is also comparatively heavy, and the gearchanges demand to be made correctly. If you get it right it feels very satisfying, but get it wrong and you may not get the most out of the car and won't like it as much.
But keep in mind that it's driver error that got it wrong, don't blame the Aston.
There's plenty of rubber to hold the road well and the near-perfect balance of the chassis means this car would be best pushed to its outer limits on a racetrack.
The next Aston Martin DB9 update is expected around October 2007. It will go head to head against the Porsche 911 Cabriolet. With a powerful 4.3 litre V8, it should be lots of fun to drive.
