2008 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster review
11 Dec, 2007
16 Comments 
Turn the key and dab the starter button and it doesn’t take long for a tingle to rush down your spine. With the roof down, the raucous V8 note is amplified ten fold in comparison to the Coupe, giving you a heightened sense of pleasure. Head north of 4000RPM and your ears are lovingly tortured with an engine note that contains enough ferocity to disturb the earth’s gravitational field. It’s a sound normally heard only on a racetrack and in many ways, defines the vantage as a true hard-core sports car.
Much like its Coupe sibling, the V8 Vantage Roadster is just as quick, reaching 0-100km/h in just 5.0 seconds. One of the things that astounded us all during the drive was the level of compliance and phenomenal rigidity felt while blasting through switchback sections of road. Roadsters just shouldn’t handle this well!
Generally a convertible will have a feeling of flex and won’t feel as agile or composed as its hardtop counterpart. The V8 Vantage Roadster on the other hand, feels just as good as the Coupe version in a straight line and through corners. Its uncanny how this car feels no different to the Coupe, no matter what speed you are doing.
On a private, but finite stretch of tarmac with the roof down, we nailed the throttle on the Roadster and comfortably nudged 214km/h while still able to hold a conversation about how good the car’s mid to high range acceleration was. I know of very few drop tops that are as comfortable at speed as the Vantage. Stability was also rock solid with plenty of down force and no front-end lightness, whatsoever.
Response and feel from the steering is sublime, every grain of dirt on the road is felt through the front tyres, while only minute and precise turns of the wheel are required to point the Aston’s nose in the correct direction. The turning ratio is quite tight, meaning that few turns are required to reach lock, which also means the driver’s hands can remain in the same position even through the tightest of corners.
There’s a tonne of grip courtesy of the extra wide 275mm rear treads. Jumping onto the throttle on the exit of a corner delivers reliance and plenty of composure. The body doesn’t feel like it’s about to step out and cause a ruckus, the tyres stick to the road and offer uncanny levels of traction – especially for a rear-wheel-drive roadster.
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(7 votes, average: 4.29 out of 5)
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December 12th, 2007 at 12:01 am
Who are the people in the photos? Tell us exactly which ones which! :D
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December 12th, 2007 at 6:44 am
perfect for driving along the beach, posing with your top off and a hint of opposite lock, the seagulls will love it to for sure.
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December 12th, 2007 at 7:29 am
Wow…….I agree great colour,you guys are soooooo lucky!
Alborz what was your little butt doing on the bonnet though???hahaha
The finish in the interior was amazing I thought,I was surprised at the engine though,looked a little messy.Engine bay isn’t painted?
So who had to sit on someones knee…..3 into a 2 seater doesn’t go!
Some of the options I agree should be standard,the paint was cheap I thought,wheels at $4,000 a each ? Why not if you can afford it in the place whats another $16,000!
The sexiest car in the World!
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December 12th, 2007 at 7:39 am
This car is stunning. I love it. I’d probably go the coupe myself but hell if you had that kinda money - get both. Great article and awesome pics guys! Well done.
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December 12th, 2007 at 8:39 am
Yeah…….absolutely Cassey,forgot to mention that in my previous post thats awaiting moderation {have to stop putting s e x in my posts}! Another fantastic article by you guys but I guess when you have a passion for a car it makes it a damn site easier to write about!
Im not one for a roofless car but I would have that!sigh……
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December 12th, 2007 at 9:01 am
Nice car, but where are bikini babes, I don’t see any?!
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December 12th, 2007 at 10:50 am
/Envious drool
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December 12th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Rather the similar priced, but way faster Ferrari powered Maserati Coupe in convertiable form.
As fast as a porker 911s, so u know its the goods
Cheers
F-0
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December 12th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
Frugal - that would be the GranSport Spyder - if you think that car looks as good as the Aston - I implore you to go straight to your nearest optometrist and get the free medicare check.
As for power - yep its got more than the Aston, considerably more power and torque, but here’s the thing, its no faster and it sure as hell don’t handle like the Aston!
Good try but you’ll need to do better than that.
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December 12th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Ferrari is more of posers car too me …this is sheer style and class!
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December 12th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
It is a terrific looking car and engine but the big downside with it is that there is alot of options that should come standard with car at that price! Like alarm, cruise control(comes standard in $34,000 car (Commodore)),heated seats and xeon headlights!
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December 12th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Wheels $4000 a set
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December 12th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
A set………thats cheap!!!!!!!!!!!!
I didn’t think $4,000 a pop was expensive ……..not for that car or wheel option!
1 BBS will cost you more than that without a M badge on it!
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December 27th, 2007 at 8:40 am
wow…
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January 2nd, 2008 at 2:47 am
I just can say it’s a perfect car nothing elese
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March 18th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
I am Australian but live in London…my wife bought me an “Aston Martin track day” for my 30th birthday - so I was up in Yorkshire on the weekend driving the V8 Vantage and then the DB9 around a racetrack.
The DB9 is very big, and too nose-heavy. I actually prefer my 330Ci to drive , through corners at least. The power is simply awe-inspiring though of course.
However, the V8 Vantage is something entirely different. If God himself made the most perfect car, it would be the V8 Vantage. I was truly incredible to drive, I couldn’t stop smiling for literally an hour or so after 5 laps in the V8 Vantage.
It’s acceleration is obviously beyond impressive; but it is the way it feels through corners and long sweeping bends that makes it 40x better than anything else I have ever driven. The amount of grip just defied believe and seemingly, defied laws of physics too!
I don’t care whether it takes 3 years or 20 years….I have to have one.
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